Current Year Winners

The Gene Bottoms Pacesetter School Award recognizes schools and districts that are implementing the Making Schools Work strategies and are seeing measurable improvements in student outcomes.

This year, we are proud to honor four outstanding institutions for their dedication to excellence and continuous improvement.

High School Winner: Sylacauga High School (Sylacauga, AL)

Sylacauga High School has demonstrated a deep commitment to academic rigor by fully implementing the recommendations from their Curriculum Instruction Review. By reimagining their advisory periods and ACT preparation, the school has created a more holistic support system for its students.

Key Achievements

• Increased ACT scores, with 75% of juniors now writing at a collegiate level.
• Tripled the number of qualifying scores on Advanced Placement exams.
• Earned a state report card increase of six points, exceeding the state average.

Middle School Winner: Albert Hill Middle School (Richmond, VA)

As a turnaround school, Albert Hill Middle School has achieved the remarkable milestone of earning accreditation after a nine-year gap. The school has focused heavily on student engagement, culturally responsive teaching and literacy integration, particularly within mathematics. Their data-driven approach ensures that remediation and enrichment are embedded into daily instruction.

Key Achievements

• Ranked among the top five schools in the state for growth in both reading and math.
• Successfully implemented trauma-informed and relationship-based classroom strategies.
• Mastered the integration of literacy across all core subjects.

Technology Center Winner: Floyd D. Johnson Career and Technology Center (York, SC)

Now a three-time Pacesetter winner, the Floyd D. Johnson CTE Center continues to set the standard for workforce-focused education. Over an eight-year partnership with SREB, the center has cultivated a “Culture of Continuous Improvement.”

Current initiatives include expanding dual enrollment opportunities and strengthening competency-based instruction through Project-Based Learning.

Key Achievements

• Significant gains in credential attainment and college and career readiness.
• Successful expansion of career and technical student organizations.
• Established robust strategic goals through intensive long-term planning.

You can learn more about how Floyd D. Johnson became a three-year winner by listening to our podcast episode with their director and one of their teachers. 

District Winner: Oxford City Schools (Oxford, AL)

Oxford City Schools has successfully moved from isolated initiatives to a coherent, district-wide system of improvement. By establishing clear instructional priorities aligned with grade-level standards—particularly in mathematics—the district has turned compliance into a shared commitment to student learning.

Key Achievements

• Improved the district accountability rating from a B to an A.
• Standardized high-quality classroom practices and instructional alignment across the district.
• Strengthened leadership capacity and data-driven decision-making.

State Winner

Our state winner will be announced shortly. Please bookmark this page to find out who it will be.