Shimon Waronker, the Chabad-Lubavitch Chasid who transformed a troubled New York City middle school into a model of inner-city success, joined three other principals in receiving the insignia of knight of the Order of Academic Palms for implementing advanced dual-language programs for French speakers.

French Ambassador Pierre Vimont on Tuesday conferred the awards, which were founded by Napolean Bonaparte in 1808 and today honor the contributions of foreign nationals and French citizens in the strengthening of French culture.

“We were fighting to help our children in underserved communities, like the South Bronx,” said Waronker, a first-year doctoral student at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education whose leadership at the Jordan L. Mott school in the Bronx led to its being taken off of the city’s list of dangerous institutions. “Some students came from French-speaking Africa and were treated terribly by the children in the community. … The French dual language programs made these outcasts into superstars and their challenge became their asset.”

Besides Waronker, Vimont also conferred the order on Giselle Gault McGee, Jean Mirvil and Robin Sundick.