Sixty schools and districts in St. Lawrence, Jefferson and Lewis counties were named on the state's "high performing/gap closing" list released last week under the No Child Left Behind Act. An additional 12 were listed as "rapidly improving."

High performing/gap closing schools and districts were named if they had met state standards for English Language Arts and math in the 2006-07 school year and had also made adequate yearly progress, under No Child Left Behind, in the two subjects.

Rapidly improving schools and districts are those that were below state standards in one or more subjects, but showed yearly progress in 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07.

The General Brown Central School District has schools on both lists.

Brownville-Glen Park Elementary was listed as high performing/gap closing and Dexter Elementary is rapidly improving.

"It's a tribute to the students and the staff and the work they're getting done," said Stephan J. Vigliotti Sr., General Brown superintendent.

Donald W. Wheeler, district curriculum coordinator, said the building principals have done an excellent job of working with faculty to "provide consistent programing across the two buildings."

"The teachers have also taken a very active roll in leading committees on school improvement," he said.

There is a new prekindergarten through second grade literacy committee, reading strategies committee and character education committee.

Watertown Superintendent Terry N. Fralick said he is very proud of both the students and staff.

"This is what we've been waiting for," he said. "We've been working toward this and we're pleased that we can now show with data the quality of our schools."

He credits the districtwide work with literacy programs and new software for the increase in student achievement.

"We've had to get everyone focused on literacy," Mr. Fralick said. "Literacy is where everything starts."

In the South Lewis Central School District, Superintendent Frank C. House said the implementation of literacy programs has helped each school get on the high performing/gap closing list.

"The Board of Education has put a huge emphasis on kindergarten through eighth-grade literacy," he said.

In 2008-09, the district will implement a kindergarten through fifth grade literacy collaborative.

"Our teachers have also done a gap analysis," Mr. House said. "They will review the tests and determine if there are any weaknesses in their curriculum."

Four out of five schools in the Massena Central School District were named on the high performing/gap closing list.

"This is great for us," Superintendent Douglas W. Huntley said. "There are three reasons why students are performing at this level."

The first reason, Mr. Huntley said, was the dedication of the board to lowering class sizes. The second is the strong districtwide English and math curriculum. And the third reason, Mr. Huntley said, was the dedication of additional time at the elementary level each day to literacy.

Indian River Assistant Superintendent Mary Anne Dobmeier said the success of many of her schools has come from the implementation of "learning houses," or unique approaches to lesson plans to help students be more interested in the curriculum.

Jamie A. Moesel, superintendent at South Jefferson, said the focus of the district is "the improvement of student achievement."

Teachers in the district are working together on "curriculum alignment" and district-wide goals for students.

Only three districts in the three counties, Lyme, Beaver River and Colton-Pierrepont, were not represented on either of the lists.

High-performing schools and districts 2006-07

■ Alexandria Central Elementary School

■ Belleville Henderson Central School

■ Canton Central School District, J M McKenney Middle School

■ Carthage Central Schools: Black River Elementary, Carthage Elementary, West Carthage Elementary, Carthage Middle School

■ Clifton-Fine Central School District, Clifton-Fine Elementary School

■ Edwards-Knox Central School District, Edwards-Knox Elementary, Edwards-Knox Junior-Senior High School

■ Brownville-Glen Park Elementary School — General Brown Central

■ Gouverneur Central School District, East Side Elementary, West Side Elementary

■ Harrisville Central School District, Harrisville Elementary School

■ Hermon-DeKalb Central School District, Hermon-DeKalb Central School

■ Indian River Central School District, Evans Mills Primary, Indian River High School, Indian River Middle School, Indian River Intermediate School

■ LaFargeville Central School — LaFargeville Central School District

■ Lisbon Central School District, Lisbon Central School

■ Lowville Academy & Central School District

■ Madrid-Waddington Central Schools: Madrid-Waddington Junior-Senior High School, Madrid-Waddington Elementary School

■ Massena Central Schools: Jefferson Elementary, Madison Elementary, Nightengale Elementary, Massena Senior High School

■ Morristown Central School District

■ Norwood-Norfolk Elementary School

■ Madill Elementary School — Ogdensburg City School District

■ Parishville-Hopkinton Central School District, Parishville-Hopkinton Elementary, Parishville-Hopkinton Junior-Senior High School

■ A A Kingston Middle School — Potsdam Central School District

■ Sackets Harbor Central School District, Sackets Harbor Central School

■ South Jefferson Central School District, South Jefferson High School, Maynard P. Wilson Elementary, Mannsville-Manor Elementary, Clarke Middle School

■ South Lewis Central School District, Glenfield Elementary, South Lewis Middle School, South Lewis Senior High School

■ Thousand Islands Central School District, Guardino Elementary School

■ Watertown City School District, Knickerbocker Elementary, Sherman Elementary, Watertown High School

Rapidly-improving schools and districts 2006-07:

■ St. Lawrence Elementary School — Brasher Falls Central

■ Clifton-Fine Junior-Senior High School

■ Copenhagen Central School District

■ General Brown Central School District, Dexter Elementary School

■ Harrisville Junior Senior High School

■ Hammond Central School District, Hammond Central School

■ Heuvelton Central School District, Heuvelton Central School

■ Antwerp Primary School — Indian River Central

■ LaFargeville Central School District

■ Lowville Elementary School — Lowville Academy & Central School