Roanoke's Fallon Park Elementary School is one of the best urban schools in the country, according to a California-based research group.

The school learned Tuesday it was one of 11 schools to win the national Excellence in Urban Education Award from the National Center for Urban School Transformation at San Diego State University. Other winners come from California, New York, Maryland and Texas.

"We were very excited" to hear the news, Fallon Park Principal Cindy Delp said.

The award is the second major coup for the city's school district this year. In October, Breckinridge Middle School history teacher Stephanie Doyle was named Virginia's teacher of the year.

"It's a huge deal," said Superintendent Rita Bishop, referring to Fallon Park's award. "The school is amazing."

Bishop added that Delp was "a masterful principal, and she's not going to take credit for anything."

Sure enough, in a separate interview, Delp said: "I'm very proud of our students and staff, and I in no way can take any credit for this. It's all on them."

The National Center for Urban School Transformation studies the secrets behind good urban schools in the hopes of replicating their success elsewhere. It has sponsored the awards for four years.

The group looks for schools with a high number of students from low-income families that have nevertheless maintained high test scores and attendance rates. To win the award, schools must also show how they bring down expulsions and achievement gaps between different groups of students. Researchers also visit schools to see how involved parents are in the school and how well teachers work together to improve student performance.

Award winners will be invited to the group's symposium in San Diego in May to deliver a presentation on their schools. They also receive a $1,000 check for the school and a banner.

"The point of it is to find urban schools that are being successful and then publicize them and reward them," said Pamela Engler, the group's program coordinator.

Delp and another school staff member will fly to San Diego for the conference. Bishop has been invited to talk about ways central administrators can help individual schools.

Delp said she planned to tell the students Tuesday afternoon.

"We'll probably have some sort of celebration," she said.