For the second time in a year, a Penn-Harris-Madison school has won an Indiana Department of Education an Educational Excellence Award … Grissom Middle School has been recognized with an Excellence in Academic Gains award. This prestigious award comes with a grant with up to $177,000! Fall 2023, Penn High School was recognized with the Excellence in College Readiness Award and received a $250,000 grant from the IDOE! 

The Excellence in Academic Gains Award recognizes an individual school that has made the most progress in improving achievement for all students. One or more of the following must be demonstrated by the award recipient:

• increased academic achievement for students as indicated by ILEARN English/language arts/Mathematics assessment results
• prioritization of initiatives focused on accelerating learning
• implementation of progress monitoring and evidenced-based practices for students in need of extra support

Schools must use the grant funds as indicated by the IDOE to continue the amazing work that the school was doing to earn the recognition; or choose to spend the money on projects related to any of the Educational Excellence Awards categories.

Grissom will be recognized at the 3rd annual Educational Excellence Awards Gala in Indianapolis September 6, 2024.