“We have high expectations for all schools in West Virginia and these schools have achieved the state board’s highest level of recognition,” said West Virginia Board of Education President Delores W. Cook. “Educators serving our schools understand that quality is important. We encourage them to keep up the good work.”

Exemplary distinction is the gold standard of educational achievement, said Kenna Seal, director of the Office of Education Performance Audits. Schools must meet a set of rigorous standards to achieve such status:

1.         All schools will be ranked by the percent proficient in reading/language arts, math, science and social studies on the WESTEST and the Writing Assessment. The schools earning the top combined ranking will be eligible for the next step of ranking on a student achievement index with progressive weighting for scores at each performance level (.25 for Below Mastery, .5 for Mastery, .75 for Above Mastery and 1.0 for Distinguished) and aggregated for a total ranking.  The top 10 percent weighted ranking for elementary, middle, and high schools will be designated as Exemplary if other criteria are met.

2.            The student attendance rate is at or above 94 percent in the most recent year for which data are available.

3.            The student graduation rate is at or above 85 percent.

4.            The percentage of graduates of high schools who declare their intent to enroll in college and other post-secondary education is 55 percent.

5.         The percentage of students who successfully complete Advanced Placement, dual credit and honors classes as defined in Policy 2510 is at or above five percent in high schools.

Career technical centers also have strenuous criteria to meet. Such schools must meet a minimum of 70 percent of proficiency standards across all concentrations; have a 90 percent placement rate; and a 65 percent in-field job placement and continuing education rate, among other requirements.

For more information, contact the OEPA at (304) 558-3788.

The following schools are recognized as Exemplary Accreditation status schools for 2008-2009:               

·         BARBOUR          Kasson Elementary/Middle School

·         BERKELEY        Bunker Hill Elementary School

·         BRAXTON           Burnsville Elementary School

                              Flatwoods Elementary School

                              Frametown Elementary School

·         CABELL              Davis Creek Elementary School

·         HANCOCK          Oak Glen High School

                              Weir High School

·         HARRISON         Bridgeport Middle School

                              Bridgeport High School

·         JACKSON           Evans Elementary School

                              Kenna Elementary School

                              Ravenswood Middle School

·         JEFFERSON      Shepherdstown Elementary School

                              Shipley Elementary School

                              Shepherdstown Middle School

·         KANAWHA         Chamberlain Elementary School

Holz Elementary School

Kenna Elementary School

Overbrook Elementary School

Ruthlawn Elementary School

Weberwood Elementary School

John Adams Middle School

George Washington High School

·         LOGAN                Justice Elementary School

                              Verdunville Elementary School

·         MARION              Fairview Elementary School

                              Barrackville Elementary/Middle School

                              Fairview Middle School

                              Fairmont Senior High School

·         MONONGALIA   Easton Elementary School

                              North Elementary School

                              Cheat Lake Elementary School

                              Cheat Lake Middle School

                              Suncrest Middle School

·         NICHOLAS         Panther Creek Elementary School

·         OHIO                    Bethlehem Elementary School

                              Steenrod Elementary School

                              Woodsdale Elementary School

                              Triadelphia Middle School

                              Warwood School

·         PRESTON           Fellowsville Elementary School

·         PUTNAM             Confidence Elementary School

                              Conner Street Elementary School

                              Eastbrook Elementary School

                              George Washington Elementary School

                              Hurricane Town Elementary School

                              Poca Elementary School

                              Scott Teays Elementary School

                              West Teays Elementary School

                              Hurricane Middle School

                              Poca Middle School

                              Winfield Middle School

                              Winfield High School

·         RALEIGH            Maxwell Hill Elementary School

·         RITCHIE              Ellenboro Elementary School

·         WOOD                 Blennerhasset Elementary School

                              Greenmont Elementary School

                              Vienna Elementary School

Jackson Middle School

EXEMPLARY VOCATIONAL and CAREER/TECHNICAL SCHOOLS for 2008-2009:

·         BRAXTON           Braxton County High School

·         CLAY                   Clay County High School

·         HAMPSHIRE      Hampshire Senior High School

·         HARRISON         United Technical Center

·         KANAWHA         Ben Franklin Career Center

·                                       Carver Career and Technical Education Center

·                                       Garnet Career Center

·         MINERAL                        Mineral County Career and Technical Center

·         MONROE            Monroe County Career and Technical Center

·         OHIO                    Wheeling Park High School

·         PUTNAM             Putnam Career and Technical Center

·         RALEIGH                        Academy of Careers and Technology

·         WAYNE               Spring Valley High School

·         WYOMING          Wyoming County Career and Technical Center

You can view a gallery of pictures of the event