Middle and high schools in Scotts Valley and the San Lorenzo Valley will be honored with the Gold Ribbon Award, after successfully demonstrating academic programs that benefit education.
The California Gold Ribbon Schools Award takes the place of the California Distinguished Schools Award until 2016, and will recognize middle and high schools this year, and elementary schools next year. This California School Recognition Program honors 193 middle schools and 180 high schools throughout the state of California this year.
San Lorenzo Valley Middle School Principal Jeff Calden, said that the middle school is being recognized for its team teaching program — which teams up special and regular education teachers and a classroom aid, to provide additional support to students who are struggling in math and or language arts.
“They are still getting the same standards, it’s a regular math class, but it’s set up to help kids who generally don’t do well in a regular math class,” he said.
Since the program started six years ago, fewer kids who struggle with those subjects are failing, Calden explained. Also, test scores and student achievement are improving, said Laurie Bruton, San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District Superintendent.
“Particularly when we have had parents come in and meet with teachers and talk to us about it, the parents are really pleased with the success that their children have had and it just builds confidence in kids and that really makes a difference in school.”
Each school submitted an application for the award back in January, completed and passed a site validation visit, and those qualified were notified at the end of April.
Scotts Valley Middle and High Schools are being honored with the Gold Ribbon Award as well.
According to SVMS Principal Mary Lonhart, the school applied for the award with its enrichment class, which is a component of its academy program.
“It’s the corner stone of our academy,” she said, “it’s our flexible class period that allows us the opportunity to offer enrichment and intervention activities for students depending on student need.”
Scotts Valley High School is being recognized for implementing the International Baccalaureate Program into its school, said SVHS Principal Valerie Bariteau.
“Its for what we do with our IB program, its not just individual classes,” Bariteau said, “it’s the whole program, it’s a whole philosophy, and a whole way of doing things.”
The BI program is similar to AP in terms of delivering higher education classes and potential college credit, but differs in that it’s less well known and provides a more in depth class that can span two years instead of one.
“Because more of the courses are two years long, rather then just cramming for the one, you really get to know your subject matter more in depth,” said Bariteau.
Kris Munro, the superintendent for Santa Cruz City Schools, said that Harbor High, Branciforte Middle School, and Mission Hill Middle School are the Gold Ribbon schools for Santa Cruz County.
“We are extremely proud of our teachers and our school leaders for the work that they do to ensure that they are continually improving programs to ensure they meet the needs of every student,” Munro said.
Harbor High was recognized for a program that helps ninth-graders with organization and time management structures, while Branciforte and Mission Hill were acknowledged for their implementation of common core mathematics and a supporting schedule and systems that help students make the transition to common core math, she said.
School representatives throughout Santa Cruz County will visit San Francisco on May 29, to receive the Gold Ribbon Award.
