State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Nominates
35 California Schools for National Blue Ribbon Honor
SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced the selection of 35 public schools as California's nominees to the 2012 National Blue Ribbon Schools Program (BRSP), which recognizes some of the highest-performing and most improved schools in the nation. The list of schools is attached.
"These schools all share a deep commitment to the education and well-being of their students," said Torlakson. "We've recognized them on the state level, and now I hope their outstanding work and remarkable progress will be further spotlighted nationally."
Each year the U.S. Department of Education outlines the categories for nomination. In 2012 there are two categories:
Exemplary High-Performing Schools: Schools that achieve at least the 85th percentile statewide in the percent of students scoring proficient or advanced in English-language arts and mathematics on the state assessments. Schools nominated in this category may or may not have at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Exemplary Improving Schools: Schools with at least 40 percent of their students from a disadvantaged background that are also among the top 10 percent of schools in the state showing the greatest improvement in the percent of students scoring proficient or advanced in ELA and mathematics on the state assessments over the last five years.
To be eligible for preliminary nomination for the 2012 award, a school must have made the federal goals as outlined in Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in 2011 and 2010 and also made its state Academic Performance Index (API) targets (school-wide and for all numerically significant student groups) in 2011 and 2010.
For final nomination as a 2012 BRSP, a school must meet all of its 2012 API and AYP targets, including those for the school overall and for all numerically significant student groups. The final nomination check is completed in August/September of 2012.
Based on student population, California may nominate up to 35 qualified schools each year.
The National BRSP is part of a larger U. S. Department of Education effort to identify and disseminate knowledge about best school leadership and teaching practices. For more information on the federal program, please visit: Awards - Blue Ribbon Schools Program (Outside Source).
Attachment
California's 2012 National Blue Ribbon School Nominees
(Amended 1-19-12*)
County | District | School |
|---|---|---|
Alameda | Oakland Unified | Fred T. Korematsu Discovery Academy |
Alameda | Fremont Unified | J. Haley Durham Elementary |
Alameda | Piedmont City Unified | Piedmont High |
Alameda | Fremont Unified | William Hopkins Junior High |
Los Angeles | Glendale Unified | Anderson W. Clark Magnet High |
Los Angeles | Bonita Unified | Arma J. Shull Elementary |
Los Angeles | Arcadia Unified | Baldwin Stocker Elementary |
Los Angeles | Torrance Unified | Bert M. Lynn Middle |
Los Angeles | Los Angeles Unified | Clover Avenue Elementary |
Los Angeles | East Whittier City Elementary | Evergreen Elementary |
Los Angeles | ABC Unified | Joe A. Gonsalves Elementary |
Los Angeles | Newhall | Stevenson Ranch Elementary |
Monterey | Soledad Unified | Frank Ledesma Elementary* |
Orange | Orange Unified | Fairhaven Elementary |
Orange | Irvine Unified | Lakeside Middle |
Orange | Santa Ana Unified | Manuel Esqueda Elementary |
Orange | Los Alamitos Unified | Sharon Christa McAuliffe Middle |
Orange | Fullerton Joint Union High | Sunny Hills High |
Riverside | Menifee Union Elementary | Evans Ranch Elementary |
San Bernardino | Redlands Unified | Judson & Brown Elementary |
San Bernardino | San Bernardino City Unified | Lytle Creek Elementary |
San Diego | San Diego Unified | Edison Elementary |
San Diego | Chula Vista Elementary | Palomar Elementary |
San Diego | San Diego Unified | San Diego International Studies |
San Francisco | San Francisco Unified | Alice Fong Yu Alternative School |
San Francisco | San Francisco Unified | Lowell High |
San Luis Obispo | San Luis Coastal Unified | Teach Elementary |
San Mateo | Redwood City Elementary | North Star Academy |
San Mateo | Woodside Elementary | Woodside Elementary |
Santa Clara | Palo Alto Unified | Herbert Hoover Elementary |
Santa Clara | Santa Clara Unified | Millikin Elementary |
Santa Clara | Los Altos Elementary | Oak Avenue Elementary |
Santa Clara | Cupertino Union | R. I. Meyerholz Elementary |
Ventura | Ventura Unified | Foothill Technology High |
Yuba | Plumas Lake School Elementary | Rio Del Oro Elementary * |
* New schools added
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Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-01
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-01