Lodi, Galt schools recognized by California leaders

Several local schools have been listed among California’s highest achievers by the Educational Results Partnership.

In Lodi Unified School District, Elkhorn School and Middle College High School were recognized as 2016 Honor Roll STEM Schools — institutions that show high achievement in science, technology, engineering and math. Schools that receive this honor also have a high percentage of students from low-income backgrounds.

Lodi, Tokay, Bear Creek, Middle College and Liberty Ranch high schools have been selected among 1,866 public schools in California to receive the title of 2016 Star Honor Roll School.

Julia Morgan, Larson, Manlio Silva, Podesta Ranch, Reese and John Muir elementary schools, as well as Christa McAuliffe Middle and Elkhorn schools, also received the distinction.

Schools receiving the Star Honor Roll distinction have demonstrated consistent high levels of student academic achievement, improvement in achievement levels over time, and reduction in achievement gaps between student populations.

“We are so proud to be recognized by leaders in the California business community as an Honor Roll school,” said Elizabeth Kaufmen, superintendent of Galt Joint Union High School District. “Our teachers and administrators work tirelessly to keep the focus on high expectations and student academic achievement and to continuously improve our practices. This hard work and dedication is paying off for all of our students, no matter their background.”

The Honor Roll recognition, awarded by the Educational Results Partnership and the Campaign for Business and Education Excellence, is part of a national effort to identify high-performing schools and highlight successful practices, according to a press release.

For high schools, the Honor Roll recognition also includes measures of college readiness.

“The Honor Roll proves that many schools are doing well, even those with high numbers of historically disadvantaged students,” said Jim Lanich, president and CEO of the Educational Results Partnership. “These schools are clearly doing something right and all schools, no matter what zip code they are in, can achieve this kind of success.”

The Educational Results Partnership is a non-partisan nonprofit founded to track school achievement and determine best practices for student learning. The group encourages schools to adopt practices that work and set aside those that don’t.

The partnership, along with leaders in the California academic and business communities, choose schools for recognition on the Honor Roll.

“Leadership from both education and the business community is critical to linking success from one system to the next, and ensuring that students have the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve a college degree and the financial security of a living wage job,” said Greg Jones, board chairman for both the Educational Results Partnership and the Campaign for Business and Education Excellence.

The California Honor Roll program is made possible with support from numerous businesses and organizations, including Automobile Club of Southern California, Macy’s, Wells Fargo, Enterprise Holdings Foundation and several private foundations.

A full list of the Star, STEM and Scholar Honor Roll schools can be found at www.edresults.org/HonorRoll/HonorRoll?State=CA.