`BEST OF THE BEST' 3 A.V. SCHOOLS GET STATE'S `DISTINGUISHED' DESIGNATION.Byline: KAREN MAESHIRO Staff Writer PALMDALE - Three Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley elementary schools elementary school: see school. were named by the state Tuesday as 2006 California Distinguished Schools in recognition of their students' academic achievement. Honored were Bailey Avenue School on Edwards Air Force Base Edwards Air Force Base, U.S. military installation, 301,000 acres (121,805 hectares), S Calif., NE of Lancaster; est. 1933. It is one of the largest air force bases in the United States and has the world's longest runway. , Meadlowlark School in the Acton-Agua Dulce Unified School District A unified school district is a school district which includes both primary school (kindergarten through middle school or junior high) and high school (grades 9-12). In Illinois, these districts are called unit school districts. , and Rancho ran·cho n. pl. ran·chos Southwestern U.S. 1. A hut or group of huts for housing ranch workers. 2. A ranch. Vista School in the Westside Union School District. ``We are delighted. I think it's a validation of the great job our teachers are doing in instructing our students each and every day,'' Rancho Vista Principal Paula Sour said. ``It's recognition for the great job everyone does. It's definitely a team effort with support from the entire school staff. It says to our community that at Rancho Vista, we are doing a great job in making a difference in the lives and futures of our students through the education programs that we are offering.'' The 920-student, kindergarten-through-sixth-grade school is the first in the Westside district to get the award. ``We think all of our schools are distinguished. Now one of them is labeled that way,'' Westside Superintendent Regina Rossall said. Bailey, which has 430 students in grades kindergarten through second grade, is the fifth school in the Muroc Joint Unified School District to be named a Distinguished School. Bailey posted a 2005 Academic Performance Index score of 877, the highest in the Antelope Valley and in all of Kern Kern, river, 155 mi (249 km) long, rising in the S Sierra Nevada Mts., E Calif., and flowing south, then southwest to a reservoir in the extreme southern part of the San Joaquin valley. The river has Isabella Dam as its chief facility. County, school officials said. ``We do have a fantastic program and are very standards-based, and we have an after-school program to make sure students do well,'' Principal Janie White said. ``You have to start in kindergarten and first grade to build those skills. It's really a comprehensive program.'' Meadlowlark School has 477 students in kindergarten through fifth grade and is the second school in the Acton district to receive the honor. While other schools have cut back on physical education, history and science programs, Meadowlark meadowlark, common North American meadow bird of the family Icteridae, also called meadow starling. Unlike other members of the family, which comprises blackbirds, grackles, orioles, and others, the meadowlark does not travel in large flocks, and it eats harmful continues to offer a well-rounded curriculum, Principal Margaret Gonder said. ``We are extremely excited and we are very proud,'' Gonder said. ``I would say the big word is dedication and teamwork. Our teachers work together as a team and they are very dedicated to providing a really strong academic program for the students.'' Gonder also cited the support of Meadowlark parents. ``They are very actively involved in the school and are an essential part of our team. They help out in many ways and are extremely supportive,'' Gonder said. The three schools were among a record 377 California elementary schools that were selected this year for the honor from 190 school districts in 40 counties. The California School Recognition Program was created in 1985 to identify and honor exemplary and inspiring public schools. Participation is voluntary; applications were filed by 997 of the 2,043 schools that were eligible. Overall, California has more than 5,000 public elementary schools. Eligibility was determined by schools' Academic Performance Index and Adequate Yearly Progress Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, is a measurement defined by the United States federal No Child Left Behind Act that allows the U.S. Department of Education to determine how every public school and school district in the country is performing academically. (AYP AYP Adequate Yearly Progress (National Assessment of Educational Progress) AYP Anarchist Yellow Pages AYP American Youth Philharmonic ) scores. ``These schools are the best of the best. They share a vision of excellence and they have brought that vision to life," state schools Superintendent Jack O'Connell
Jack T. O'Connell (born October 8, 1951) is a California politician. said. ``These deserving school leaders and their teachers, staffs, and students have worked extremely hard to achieve academic success and this recognition. From listening to their stories, it is obvious they are all deeply committed to ensuring their children have every opportunity to learn. They are truly examples of excellence.'' The Distinguished Schools will be honored on May 26 at an awards ceremony and dinner at the Disneyland Hotel Disneyland Hotel may refer to:
karen.maeshiro(at)dailynews.com (661) 267-5744 CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Principal Paula Sour and students give the No. 1 sign for Rancho Vista Elementary School, which has been named a California Distinguished School for 2006. (2) Kindergarten teacher Lynne Grenier works with her class at Rancho Vista Elementary School, which has been named a 2006 California Distinguished School. Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer |
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