Title I is a program designed to support schools with high poverty levels. Funding through Title I benefits all students in schools to which the funding is funneled. Chapman has a 64 percent poverty level.

"This is really nice. Really fun," Trout said of the school's selection as a distinguished school.

As a result, Trout and three of Chapman's teachers -- Donna Austin, kindergarten; Kim Johnson, first and second grades; Pavla Tyson, Title I -- will give presentations at the Winter Education Conference in Anchorage later this month. Trout and Tyson also will be presenters at the national Title I conference in San Antonio, Texas, in February.

Last fall, after receiving a list of schools qualified to apply for the national recognition, Sandy Miller, the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District's assistant director of federal programs, said Chapman School "popped out as the school we wanted to take through the process."

"It was because of (Chapman's) increased student progress, because of their role implementing a response-to-intervention process and their working hard to become a professional learning community," Miller said. "They're doing a lot of things that are highly researched-based and showing some really good effects."

In addition, Miller said, Chapman staff has developed a highly collaborative team approach.

"Every child in that building belongs to every teacher. That makes a huge difference," Miller said.

A state review team looked at the applications and conducted interviews with principals and teachers. Margaret MacKinnon, the state's Title I administrator, said Chapman ranked the highest through that process. Although the school met all the criteria for the award, the state narrowed it down to one specific area.

"We have two categories of schools that can be recognized for Title I distinguished schools: exceptional performance for two or more years or closing achievement gaps between student groups. Chapman qualified in both categories, but was selected as a school for closing the gap between student groups," MacKinnon said, explaining that Chapman's increased language arts and math scores were eye-catching improvements.

"Its great to be able to recognize them," MacKinnon said. "They're a small school and have a 64 percent poverty level. There are a lot of transient kids moving in and out and that makes it very challenging for a school, but they've worked hard."

Having the school recognized at the national level underscores the hard work of faculty, staff and students, Trout said.

"I think that there's an inaccurate comment that low poverty and low achievement go hand in hand, but that's not the case," Trout said. "What's really showing with our data is that you can come in at all economic levels and still show achievement. That's something that we are learning. It is not holding us back."

Refusing to be held back are Chapman's 94 students.

"We have a high attendance rate here," Trout said. "These kids want to be here."

McKibben Jackinsky can be reached at mckibben.jackinsky@homnernews.com.