A Jefferson County elementary school is being featured for its achievements on NBC's Education Nation initiative.

Wells Academy in Steubenville is one of the top schools in Ohio and is being highlighted for its strides in early childhood education.


"Our staff has really bought into the program, into the curriculum and our results. It's data driven per each individual student, so we're finally now getting the results from it," said Steubenville City Schools Superintendent Mike McVey.


The featured school wasn't an overnight success. School officials said it took 15 years to become part of a leading curriculum in early childhood education.


"Without the kids coming daily wanting to learn, without a dedicated staff and without a community that has an outstanding work ethic, this just doesn't work," said Wells Academy Principal Joe Nocera.

Education Nation brings together top leaders and educators in the country to talk about what works and what doesn't in public schools. Though Wells Academy is making strides, there are still challenges ahead.


McVey said some of the highlights of the program are "the individual attention we have with reading; our tutoring program; to see the kids who are having trouble in their early years to get through that; … and also our emphasis on an hour of math a day."


School officials said the community's involvement is also responsible for the academy's success.