West Campus named a Distinguished School

Friday, April 19, 2007

West Campus High School is one of three Sacramento County schools selected as a 2007 California Distinguished School, the California Department of Education announced on Tuesday.

West Campus has a county-best score of 857 Academic Performance Index score, which was the 25th highest score in the state for high schools, and boasts a rigorous college preparatory curriculum that helps send more than 97 percent of its students to a two or four-year college or university after graduation.

West Campus is an example of what happens when exceptional students receive the support and encouragement they need to excel, said SCUSD Superintendent M. Magdalena Carrillo Mejia, Ph.D. The students, parents, teachers, staff and administrators at that site are to be commended for their ongoing pursuit of excellence.

This year, 76 middle schools and 95 high schools throughout the state were selected to receive the Distinguished School Award. They will continue to be designated as a California Distinguished School until 2011.

This award is a credit to our small, family-like environment, West Campus Principal John Becker said. Its really the relationship between students and the staff that makes for a productive environment and sets us apart from other places.

In each of the last two years, five SCUSD schools received the award. This year, the selected middle and high schools represent about seven percent of Californias nearly 2,400 middle and high schools. Of those, only 478 schools met the eligibility criteria based on their student achievement. Of these, 279 schools chose to submit an application, describing in-depth their curriculum, instructional program, supports for students, and school climate. Applications underwent an intensive evaluation process conducted by the California Department of Education in partnership with the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association, and with the help of many local educators from across the state. Finally, all nominee schools were reviewed during a site validation conducted by a team of external educators.

Chosen from 132 school districts in 35 counties, these outstanding middle and high schools These middle and high schools have shown they are able to meet the challenge of providing their students with the kind of rigorous education that is essential to their future success in the classroom and the workplace, said Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack OConnell.