The Charter School of Morgan Hill has been designated as a 2012 California Distinguished School. CSMH is among 31 public elementary schools in Santa Clara County that were selected for the award.
The program honors schools that have demonstrated educational excellence for all students, and progress in narrowing the achievement gap. In order to be invited to apply, CSMH had to meet a variety of eligibility criteria and submit a written application. The application included a description of two of the school’s successful signature practices. A site visit by a team of educators to validate the implementation of these practices was conducted in March.
CSMH’s application highlighted the school’s science program and early reading intervention. “It is an honor to receive this award and for our school community to be recognized for all their hard work and dedication,” CSMH principal Paige Cisewski said. “We work together as a team to create a climate of high expectations for all students.”
CSMH developed an early reading intervention program for students in which teachers employ specific strategies in their classrooms to support students not reaching benchmark levels in reading, and created a “Personal Reading Buddy” program which pairs students with volunteers and provides one on one reading instruction.
All staff, kindergarten through 8th grade, made a commitment to spend the time and energy necessary to teach a quality science program using both the state and national science standards as a guide. The commitment to creating scientifically literate students has resulted in more than 95 percent of the school’s 8th graders scoring proficient or advanced in science on last year’s state test.
Schools earning the Distinguished School title agree to share their signature practices with other schools and serve as mentors to other educators who want to replicate their work. An updated searchable database of these practices will be available later this spring by the CDE.
Representatives from the Charter School of Morgan Hill attended a regional program awarding Distinguished Schools from this area, hosted by the Santa Clara County Office of Education, on May 30. State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson, and County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Charles Weis, appeared at the event.
