Las Animas Elementary School was named a California
Distinguished School for the second year in a row.
Las Animas Elementary School was named a California Distinguished School for the second year in a row.
The honor is bestowed on schools that “meet the challenge of providing all their students with a rigorous education and fully prepare today’s students for success in postsecondary education or the workforce,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell in a statement. “In addition, these extraordinary middle and high schools have shown they are able to increase the achievement of all their students and have provided evidence that they are closing the achievement gaps that, unfortunately, exist at many schools.”
Last year, Las Animas surged 66 points last year on the Academic Performance Index – a state measure of performance on a standardized test. This brought the school to 837, above the state target of 800. Schools with similar demographics averaged a score of 744.
In addition, all subgroups – such as specific ethnic groups or students for whom English is not their first language – also made sufficient progress, according to the state tests.
The year before, the school posted a 35-point growth and similarly made sufficient progress in all subgroups.
