Baldwin Park Unified’s Santa Fe School has been honored as a 2020 California Distinguished School for closing the achievement gap and attaining exemplary student performances on state standardized tests.
Santa Fe is one of 42 elementary schools in the San Gabriel Valley to earn a spot on the 2020 Distinguished Schools list, with 323 institutions statewide securing a place.
“The California Distinguished School award reflects the commitment and dedication of Santa Fe students, staff and community,” Santa Fe Principal Margie Clark said. “I am proud of the work that our staff has done to develop our multi-tiered system of supports. In doing so, students develop their academic, as well as social and emotional, skills.”
Examiners for the award look at California School Dashboard indicators, which tracks state test scores, academic engagement and suspension rates.
On the California School Dashboard, Santa Fe earned the second-highest rating in English language arts (ELA) scores on the state standardized tests. Santa Fe’s ELA scores are 32.6 points above the state standard, increasing 5 points from 2018.
English learners scored 7 points above standard and socioeconomically disadvantaged students scored 27.6 points above standard.
Santa Fe achieved the best rating on the dashboard for the school’s low suspension rates. The school held a 1.6 percent suspension rate in 2017 and dropped the percentage to .3 in 2018 and 2019.
Santa Fe will be celebrated during the California School Recognition Program Awards Ceremony on Monday, Feb. 10 at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim.
“We are tremendously proud of the work being done by the talented team of administrators, educators and staff at Santa Fe,” Baldwin Park Unified Superintendent Dr. Froilan N. Mendoza said. “Santa Fe is creating an environment of high standards and high expectations that supports every student. Receiving this honor demonstrates that we are living our mission and ensuring high achievement for all learners.”
Santa Fe has 325 students, of which 80 percent are socioeconomically disadvantaged.
The California Distinguished Award is the state’s top honor for high-achieving schools, with selected schools holding the designation for two years.