CALIFORNIA BUSINESS EDUCATION FOR EXCELLENCE RECOGNIZES FOUR ROWLAND UNIFIED SCHOOLS AS 2013 HONOR ROLL SCHOOLS
Blandford Elementary and Oswalt Academy For Excellence in Science and Math
Alvarado Intermediate and Ybarra Academy Selected for Closing Achievement Gap
ROWLAND HEIGHTS, CA – MARCH 12, 2014 – Rowland Unified School District Superintendent Ruben P. Frutos announced today that four of its schools – Alvarado Intermediate, Blandford Elementary, Stanley G. Oswalt Academy, and Ybarra Academy of Arts and Technology – have been selected by the California Business for Education Excellence (CBEE) to be on the “2013 Honor Roll.” Schools receiving this distinction are recognized as higher performing schools in the state, increasing academic performance and closing achievement gaps among all of their students. Two RUSD Schools, Blandford Elementary and Oswalt Academy, were recognized from only 100 “STEM” schools in the state, noted for their excellence in science and mathematics. “STEM” stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
“We are very proud of our schools’ accomplishments and of our teachers’ use of data to individualize instruction. Our District continues to be student-centered, and it shows as our schools continue to lead in closing the achievement gap. We thank the CBEE for the recognition, and we thank our schools for their efforts,” said Frutos.
“Having high standards, effective school leadership, and staying focused on student academic achievement has paid off for these Honor Roll Schools,” said Lee Blitch, CBEE Chairman and past CEO, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. “These schools are an inspiration.”
Over time, CBEE has identified a common set of success factors in higher performing Honor Roll schools and districts. These include high expectations for all students; ongoing collaboration among teachers to improve practice; targeted use of data to pinpoint challenges and monitor progress; continual intervention for struggling students; and mastery of content knowledge and pedagogical practices.
Alvarado Intermediate and Ybarra Academy of Arts and Technology named Star Schools: CBEE Star Schools are those with significant populations of socio-economically disadvantaged students that have shown a significant increase in grade-level proficiency over four years for all subgroups. For further information on Alvarado Intermediate, contact Principal Karen Magana at (626)964-2358 or visit www.AlvaradoSchool.org. For information on Ybarra Academy of Arts and Technology, contact Principal Annette Ramirez at (909)598-3744 or visit www.YbarraAcademy.org.
Blandford Elementary and Stanley G. Oswalt Academy named STEM Schools: CBEE named 100 of the Honor Roll Schools in the state that have higher poverty and higher performances in math and science. For more information on Blandford Elementary, contact Principal Mercedes Lovie at (626)965-3410 or visit www.BlandfordSchool.org. For more information on Stanley G. Oswalt Academy, contact Principal Kevin Despard at (626)810-4109 or visit www.OswaltAcademy.org.