“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
· 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
Cheat Lake Elementary School
Cheat Lake Middle School
· NICHOLAS Panther Creek Elementary School
Woodsdale Elementary School
Triadelphia Middle School
Warwood School
· PRESTON Fellowsville Elementary 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