A report from Harvard University recommends the college admissions process should place more emphasis on factors such as good citizenship and contribution to family and deemphasize things like the SAT exam and academic overachievement. Harvard’s Richard Weissbourd explains.
WSJ.com Jan 29 2016
Five Silicon Valley schools are among 15 in California that have been recognized as 2013 National Blue Ribbon Schools.
The winners and their school districts include Simonds Elementary in San Jose Unified, Faria Elementary in the Cupertino Union district, Chadbourne Elementary in Fremont Unified, Jensen Ranch Elementary in Castro Valley Unified and the private Valley Christian Junior High in San Jose.
The schools were honored for either high achievement or for making significant academic improvement. They were among 236 public and 50 private schools identified by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
The winners will be honored at a national awards ceremony Nov. 18 and 19 in Washington, D.C.
For information on the National Blue Ribbon Schools program, and for a list of the winners across the country, go to http://www2.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/2013/index.html.
— Sharon Noguchi, staff of Mercury News.
Los Gatos High School and Saratoga High School have been named California Distinguished Schools, making them two of 218 distinguished middle and high schools in the state. The awards are based on the schools’ API scores, plus programs that are designed to improve student achievement.
LGHS had a 2012 API score of 886, while Saratoga’s score was 933. The average high school API score statewide is 752.
Los Gatos High School was recognized for its Freshman Transition Plan and for the CASSY counseling and support program, while Saratoga High School’s Media Arts and CrossFit Physical Education programs were used in the distinguished schools analysis. All the programs are designed to link student academic achievement with diverse learning opportunities and a culture that supports students’ emotional and physical wellbeing.
A Distinguished School Celebration and Recognition event will be held on May 17th at the Marriott Hotel in Santa Clara.
By Judy Peterson at Mercury News
Teachers, parents and administrators at Los Gatos and Saratoga high schools continually say their schools have some of the brightest students around. And the latest California Academic Performance Index scores show they might be right.
Saratoga High received an API score of 933, with Los Gatos High coming in with a score of 886. API scores range from a low of 200 to a high of 1,000.
“Our goal is to have our students graduate from our campuses as well-rounded citizens prepared for college and/or a chosen career. One component of that is academic achievement. This new API information validates the efforts of our students, teachers, classified staff and parent community to promote this success,” said Bob Mistele, superintendent of the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District.
Saratoga High received one of the highest scores in the county. Its score ranked third in public high schools behind Monta Vista High (956) and Lynbrook High (946).
Saratoga’s score of 933 matched its 2011 score.
By Brian Babcock
bbabcock@community-newspapers.com
To review the API scores, visit www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ap.
Redwood Middle School has placed first in the California Math counts competition winning the state title for the fourth times in 11 years. Redwood team beat more than 50 participating schools in the March 17 Northern and Southern California events.
Math counts is a combination math coaching and competition program. Students compete in written and oral matches in the subjects of probability, statistics, linear algebra and polynomials.
For more info, go to www.mathcounts-ca.org