WHS Ranks With Best in State

WAITSBURG - Waitsburg High School Principal Stephanie Wooderchak "saved the best news for last" as she announced, at the April 17 school board meeting, that Waitsburg High School has received the Overall Excellence Award in the state's 2013 Washington Achievement Awards - an honor reserved for the top five percent of Washington elementary, middle and high schools. WHS had held the title for four out of five years, since the award's inception in 2009.

A total of 413 schools received recognition by winning the "state's highest honor," according to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). One hundred schools received the Overall Excellence rating, with less than a dozen winners hailing from the east side of the state - WHS being one. "These awards shine the light on what is working well in schools across Washington," said State Board of Education Chair Dr. Kristina Mayer.

Waitsburg schools nabbed awards in four of the six available recognition categories. Schools are recognized for Overall Excellence, High Progress, Reading Growth, Math Growth, Extended Graduation Rate and English Acquisition. In addition to the Overall Excellence Award, WHS received the High Progress Award and a Special Recognition for Reading Growth Award. Preston Hall Junior High School made the list for the first time, receiving both the High Progress Award and Special Recognition for Math Growth Award. In December, Waitsburg kindergarten teacher Pam Nolan Beasley, received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, also awarded through the OSPI.

Achievement Awards are based on data from the revised Achievement Index, criteria set in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and criteria approved by the State Board of Education. Past WHS Achievement Award recognitions include: - 2012 WHS Extended

Graduation Rate - 2011 WHS Overall Excellence; Extended Graduation Rate - 2010 WHS Overall Excellence; Extended Graduation Rate - 2009 WHS Overall Excellence; Language Arts;

Extended Graduation Rate

"This is truly an accomplishment to which all staff has contributed," said Waitsburg School District Superintendent Carol Clarke. "It is also a tribute to the community in terms of the support they provide for our students. Thank you for a job well done."