State’s highest honor is based on test scores, graduation rates and closing achievement gaps
Orcas Island High School is one of 186 school receiving Washington Achievement Awards for 2010. The award is sponsored by the State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education. Orcas High School was notified on Feb. 15 by State Schools Superintendent Randy Dorn and State Board of Education Chair Jeff Vincent that it had received the award for Overall Excellence and for Extended Graduation Rate; Orcas High received this award in 2009 as well.
Schools are being recognized for being top performers in seven categories:
1. Overall Excellence
2. Language Arts
3. Math
4. Science
5. Extended Graduation Rate (only awarded to high and comprehensive schools)
6. Improvement
7. Closing Achievement Gaps
“In many ways, recognizing our best schools is one of the most important things we do at the state level,” said Jeff Vincent. “Spotlighting best practices is not only a celebration of our most successful schools, but also provides an opportunity for all of us to learn what those schools are doing right and how we might incorporate those same successful strategies in other schools across the state.”
This is the first year schools are being recognized specifically for improvement and closing achievement gaps.
State Superintendent Dorn praised the addition of the new award categories. “Improvement and equal opportunity for all students is key. My office continues to consider these some of our top priorities.” Dorn went on to say, “We’re seeing some very encouraging signs of improvement, especially at the middle school level, where the number of schools rated as ‘good,’ ‘very good’ or ‘exemplary’ has increased by 15 percent from two years ago. We know that this is an extremely challenging task, and we want schools that are heading in the right direction to be rewarded for their hard work.”
The award-winning schools will be honored during award ceremony on April 27 at Lincoln High School in Tacoma, itself an award winner for “Improvement.”
About the awards
The Washington Achievement Award is a recognition program based on the Washington Achievement Index (see the Washington State Board of Education Achievement Index site for more details).
For more information, please visit the Washington Achievement Awards website.
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