National Distinguished Schools
National Elementary and Secondary Education Act Distinguished Schools
Every year, the Texas Education Agency honors two outstanding Texas Title I campuses as National ESEA Distinguished Schools. Selected for their exceptional achievements, one school receives the Distinguished Performance Award, while the other is recognized with the Distinguished Progress Award. In the spring, these schools are celebrated both on their home campuses and at the National Title I Association Conference. To inspire educators across the state, their award-winning best practices are proudly highlighted below.
2025 NDS Recognized Schools in Texas
The 2025 National ESEA Distinguished Schools for the State of Texas were recognized at the 2026 National ESEA Conference held in Denver, Colorado February 10-12, 2026.
IDEA Carver by Crosslet Photo & Video
IDEA Carver College Preparatory
San Antonio, Texas | Region 20 ESC
SST Houston by Crosslet Photo & Video
School of Science and Technology Discovery (SST) Advancement
Houston, Texas | Region 4 ESC
About the National Distinguished School Award
The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (NAESPA)—formerly the National Title I Association—has been selecting examples of superior, federally funded school programs for national recognition through the National ESEA Distinguished Schools program (recently renamed from its predecessor, the National Title I Distinguished Schools program) since 1996. Schools are selected by their State Education Agency and must qualify under one of the following categories:
- Category 1: Exceptional student performance and academic growth for two or more consecutive years
- Category 2: Closing the achievement gap between student groups for two or more consecutive years
Title I is the cornerstone of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)—it is the largest federally funded pre-college education program in the United States. Together with other federal education programs of the ESEA—which are jointly focused on student equity and access—they provide funding to school districts to aid primarily in the education of economically disadvantaged students.
Title I is the foundation of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). A Title I school ensures a fair and equal education for all students. NAESPA implemented the National ESEA Distinguished Schools Program to highlight selected schools that have effectively used their ESEA federal funds to improve education outcomes for students. More information about all National ESEA Distinguished Schools is available on the NAESPA website.
Prior Recipients
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The named schools will be recognized at the 2027 National ESEA Conference held in Louisville, Kentucky February 23-25, 2027.
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The 2025 National ESEA Distinguished Schools for the State of Texas are:
- IDEA Carver College Preparatory (San Antonio) – Region 20 ESC
- School of Science and Technology Discovery (SST) Advancement (Houston) – Region 4 ESC
These schools will be recognized at the 2026 National ESEA Conference held in Denver, Colorado February 10-12, 2026.
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The 2024 National ESEA Distinguished Schools for the State of Texas are:
- Alief Early College High School, Alief ISD - Region 4
- Solomon P. Ortiz Elementary, Brownsville ISD - Region 1
These schools were recognized at the 2025 National ESEA Conference held in Austin, Texas February 19-21, 2025.
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The 2023 National ESEA Distinguished Schools for the State of Texas are:
- F.J. Scott Elementary School, Roma ISD - Region 1
- Valley View South Elementary, Valley View ISD - Region 1
These schools were recognized at the 2024 National ESEA Conference held in Portland, Oregon February 7-10, 2024.
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The 2022 National ESEA Distinguished Schools for the State of Texas are:
- Cesar Chavez Elementary, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD - Region 1
- Roel & Celia Saenz Elementary, Roma ISD - Region 1
These schools were recognized at the 2023 National ESEA Conference held in Indianapolis, Indiana, February 1-4, 2023.
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The 2021 National ESEA Distinguished Schools for the State of Texas are:
- John & Olive Hinojosa Elementary, Rio Grande City Grulla ISD - Region 1
- Annie S. Putegnant Elementary, Brownsville ISD - Region 1
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The 2020 National ESEA Distinguished Schools for the State of Texas are:
- Cesar Chavez Elementary, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD - Region 1
- Graciela Garcia Elementary, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD- Region 1
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The 2019 National ESEA Distinguished Schools for the State of Texas are:
- Valley View Elementary School (Pharr)
- Valley View Video – No CC
- North Houston Early College High School (Houston)
- Valley View Elementary School (Pharr)
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About the National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators: Bob Harmon, CEO, bob.harmon@ESEAnetwork.org
About individual schools: Individual State Department of Education Offices