Lula Elementary School is making great gains in achievement, according to state education officials.

The school was among 21 schools across the state to be named a 2010 Georgia School of Excellence Thursday.

"Both the students and staff have worked very hard, and we are proud of the work they've done in Lula," Hall County Superintendent Will Schofield said.

The award recognizes Lula for continuous gains in student achievement over the past three years, as measured by reading and math assessments.

Math and reading scores for Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests have grown over the last few years, Lula principal Matthew Alexander said.

"We had gains in all areas for fifth grade last year, and had about a 10 percent gain in math," Alexander said. "In fourth grade, the gain for math was about 3 or 4 percent."

Alexander attributes the recognition to the hard work of students, staff and parents.

He added that the school also placed an emphasis on implementing Singapore math and the Hall County balanced literacy framework.

"We look at reading and writing and make sure they read grade level text and text that is appropriate for their reading level," Alexander said.

Family support has helped elevate the school over the years, he said. The Parent Teacher Organization has also contributed to technology growth at Lula.

"With their fundraising we were able to purchase two Promethean boards last year, which are interactive white boards," he said.

The Georgia Schools of Excellence are honored in two categories; those that have made the greatest gains and schools in the top 10 percent in Georgia as measured by math and reading assessments.

As part of the award, Lula will receive $1,000 from Georgia Natural Gas to use as it wishes.