Los Peñasquitos Elementary Wins Second Blue Ribbon School Award

Los Peñasquitos Elementary School has been named a National Blue Ribbon School for the second time, one of 21 California campuses to receive the distinction for 2010-11, it was announced Thursday.

"Congratulations to all 21 schools, and the students, teachers, school employees, administrators, and parents who worked hard to earn the title Blue Ribbon School,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said in a statement. “Today’s awards are just one more sign of the dedication California’s educators have to improving opportunities for students, even in the face of painful budget cuts.”

Los Peñasquitos last received the honor for 2000-01. The award is given to schools that are high performing in math and English, or who have a significant population of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, such as low income, and have been successful in narrowing the achievement gap.

Los Peñasquitos, with an API score of 936, is one of the in the Poway Unified School District with an Academic Performance Index (API) score above 900. There is a maximum score of 1,000 on the scale which gauges performance on math and English/language arts tests. The state target is 800.

The Blue Ribbon Schools Program was started by the U.S. Department of Education in 1982 and about 6,000 schools have won since then, including 15 PUSD schools. Winners receive a plaque and a flag and will be honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. in November. For this award year, 256 public schools and 49 private schools were chosen.

The Santa Fe Christian Lower School, a private school in Solana Beach, was the only other San Diego County campus to be named a Blue Ribbon School this year.

PUSD Blue Ribbon Schools Award winners (and the year):

Bernardo Heights Middle (99-00)
Black Mountain Middle (90-91; 99-00)
Chaparral Elementary (91-92; 00-01)
Los Peñasquitos (00-01; 10-11)
Meadowbrook Middle (84-85; 99-00)
Mesa Verde Middle (99-00)
Morning Creek Elementary (93-94)
Mount Carmel High (88-89; 99-00)
Park Village Elementary (00-01)
Pomerado Elementary (89-90)
Poway High (90-91)
Rancho Bernardo High (99-00)
Sundance Elementary (87-88)
Twin Peaks Middle (83-84; 90-91; 99-00)
Westwood Elementary (00-01)

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