The Models of Excellence in Education award program highlights schools that are making strong gains in advancing the achievement of all their students and making headway in closing the achievement gap. The program identifies these schools and helps them share their best practices with other schools.
Models of Excellence was started by Lt. Governor John Carney in 2002 to counter the perception that Delaware schools were not making progress in closing the achievement gap. The program began by identifying programs in schools that were boosting student achievement. As teams of advisors for the program began to visit more schools, however, they realized schools which were making strong gains for all students weren’t doing this with just one program. In its fourth year, the Models of Excellence program shifted from highlighting specific programs to highlighting whole schools for their integrated approaches to advancing the needs of students.
Model of Excellence provides an award of $5,000 to winning schools which they can use to continue to support the needs of their students. Schools are chosen by a group of program advisors. The process for selecting winners begins with looking at achievement data from all schools and identifying schools that are making strong gains with diverse populations and are making progress in closing the achievement gap. After digging into the data, advisors identify schools around the state which are making this type of progress and visit each school to learn more about what is happening to boost student achievement. Models of Excellence awards $5,000 to each winning school to continue to support the needs of their students. To select the winners, a group of program advisors looks at achievement data from all schools and identifies schools that are making strong gains with diverse populations and are closing the achievement gap. They visit each school to learn more about what is happening to boost student achievement. A key component of Models of Excellence is sharing best practices among schools. When schools are being selected for awards, emphasis is put on a school being able to identify and articulate how they have been successful so they are able to share that knowledge with other schools.
A key component of Models of Excellence is sharing best practices between schools. When schools are being selected for awards, emphasis is put on a school being able to identify and articulate how they have been successful so they are able to share that knowledge with other schools.
Nineteen Delaware schools over the past six years have been selected as Models of Excellence. These schools, in addition to the cash award they receive, are honored at an annual dinner each spring along with the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce's Superstars in Education award winners. Recipients of these awards are then invited to present at an annual sharing forum in the fall where they can connect with other schools and educators from around the state.
Models of Excellence has helped Stanton Middle School in the Red Clay School District connect with Selbyville Middle School in the Indian River School District to implement a program called “Meet the Challenge II,” focused on boosting student achievement through data-driven decision making and fostering an intensive relationship between students and teachers aimed at student success. With support from Models of Excellence, Stanton Middle School was able to model Selbyville’s program, become a commendable school, and is moving to help more schools replicate this successful program.
Models of Excellence winners include:
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