College Park High School Earns Top Honor From State School Chief

College Park High School is among 218 public middle and high schools to gain status as a California Distinguished School this year.

Tom Torlakson, state superintendent of public instruction, on Thursday saluted the honored schools, including 13 in Contra Costa County, for their strong commitment and innovative approaches to improving student academic achievement.

“These schools have gone the extra mile to provide high-quality instruction that puts their students on the right path toward career and college,” Torlakson said.

“Given the enormous challenges schools have faced in recent years, it is inspiring to see this kind of success in so many schools. Our future depends on meeting the needs of every student no matter where they come from or where they live.”

The 2013 California Distinguished Schools Program especially honors progress made in narrowing the academic achievement gap.

Schools seeking the honor through the California Department of Education must meet a variety of criteria, including accountability measures.

“The application process consists of a written application, which includes a comprehensive description of two of the school’s signature practices, and a county-led site validation review process, which validates the implementation of those signature practices,” the state said in a news release.

The state says schools earning the Distinguished School title agree to share their “signature practices” with other schools and become a mentor to those seeking to replicate their work.

An updated searchable database of these practices will be available later this spring from the Department of Education.

Here is the current Signature Practices Web site.

Schools selected as California Distinguished Schools will be honored in May during regional award ceremonies where Torlakson will present each school a 2013 Distinguished School plaque and flag.

—City News Service contributed to this report.