April 21, 2004
O'Connell Announces California's
2004 Distinguished Schools
SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced that 302 California elementary schools have been selected as 2004 California Distinguished Schools.
"We have every reason to be proud of the solid progress being made in our elementary schools," said O'Connell. "The California schools that are being recognized as Distinguished Schools are the best of the best."
The prestigious award is considered the state's predominant recognition of a school's total educational program, including high expectations for all its students, the implementation of state-adopted standards, and visionary and collaborative leadership.
"Distinguished schools are models of excellence," O'Connell said. "These schools have high expectations for their students and are holding themselves accountable for progress. By embracing rigorous standards and providing targeted support, they are a testament to what can be accomplished in public education and an affirmation that staying focused and on track is a formula for success."
Representatives from this year's Distinguished Schools will be honored May 21 at an awards ceremony and dinner at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim . The Disneyland Resort is a major corporate supporter of the event.
Initiated in 1985, the California School Recognition Program honors elementary and secondary schools in alternate years.
Of the more than 5,500 elementary schools in the state, fewer than 1,900 were eligible to apply for the honor based upon their Academic Performance Index (API) results. The 912 schools that filed applications this year underwent a rigorous selection process conducted by the California Department of Education (CDE) in partnership with the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA), and with the help of many local educators from across the state.
The schools were evaluated by teams of local educators under the direction of CDE, and those schools judged to be exemplary were visited by an outside review team to validate the application information.
The awards ceremony is funded by generous contributions from corporate, foundation, and association donations, as well as the attending schools' registration fees. The following is a list of donors according to the level of their contribution:
- Visionary: ($15,000) Belkin Corporation, and Wells Fargo Foundation;
- Champion: ($10,000) Washington Mutual;
- Patron: ($7,500) The Disneyland Resort, Educational Testing Service, and Microsoft Corporation;
- Benefactor: ($5,000) The Boeing Company and SBC;
- Associate: ($2,500) Bank of America Foundation, California Lottery, California School Employees Association, California Teachers Association, Conexant Systems Inc., CTB/McGraw-Hill, GTECH Corporation, Harcourt Educational Measurement, Hewlett-Packard Company, Pepsi, and WestEd;
- Supporter: ($1,000) Apple Computer Inc., Association of California School Administrators, California Association of School Business Officials, California County Superintendents Educational Services Association, California School Boards Association, California State PTA, California's Coalition for Adequate School Housing, ChevronTexaco, Great Water, Ingram Micro Inc., The J. Paul Getty Trust, Lucasfilm Ltd., and Toshiba America Electronic Components Inc.
Special mention goes to the Anaheim/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
For the complete list of this year's California Distinguished Schools, please visit Distinguished School Awards - California School Recognition Program.
