Pleasanton schools are continuing the tradition of academic excellence and it’s being recognized nationwide. Amador Valley and Foothill high schools were designated 2006 No Child Left Behind (NCLB)-Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. Only 31 public and four private schools in California were given the honors.
The 23-year-old program encourages states to nominate public kindergarten through 12th grade schools that are either academically superior or demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement. Amador and Foothill were nominated last November by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell.
Superintendent Dr. John Casey stressed this honor was not just about academics.
“This is not just high achievement,” he said. “They also look at how safe schools are, [if there is] a broad array of opportunities for students, [if there is] an excellent and dedicated group of instructors and leaders, and [if] the community is highly involved.”
This is the second time Amador has been named a Blue Ribbon School, the first being in 2002. Amador Principal Bill Coupe cites the school’s motto, “Working together … to make a difference,” as symbolizing the outstanding work done by students, staff and families over the past few years that contributed to receiving this distinction.
Foothill Principal Kevin Johnson was proud of the achievement as well.
“Receiving this national honor is something of which we are very proud,” he said. “At Foothill, we emphasize a commitment to continuous improvement, and receiving the Blue Ribbon recognition honors this commitment.”
These honors come shortly after California’s Department of Education released the 2006 Accountability Progress Reports (APRs), which showed Pleasanton schools continued to surpass the state’s goals. Each school in the district went beyond California’s target of 800 on the Academic Performance Index (API). Seven schools scored over 900 and the district-wide score increased to 880. The top district scores were from Mohr Elementary (961), Walnut Grove Elementary (934) and Fairlands Elementary (931). In addition, all federal Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) targets were met across the district.
Superintendent Dr. John Casey said everyone should be proud of the APR results.
“They reflect an outstanding effort by our students, staff and parents,” he said. “Our task now is to carefully look at the data and take steps to ensure that all of our students continue to be successful.”
The APR system is based on state requirements, established by the Public School Accountability Act (PSAA) of 1999, and on federal requirements, established by the NCLB Act of 2001. The primary goal of this system is to measure and help improve the academic achievement of California’s public schools.
— Emily Atwood
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