State Supt. Tom Torlakson today announced that Culver City Middle School and Culver City High School are among 275 schools being honored under the Gold Ribbon Schools awards program.
“These terrific schools are leading the way in embracing our new rigorous academic standards,” Mr. Torlakson said.
“They are showing others how to help students succeed on their way to 21st century careers and college.”
The Gold Ribbon Schools Award was created to honor schools in place of the California Distinguished Schools program, on hiatus while California creates new assessment, accountability, and continuous improvement systems. Four hundred and seventy-seven middle schools and high schools applied.
They applied based on a model program or practice their school has adopted that includes standards-based activities, projects, strategies, and practices that can be replicated by other educational agencies. The award acknowledged elementary schools last year.
The Middle School was recognized for its Panther Achievement Workshops – self-selected learning opportunities that students choose three times a week. They focus on either academic intervention or high-interest enrichment.
Every student participates in Panther Achievement Workshops weekly.
Workshops have been widely effective in enhancing student engagement and increasing achievement across the board.
Culver High was recognized for its Centaur Plus program – a twice a week program that provides high school teachers with targeted student enrollment options so that they can spend additional learning time with students throughout the week.
Students with grades lower than a “C” in a class at any particular time are automatically enrolled in that course’s corresponding Centaur Plus offering.
Extended Lunch opportunities become available for students as they maintain high achievement marks in all their classes.
“We know our schools are amazing, and this recognition validates the efforts made on a daily basis,” said School District Supt. Josh Arnold. “I am so proud of everyone at all of our schools for the new and innovative ways in which they teach and collaborate to improve the educational environment for our students.”
The Gold Ribbon Awards recognize California schools that have made gains in implementing the academic content and performance standards adopted by the state Board of Education. These include the California Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics, California English Language Development Standards, and Next Generation Science Standards.
The Gold Ribbon schools as well as the Exemplary Program recipients, Title I Academic Achieving Award Schools, Green Ribbon Schools, Civic Learning Award Schools, and the National Blue Ribbon Schools from 2016, will be honored in May during regional ceremonies held in Costa Mesa, Santa Clara, Los Angeles, Visalia, and Sacramento.
The Gold Ribbon schools being recognized for Exemplary Programs in Arts Education and Physical Education and Nutrition will be announced soon.
See the California Gold Ribbon Schools Program
Mr. Maleman may be contacted at gmaleman@aol.com