White Salmon Schools

Academic Improvement Award

Academic Improvement Award

"Congratulations are in order today for students and educators in southwest Washington," said Terry Bergeson, superintendent of public instruction, as she announced the names of schools and districts in Educational Service District (ESD) 112, Southwest Washington, receiving the first annual Academic Improvement Award. The White Salmon School District, along with all three of its schools, were included in this year's list of award recipients.

This new award is given to schools and districts that are increasing the success and achievement of their students. It represents one way the state of Washington is formally recognizing and honoring the progress in our ever-improving education system. The plaques for schools and districts in ESD 112 that earned the distinction were handed out Friday, January 21, during a meeting at ESD 112. Twenty-two districts and nearly 130 schools in the region are being recognized with these awards.

"It is a pleasure to call attention to the tremendous successes and gains being made in hundreds of Washington schools and districts, including many in ESD 112," said Bergeson. "We need to celebrate the fact that thousands more students each year are learning the skills and knowledge they need in order to make their future dreams come true. This is a time to recognize the investments made by educators and parents, and praise our students for working diligently, too."

Several hundred schools and districts across Washington qualified for the award by increasing the percentage of students meeting the state's standards in three areas assessed by the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL).

Specifically, a school or district earned the recognition by reducing the percentage of students who didn't meet standard in reading, mathematics or writing by 10 percent between 2003 and 2004.

Unlike the federal government's measure of "Adequate Yearly Progress," the Academic Improvement Award criterion is calculated individually for each school or district, with gains measured against its own starting point. Previous state awards, such as the 2001 Reading Achievement Awards, also used this continuous improvement model. Bergeson supports this approach as a way to spread this well-deserved recognition to all that make gains regardless of their baseline.

The Academic Improvement Award recipients will receive a wall plaque with room to add brass plates for each future year the award is achieved. Schools and districts in the other eight ESD regions across the state received their plaques at similar ESD presentation ceremonies from January through March. Recipients in subsequent years will be named each October, and awards given out shortly thereafter.

The names of the 2004 Academic Improvement Award winners for ESD 112 are posted on the OSPI Web site: http://www.k12.wa.us/EducationAwards/AcademicImprovement

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