Four county school districts earn achievement awards

Four county schools were named as Washington Achievement Awards winners for 2014. They were among 401 schools that earned the awards for this year and were notified last week by State Superintendent Randy Dorn and State Board of Education Chair Isabel Munoz-Colon.

The Washington Achievement Award recipients are the highest performing schools in the state based on three years of academic information as reported in the Washington Achievement Index. The index was approved for use in 2014 by the State Board of Education.

Local winners included Jennings Elementary School in Colfax, which received Overall Excellence, Reading Growth, Math Growth and High Progress awards.

Garfield Elementary was recognized for Overall Excellence. Oakesdale Elementary and St. John Elementary schools were also recognized for High Progress.

“Honoring successful schools is one of the most important things we do,” Dorn said. “We know schools are doing great work and are getting better at serving all students every day. We may not be where we want to be, but we are making progress. These awards celebrate both achievement and growth.”

Schools are recognized as top performers in six categories: Overall Excellence, High Progress, Reading Growth, Math Growth, Extended Graduation Rate (for high and comprehensive schools) and English Language Acquisition

“The Achievement Awards are an opportunity to acknowledge the school communities who have made the greatest difference in the lives of Washington students,” Munoz-Colon said. “The state board hopes to use this opportunity to share schools’ results and their stories so that we can replicate their great work in other areas of the state.”

The awards will be presented April 28 in a ceremony at Spanaway Lake High School in Spanaway.