Washington Achievement Award
How Schools are Selected for Recognition

The State Board of Education & Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction have approved using data generated by the Achievement Index for recognition purposes. The Washington Achievement Award provides multiple ways to demonstrate success. ¹

Overall Excellence

• Elementary
• Middle & Junior High
• High
• Comprehensive
• Schools with Significant Gifted Populations

For elementary, middle & junior high, high and comprehensive, schools whose overall two-year average puts them in the top five percent (in four levels: elementary, middle/junior, high and comprehensive). Schools must have at least 10 cells of the matrix rated each year and fewer than 10 percent students designated as gifted each year to be considered. ² Only schools with an income/ethnicity achievement gap of less than 2.5 are eligible.

For schools with significant gifted populations, Schools that have more than 10 percent gifted student population and a two-year average for the peers rating of at least 6.00 also receive recognition. ³

Special Recognition
Schools will also receive recognition for being top performers in:

• Language arts (reading and writing combined)
• Math
• Science
• Extended Graduation Rate
• Improvement
• Closing Achievement Gaps ⁴

For Language Arts (reading and writing combined), Math, Science, and the Extended Graduation Rate, the overall (column) two-year average is at least 6.00, at least two of the four cells in the column are rated each year, and there are fewer than 10 percent students designated as gifted each year. For Language Arts, both reading and writing must have a two-year average of at least 6.00 and at least two of the cells rated in each column each year.

For Improvement, the overall (column) two-year average is at least 6.00 and at least two of the five cells in the column are rated each year.

For Closing Achievement Gaps (race/ethnicity) the minority percent must be at least 20 percent, the two-year average for both non-minority and minority must be at least 4.25 and the race/ethnicity gap for both 2009 and 2010 must be no greater than 0.

For Closing Achievement Gaps (income level) the low income percent must be at least 20 percent, the two-year average for both non low income and low income must be at least 4.25 and the income gap for both 2009 and 2010 must be no greater than 0.

¹ The Washington Achievement Award relies mainly on criterion-based measures but also recognizes a percentage of all elementary, middle/junior high, high and comprehensive schools.
² For purposes of recognition ‘two-year average’ refers to the average of the 2009 and 2010 indexes. ‘Five percent’ refers to five percent of total schools at that level in the 2010 index. When a tie occurs at the five percent cut off, all schools with that score will be recognized.
³ Results for the peer indicators control for the types of students attending the school (percent gifted, low income, ELL, special education and mobile). This ensures schools with the highest concentrations of gifted students do not automatically receive recognition.
⁴ Schools are recognized for closing achievement gaps for both minority students and low income students.