In a press release issued by the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the awards for schools earning the “Learning Improvement Award” were issued on Oct. 22.

“Outstanding academic growth led to a special honor for 98 schools today; all received the 2008 State Superintendent’s Learning Improvement Award and the designation of “School of Distinction.”

Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson presented the awards before an audience of more than 400 principals, superintendents, teachers and parents at Garfield High School in Seattle this morning. Garfield was among the schools receiving the School of Distinction honor for the second straight year.

Simultaneous local award ceremonies were hosted at educational service districts and school districts for winning school leaders and staff unable to travel to the main ceremony.

“Students and teachers and schools continue to make incredible progress,” Bergeson said. “This award celebrates the real gains these schools have made, gains that aren’t recognized by the federal No Child Left Behind law or its ‘Adequate Yearly Progress’ calculations.”

To be considered for the award, each school had to exceed the state average performance in 4th-, 7th- or 10th-grade reading and math, as measured by the spring 2008 Washington Assessment of Student Learning.

Schools that met the average performance requirements were then evaluated for WASL performance during the last six years. Results in grades four, seven and 10 were evaluated because those are the only grade levels with six years of trend data. The top 5 percent of elementary, middle and high schools, as well as alternative schools, were given awards. This year’s honorees included 53 elementary schools, 21 middle schools, 20 high schools and seven alternative schools – out of nearly 2,500 schools in the state. Three schools were awarded for achievement at more than one grade level.

A total of 89 schools won last year, the first year the award was given. Twenty-one of last year’s winners also won awards this year.

Independent research and analysis to establish criteria for the awards and to identify the schools with the greatest improvement was conducted by Greg Lobdell of the Center for Educational Effectiveness in Redmond.

School leaders from each of the winning schools were presented with a plaque and a large banner reading “School of Distinction – 2008 State Superintendent’s Learning Improvement Award.”

The 98 schools share common strategies for increasing student success:

· Teachers are continuously studying and establishing best practices

· The staff is committed to building strong ‘school families’ that include all students

· The staff is committed to the success of every single student

· The community is an active partner with the school

“Schools have taken varied paths on their road to success,” Bergeson said. “Some place an emphasis on early childhood education programs, while others partner up with established programs to get students ready for college early.

“Whatever the path, it’s readily apparent that schools are succeeding. You can see it in the hard work and dedication of students, teachers, administrators, support staff, parents and community members. Their success gives us hope that someday all students can succeed. It won’t be easy – there will be bumps along the way. But the payoff – an educated and well-informed citizenry – is the most precious resource in any democracy.”

2008 Schools of Distinction

(By Educational Service District)

* Also named a “School of Distinction” in 2007

ESD 101 – Spokane

Elementary Schools

· Liberty Lake Elementary (Central Valley)

· Springdale Elementary (Mary Walker)

· Indian Trail Elementary (Spokane)

Middle Schools

· Sadie Halstead Middle School (Newport)

· Tekoa High School (Tekoa)

· Rosalia Elementary and Secondary School (Rosalia)

· Odessa Middle and High School (Odessa)

High Schools

· Cheney High School (Cheney)

· Columbia High and Elementary (Columbia)

· Colville Senior High School (Colville)

· Deer Park High School (Deer Park)

· Selkirk Jr-Sr High (Selkirk)

· Rosalia Elementary and Secondary School (Rosalia)

ESD 105 – Yakima

Elementary Schools

· Cle Elum-Roslyn Elementary (Cle Elum-Roslyn)

· * Nob Hill Elementary (Yakima)

· Ahtanum Valley Elementary (West Valley – Yakima)

Middle Schools

· * Goldendale Middle School (Goldendale)

· Walter Strom Middle School (Cle Elum-Roslyn)

ESD 112 – Vancouver

Elementary Schools

· * Mill Plain Elementary (Evergreen)

· * Carrolls Elementary (Kelso)

· Klickitat Elementary and High School (Klickitat)

· Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary (Vancouver)

· * Woodland Intermediate School (Woodland)

Middle Schools

· * Green Mountain School (Green Mountain)

High Schools

· Naselle Junior/Senior High School (Naselle-Grays River Valley)

Alternative Schools

· Homelink Schools (Battle Ground)

· Homelink River (Battle Ground)

· TEAM High School (Woodland)

ESD 113 – Olympia

Elementary Schools

· Lacey Elementary (North Thurston)

· Pe Ell School (Pe Ell)

· Southworth Elementary (Yelm)

High Schools

· Centralia High School (Centralia)

· Napavine Junior/Senior High School (Napavine)

ESD 114 – Bremerton

Elementary Schools

· * Clallam Bay High and Elementary School (Cape Flattery)

· * East Port Orchard Elementary (South Kitsap)

· Hidden Creek Elementary (South Kitsap)

ESD 121 – Renton

Elementary Schools

· Pioneer Elementary (Auburn)

· Clarkmoor Elementary (Clover Park)

· Southwood Elementary (Enumclaw)

· Brigadoon Elementary (Federal Way)

· Star Lake Elementary (Federal Way)

· Cascade Ridge Elementary (Issaquah)

· Glenridge Elementary (Kent)

· * Martin Sortun Elementary (Kent)

· Meridian Elementary (Kent)

· *Louisa May Alcott Elementary (Lake Washington)

· Audubon Elementary (Lake Washington)

· * Horace Mann Elementary (Lake Washington)

· Henry David Thoreau Elementary (Lake Washington)

· * Fruitland Elementary (Puyallup)

· Northwood Elementary (Puyallup)

· * Warren Hunt Elementary (Puyallup)

· Catharine Blaine K-8 (Seattle

· Briarcrest Elementary (Shoreline)

· * Victor Falls Elementary (Sumner)

· Sherman Elementary (Tacoma)

· Skyline Elementary (Tacoma)

· Glacier Park Elementary (Tahoma)

· Tukwila Elementary (Tukwila)

· Evergreen Primary (University Place)

Middle Schools

· Carbonado Historical School (Carbonado)

· Goodman Middle School (Peninsula)

· Kopachuk Middle School (Peninsula)

· Doris Stahl Junior High (Puyallup)

· Madison Middle School (Seattle)

· Washington Middle School (Seattle)

· Pioneer Middle School (Steilacoom)

· Drum Intermediate School (University Place)

High Schools

· * Garfield High School (Seattle)

· Sumner Senior High School (Sumner)

· Vashon Island High School (Vashon Island)

Alternative Schools

· Eagle Harbor High School (Bainbridge Island)

· Odyssey Multi-Age Program (Bainbridge Island)

· Kent Mountain View Academy (Kent)

· Salmon Bay School (Seattle)

ESD 123 – Pasco

Elementary Schools

Paterson Elementary (Paterson)

Jefferson Elementary (Richland)

High Schools

* Charles Francis Adams High School (Clarkston)

* Dayton High School (Dayton)

ESD 171 – Wenatchee

Elementary Schools

Osborn Elementary (Cascade)

* Lakeview Terrace Elementary (Moses Lake)

* Peninsula Elementary (Moses Lake)

Wilson Creek Elementary (Wilson Creek)

Middle Schools

* Icicle River Middle School (Cascade)

Liberty Bell Junior/Senior High School (Methow Valley)

High Schools

Cascade High School (Cascade)

Chelan High School (Lake Chelan)

* Liberty Bell Junior/Senior High School (Methow Valley)

ESD 189 – Anacortes

Elementary Schools

Sunnycrest Elementary (Lake Stevens)

Glenwood Elementary (Lake Stevens)

Nooksack Elementary (Nooksack)

Evergeen Elementary (Sedro-Woolley)

Dutch Hill Elementary (Snohomish)

Stanwood Elementary (Stanwood-Camano)

Middle Schools

Post Middle School (Arlington)

Gateway Middle School (Everett)

Heatherwood Middle School (Everett)

Nooksack Valley Middle School (Nooksack)

High Schools

Bellingham High School (Bellingham)

Ferndale High School (Ferndale)

Orcas Island High School (Orcas Island)

About OSPI

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is the primary agency charged with overseeing K-12 education in Washington state. Led by State School Superintendent Dr. Terry Bergeson, OSPI works with the state’s 295 school districts and nine educational service districts to administer basic education programs and implement education reform on behalf of more than one million public school students.

OSPI does not discriminate and provides equal access to its programs and services for all persons without regard to race, color, gender, religion, creed, marital status, national origin, sexual preference/orientation, age, veteran’s status or the presence of any physical, sensory or mental disability.

For more information, visit the OSPI Web site at http://www.k12.wa.us.”