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3:00pm | The children at Long Beach’s own International Elementary School welcomed a special guest to their classrooms this morning.

Assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education Thelma Meléndez de Santa Ana came to visit the students and congratulate them.  International Elementary received the Title I Academic Achievement Award earlier this month to earn the visit from one of the senior officials with the U.S. Department of Education.

The assistant secretary is the principal advisor to the United States secretary of education on matters pertaining to pre-kindergarten, elementary and secondary schooling.

The award is given to schools that make exemplary progress with large numbers of disadvantaged students.  A school must receive Title I funds – indicating that many students attending the school are living in poverty – to be eligible for the award.

International Elementary earned the award by taking strides toward meeting proficient statewide academic standards, and doubling their specific achievement targets for two consecutive years.

"We want to learn what Long Beach is doing," said assistant secretary Meléndez, according to the LBUSD. "There's an alignment and purpose in Long Beach, from the central office to the schools, to support what goes on in the classroom.  That's very clear here."

Meléndez said she was particularly interested in district programs that focused on teacher training.

Accompanied with the award earlier this month, the visit from Melendez is a boost to the school district as it continues to reel from budget slashing. The Long Beach Unified School District has long been a model for urban education and supporting poverty-stricken students.

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