Waitsburg, Prescott Schools Awarded

WAITSBURG - Both Waitsburg High School and Prescott Jr.-Sr. High School have won Washington State Achievement Awards for 2011.

For Prescott, this is the first time the school has won this award.

"We are excited," said Prescott Superintendent Bill Jordan. "Good things are happening here!"

Dr. Carol Clarke, the superintendent in Waitsburg, said of the three years that this award has been given out, Waitsburg has won it each year.

For the year 2011, Waitsburg High School was awarded for overall excellence and Prescott Jr.-Sr. High School for its extended graduation rate .

Waitsburg High School has received this award all three years in the areas of Overall Excellence and Extended Graduation Rate. In 2010 the district also received the award for the area of language arts, she said.

Clarke credits the achievement of her district each and every staff member.

"As a small school district, our staff is able to give each student the individual attention they need to be successful," Clarke said. "Staff knows each student individually. They know the individual and collective challenges each student faces."

The awards are given out in different categories and for different reasons.

The state's top-performing schools are identified through the Achievement Index, a joint venture of the Washington State Board of Education and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, according to the award's website.

Overall Excellence is awarded to the top five percent of all elementary, middle, high, and comprehensive schools across the state (based on two-year averages).

Schools with high numbers of gifted students (in comparison to peer schools of similar demographics) are also eligible to receive the Overall Excellence Award.

Special Recogni t ion awards are given to high-performing schools in the following areas receive special recognition (based on twoyear averages) in language arts (reading and writing combined), math, science, extended graduation rate, improvement and closing achievement gaps.