State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announces that 275 middle schools and high schools, including Culver City Middle School and Culver City High School, are being honored under the Gold Ribbon Schools Awards Program. “These terrific schools are leading the way in embracing our new rigorous academic standards and showing others how to help students succeed on their way to 21st century careers and college,” Torlakson said. “I look forward to travelling the state to honor these schools and to help share the programs, methods, and techniques that are working.”The California Gold Ribbon Schools Award was created to honor schools in place of the California Distinguished Schools Program, which is on hiatus while California creates new assessment, accountability, and continuous improvement systems. 477 middle schools and high schools applied this year. Schools applied for the award based on a model program or practice their school has adopted that includes standards-based activities, projects, strategies, and practices that can be replicated by other local educational agencies. The award acknowledged elementary schools last year.CCMS was recognized for its Panther Achievement Workshops (PAWs) –self-selected learning opportunities that students choose three times a week focusing on either academic intervention or high-interest enrichment. Every student participates in PAWs weekly, and it hass been widely effective in enhancing student engagement and increasing achievement across the board. CCHS was recognized for its Centaur Plus program – a twice a week program that provides high school teachers with targeted student enrollment options so that they can spend additional learning time with students throughout the week. Students with grades lower than a “C” in a class at any particular time are automatically enrolled in that course's corresponding Centaur Plus offering, and Extended Lunch opportunities become available for students as they maintain high achievement marks in all their classes. “We know our schools are amazing, and this recognition validates the efforts made on a daily basis by our administrators, teachers and staff,” said Superintendent Josh Arnold. “I am so proud of everyone at all of our schools for the new and innovative ways in which they teach and collaborate to improve the educational environment for our students.”The Gold Ribbon Awards recognize California schools that have made gains in implementing the academic content and performance standards adopted by the State Board of Education. These include the California Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics, California English Language Development Standards, and Next Generation Science Standards. The 2017 Gold Ribbon Schools as well as the 2017 Exemplary Program recipients, Title I Academic Achieving Award Schools, 2017 Green Ribbon Schools, 2017 Civic Learning Award Schools, and the National Blue Ribbon Schools from 2016, will be honored in May during regional ceremonies held in Costa Mesa, Santa Clara, Los Angeles, Visalia, and Sacramento.
Reader Comments(0)