Ridgefield’s South Ridge Elementary School has received national recognition as the school had been selected for the 2017-2018 National Title I, Part A Distinguished School Award.
The Ridgefield School District received word from the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction the previous week, according to a news release. South Ridge, one of two elementary schools in the district, earned the national recognition for showing a number of strengths, “including team approaches to teaching and learning, focused professional development opportunities for staff, individualized and multi-tiered systems of approach for student success, and strong partnerships between the school, parents, and the community,” the release states.
Test scores also came into play. The school’s Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) score saw strong growth and proficiency, specifically pointing out that for the past three years the building’s average pass rate for third-grade English and language arts class was consistently more than 20 percentage points above the state average.
"The award reflects South Ridge's unwavering commitment to do whatever it takes to help its students excel," said Ridgefield School District Federal Programs Coordinator Tiffany Gould. "South Ridge maintained exceptional student performance even through the recent rapid enrollment growth it has experienced."
Strong partnerships between teachers and staff with parents and the community was another reason Gould thought the school earned the recognition.
Apart from the recognition, which includes a team representing the school heading to the national Title I conference in Philadelphia in February, the school is also slated to bring in five figures as a national award of $10,000 and a statewide one for $5,000 come with the award.
That money will help send the team to the conference, South Ridge Elementary School Principal Todd Graves said, with what’s left going to support staff.
“Our plan is to really take that money and dump it back into supporting and training our teachers so that we just continue to perform at the amazing level that we are,” Graves said.
Graves said South Ridge was one of two schools in Washington state to receive the award this year, and it was the first time the district received such recognition.
“For us, it’s a pretty big deal. It’s quite an honor,” Graves said.
"I am proud of the hard work and dedication demonstrated by the South Ridge staff and students and am pleased that they are being recognized for their efforts in earning this exceptional national designation for their school," Ridgefield School District Superintendent Nathan McCann stated in the release.
Graves said one of the major reasons South Ridge received the distinction was how consistent its performance has been even with the massive growth of the district, according to an OSPI official who spoke with the district.
“We just continue to perform at such a solid level given the immense growth that we’ve experienced over the last couple of years,” Graves said. “From my perspective, it feels good. We’re growing like mad, but we’re still producing a top-quality education for our kids.”
