CDE announces honors for districts and schools
Published: May 1, 2011
Nine school districts and some 300 individual public schools have been honored by the California Department of Education for demonstrated achievement in keeping their students on track to achievement in college and careers, often despite daunting socioeconomic challenges for the students and harrowing fiscal problems for the districts.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson stressed that last point in announcing the nine districts designated by the state’s School Attendance Review Board as having the 2011 Model Dropout Prevention Programs.
“Despite the drastic budget cuts and dropout rate trend in the state, exemplary school districts are moving forward with their local community representatives to improve school attendance and keep children in school,” Torlakson said. Working with other social and mental health services agencies and law enforcement, the districts have established their own school attendance review boards “that work miracles and garner the support many students need to attend school regularly and graduate.”
Districts recognized for their model attendance improvement and dropout reduction programs retain their title through the 2011-12 school year to serve as mentors for other SARBs seeking to achieve model status.
Title I Achievement Awards
This year’s Title I Academic Achievement Awards went to 209 schools that receive federal Title I funds to help them meet the educational needs of students living near or at the poverty level. To qualify, the schools selected have demonstrated that all students are making significant progress toward proficiency on California’s academic content standards, and the schools’ socioeconomically disadvantaged students have doubled the achievement targets set for them for two consecutive years.
Approximately two-thirds of the state’s more than 9,000 public schools participate in the Title I program.
Distinguished Schools
Ninety-seven middle and high schools have been named California Distinguished Schools, and five of those schools also earned the Exemplary Career Technical Education Program Award for offering exemplary career technical education programs.
“Becoming a Distinguished School is a direct reflection of the dedication, hard work, and vision of each school’s education community,” Torlakson said in announcing this year’s roster. “They have succeeded despite a bleak economic environment and have endeavored to maintain their momentum and focus.”
The Distinguished Schools Program focuses on California’s students and their entitlement to an equitable and rigorous education. Criteria focus on state and federal measures of academic achievement and accountability, and success in narrowing the achievement gap. The schools identified serve as models of achievement for other schools.
More than 5,400 public schools have been designated or redesignated as Distinguished Schools since that program began in 1986. “Signature Practices” of the 2011 Distinguished Schools will be added to a searchable database on CDE’s Closing the Achievement Gap website, which already has Signature Practices from 136 middle schools, 125 high schools and 484 elementary schools that were 2009 and 2010 Distinguished Schools. Elementary and secondary schools are recognized in alternate years.
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