EAST ST. LOUIS – East St. Louis School District 189 is proud to announce the selection of James Avant Elementary School as a Model School at the prestigious 2025 Model Schools Conference (MSC 2025) taking place in Washington, D.C. June 22-25.
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Hosted by the Center for Model Schools, this highly anticipated event honors forward-thinking schools that drive transformation, inspire change, and implement groundbreaking strategies to improve student outcomes. The Center for Model Schools supports schools and districts in creating the conditions for lasting student success.
Chosen from a competitive group of schools nationwide, James Avant Elementary School has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to student success and innovation. By fostering a culture of collaboration, ambitious instruction, and continuous improvement, the school exemplifies excellence in education.
"We are honored to be recognized as a Model School at MSC 2025," said Quanshanda Nicholson, Principal at James Avant Elementary School. “A Model School is not just a title—it’s a distinction that reflects a relentless commitment to equity, excellence, and innovation in education. It means we are doing what’s best for kids, every single day. I'm beyond proud of our team for staying focused, staying positive, and pushing through every challenge with the goal of student success in mind. This recognition validates the heart and hustle they bring into the building every day. James Avant is truly a model for what’s possible when we believe in our scholars and each other."
As part of this distinguished recognition, James Avant Elementary School will present Systems for Social Emotional Learning and Behavior Management at MSC 2025, engaging with over 5,000 educators to share insights on how to utilize systems and data to guide strategic change within a school community with limited amounts of resources. The presenters will include Principal Quanshanda Nicholson, Assistant Principal Audrey Jackson Luster, Dr. Antaniece Carter, Tanika Scott and Barbara Outten.
This recognition adds to a growing list of honors earned by Avant Elementary in recent years, celebrating both the school and its outstanding staff. Notable achievements include Avant being named one of America’s Healthiest Schools by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation (2024), recognized in all nine categories—from strengthening social-emotional learning to improving nutrition and food access. The school also received the Bayer School of Excellence Award from the St. Louis American Foundation’s Salute to Excellence (2020) for its sustained academic growth during the pandemic, as well as the Whole Child Award from the Illinois Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (IL-ASCD) for both the 2020–2021 and 2022–2023 school years. In 2024, Avant was honored with the Pro Patria Award from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR).
Individual accolades have further distinguished Avant’s excellence: Principal Quanshanda Nicholson received the Award of Excellence from the Illinois State Board of Education (2024); the Avant Instructional Team earned the same honor in 2025; and teacher Nina McLean was named Southern Regional Teacher of the Year and also received the Award of Excellence from the Illinois State Board of Education (2025).
About East St. Louis School District
East St. Louis School District 189 is focused on providing rigorous, high quality education and exceptional educational experiences to the nearly 5,000 students within the community. Our vision is for students to be supported physically, socially, and emotionally in a safe and nurturing environment to achieve academic success that prepares them for college, the workforce, and citizenship in the 21st century. For more information, visit www.estl189.com. Follow more great stories @estl189 on Facebook and Twitter.
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