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City Councilperson Meghan Sahli-Wells, with family assistance, shows how many Lin Howe students travel to school.
Principal Kim Indelicato said this afternoon that the state’s recognition of Lin Howe School for a Title I Academic Achievement Award is “a recognition of the hard work that the teachers, the students and the parents are doing, both in the classroom and at home.”
Lin Howe is among merely 56 California public schools to be cited for sustained progress in academic improvement by students from low-income students.
As much or more than any campus in Culver City, Lin Howe is the quintessential neighborhood school that many families yearn to have.
Its leafy, Downtown-adjacent setting makes it a convenient non-automobile school destination for parents and children who can be streaming down sidewalks from all points of the compass early every morning – on foot, on two wheels, on skateboards.
Bicycling enthusiast Meghan Sahli-Wells’s two sons attend Lin Howe. The City Councilperson has been a leader in making the school a focal point of the Safe Routes to School coalition’s campaign to move families from cars to earthier forms of travel.
The formal praise from Sacramento elevates the prestige of Lin Howe, and it will instantly translate into a selling point for parents transferring their children or preparing pre-schoolers.
“We talk about all aspects of our school when we meet with parents,” Ms. Indelicato said.
“I mention the programs we offer and the instruction taking place in classrooms, and also about our test scores and API.”
Since this is her first year at Lin Howe, Ms. Indelicato said the Title I award “really is a testament to last year’s staff and to Amy Anderson (the previous principal).”
From Sacramento, state Sept. Tom Torlakson acknowledged that the newly designated Title I schools “serve students facing real challenges. They have risen to meet them through hard work and dedication. It is inspiring to see their students achieve.”
The Title I Academic Achievement Award is given only to schools receiving federal Title I funds as authorized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Title I, the single largest federal educational program for K-12 public education, assists schools in meeting the educational needs of students living at or below the poverty line. Of the 9,900 schools in California, 6,000 of them participate in the Title I program.
The criteria to qualify for the Title I award have become more rigorous in recent years. Schools must demonstrate that all students are making significant progress toward proficiency on California's academic content standards. Socioeconomically disadvantaged students must have doubled the achievement targets set for them for two consecutive years.
