WASHINGTON — Greywolf Elementary School and Neah Bay Elementary School are among 54 U.S. schools to achieve a 2016 National Title I Distinguished School designation.

The North Olympic Peninsula schools received notice of the award Jan. 4. The 2016 Distinguished Schools will be honored Feb. 22 at the 2017 National Title I Conference in Long Beach, Calif.

A project of the National Title I Association, the National Title I Distinguished Schools Program publicly recognizes qualifying Title I schools for the outstanding academic achievements of their students.

The program has been in place since 1996, acknowledging the success of hundreds of schools in one of three categories: exceptional student performance for two consecutive years, closing the achievement gap between student groups and excellence in serving special populations of students, such as the homeless or migrants.

Title I is the cornerstone of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

It is the largest federally funded pre-college education program in the United States and provides funding to school districts to aid in the education of economically disadvantaged students.

The National Title I Association implemented the National Title I Distinguished Schools Program to highlight selected schools that have successfully used their Title I federal funds to improve the education for economically disadvantaged students.

For more information about National Title I Distinguished Schools, visit www.titlei.org or email Bob Harmon at bob.harmon@titlei.org.