CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Seventy-one schools from across West Virginia, including elementary schools, middle schools, high schools and career technical centers, were honored Tuesday for achieving Exemplary Accreditation status. Three other schools also were recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools.

“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 Priscilla Haden. “This accomplishment speaks highly of the quality of education throughout West Virginia, with schools from every area of our state identified as exemplary. Educators, parents, students and communities serving our schools understand that quality is important and are working hard to ensure students succeed. 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 each subject, including reading/language arts, math, science, social studies as well as the Writing Assessment. Schools earning the top combined ranking will be eligible for the next step of ranking on a student achievement index. All students in each school will be ranked by a student achievement index in each subject on the WESTEST2 and Writing Assessment 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. The following schools earned 2010-2011 Exemplary Accreditation status:

BARBOUR                            Kasson Elementary/Middle School

BERKELEY                           Inwood Primary School

BRAXTON                             Davis Elementary School

CABELL                                Davis Creek Elementary School 

                                             Meadows Elementary School 

                                             Nichols Elementary School

HARRISON                           Johnson Elementary School 

                                             Simpson Elementary School 

                                             Bridgeport Middle School 

                                             Bridgeport High School 

JACKSON                             Evans Elementary School  

JEFFERSON                         C. W. Shipley Elementary School 

                                             Shepherdstown Elementary School 

                                             Shepherdstown Middle School 

KANAWHA                            Chamberlain Elementary School 

                                             Holz Elementary School 

                                             Kenna Elementary School 

                                             Montrose Elementary School 

                                             Overbrook Elementary School 

                                             Weberwood Elementary School 

                                             Horace Mann Middle School

                                             John Adams Middle School 

                                             George Washington High School 

LOGAN                                 Verdunville Elementary School 

MARION                                East Dale Elementary School 

                                             Fairview Elementary School 

                                             Pleasant Valley Elementary School 

                                             White Hall Elementary School 

                                             Barrackville Elementary/Middle School 

                                             Fairview Middle School 

                                             Fairmont Senior High School 

MONONGALIA                      Suncrest Primary School

                                             Cheat Lake Elementary School 

                                             North Elementary School

                                             Mountaineer Middle School 

                                             Suncrest Middle School 

                                             Morgantown High School  

                                          University High School       

OHIO                                 Bethlehem Elementary School 

                                          Steenrod Elementary School 

                                          West Liberty Elementary School 

                                          Woodsdale Elementary School 

                                          Triadelphia Middle School 

                                          Warwood School