Two Malibu Schools Earn State Distinguished Status

• Pt. Dume and Webster Honored

BY SUZANNE GULDIMANN

The Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District announced Tuesday that Point Dume Marine Science and Webster schools are among the 484 public elementary schools that have been designated California Distinguished Schools for 2010.
The California School Recognition Program “identifies and honors the state’s most exemplary and inspiring public schools with the California Distinguished School Award.” Participation in the program is voluntary. Elementary and secondary schools are recognized during alternate years.
“We are extremely proud of our staff for demonstrating educational excellence for all students and progress in narrowing the achievement gap,” district superintendent Tim Cuneo stated in a press release. “The principal, teachers, and staff are to be commended for their hard work and dedication to the success of all students.”
“This is a reflection of our collective effort as a community of teachers, staff, students, parents, and community members,” Pt. Dume principal Chi Kim said. “Everyone works tirelessly to bring innovative programs forward, like marine and environmental science, as well as our reading intervention programs. It is such an honor to be validated for the work that we do for our students.”
“One of the reasons I thought this award was worth pursuing is that our staff and students absolutely deserve the recognition,” said Webster principal Phil Cott. “We try every day to make learning meaningful, to connect our students to the real world, to make learning challenging, exciting, fun.”
“It is an honor to recognize the schools, and the students, parents, teachers, and administrators who helped earn this most prestigious distinction,” State Superintendent of Schools Jack O’Connell said in a prepared statement. “These schools have persevered despite state budget cutbacks that have cut deeply into the budgets of local school districts.”
Schools were identified for eligibility on the basis of their academic performance index and adequate yearly progress results, which are the state and federal accountability models, respectively,” the press release states.
The applicants were also identified by their success in narrowing the achievement gap that exists between higher-performing and lower-performing students.
Each applicant was also required to describe two “signature practices” that have “led to an increase in student achievement and a narrowing of the achievement gap.” Applicants were then selected to receive a thorough site visit to validate the signature practices.
The awards ceremony will be held on June 4 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim.