Four Lake Washington Schools Named 2012 "Schools of Distinction"

"Center for Educational Effectiveness" recognizes schools for five years of continuing improvement

Redmond, Wash. – Four Lake Washington School District schools have been named “Schools of Distinction” by the Center for Educational Effectiveness. Explorer Community School, Kirkland Middle School, Redmond Elementary and Smith Elementary were among 97 schools statewide that have shown a five-year improvement trend on the state’s Reading/Math index test scores for students.  Read More >>

These awards are presented by CEE, the Association of Educational Service Districts (AESD), the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP), Phi Delta Kappa-Washington chapter, Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA), Washington State Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) and Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA).

The Schools of Distinction each had to show students meeting the State standard for their grade level at a minimum, as well as increasing improvement in the Reading/Math index of student test scores over the past five years.

“I’m very proud of these four schools for their work in sustained improvement in student success,” noted Dr. Traci Pierce, superintendent. “All of our schools work on continuous improvement and these four school have the numbers to show what they have accomplished.”

To be considered, schools had to perform at least at the state average in on reading and math assessments, as measured on the Spring 2012 Measures of Student Progress. Schools had to have scores in at least two of three grade levels (grades 3, 4 & 5 for elementary schools and grades 6, 7 & 8 for middle schools and junior highs). Schools were evaluated on combined reading and math improvement from 2007 to 2012 based on state assessments. The top five percent of public schools statewide subsequently are recognized with the School of Distinction award.

Redmond Elementary and Smith Elementary both were recognized last year as well. Redmond Elementary, centrally located in downtown Redmond, Wash., worked to raise test scores while serving a population that includes significant numbers of English Language Learners and students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Smith Elementary School is located in a suburban Sammamish, WA, neighborhood. This school has worked continuously to improve their already strong student scores.

Explorer Community School is a Lake Washington School District Choice school that is housed at Dickinson Elementary School in Redmond. Explorer provides hands-on, interactive learning experiences to three multi-age classrooms.

Kirkland Middle School, located in Kirkland, Wash., serves nearly 600 students. It was previously recognized in 2010 by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and State Board of Education for overall excellence in student learning.

The Schools of Distinction Awards will be presented at six regional awards ceremonies.

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About Lake Washington: Lake Washington School District is a high-performing public school district serving Kirkland, Redmond and Sammamish, Washington. It is the sixth largest district in the state of Washington, with over 25,000 students in 51 schools.