Schools

Top Honor for Del Norte High School: California Distinguished School

The Poway Unified school is one of 218 in state and 19 in San Diego County to win distinction this year.

Poway Unified's Del Norte High School, which graduated its first class in 2012, has been named a California Distinguished School.

Tom Torlakson, state superintendent of public instruction, on Thursday saluted the honored schools, including 19 in San Diego County, for their strong commitment and innovative approaches to improving student academic achievement.

“These schools have gone the extra mile to provide high-quality instruction that puts their students on the right path toward career and college,” Torlakson said.

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“Given the enormous challenges schools have faced in recent years, it is inspiring to see this kind of success in so many schools. Our future depends on meeting the needs of every student no matter where they come from or where they live.”

Del Norte Principal Greg Mizel said he was proud of the high school's staff, who had to overcome the "tremendous" challenge of creating a brand new school and its traditions and systems from scratch—all during a fiscal crisis.

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"They are committed to every single student every day," Mizel said. "They're not here for a paycheck and I see it every day. They are here to make a difference in the lives of kids and I think our kids feel that."

The 2013 California Distinguished Schools Program especially honors progress made in narrowing the academic achievement gap.

Schools seeking the honor through the California Department of Education must meet a variety of criteria, including accountability measures.

“The application process consists of a written application, which includes a comprehensive description of two of the school’s signature practices, and a county-led site validation review process, which validates the implementation of those signature practices,” the state said in a news release.

The state says schools earning the Distinguished School title agree to share their “signature practices” with other schools and become a mentor to those seeking to replicate their work.

The winning practices for Del Norte were its Open Access program and Home Court Advantage. In a counter to the practice of tracking students—restricting higher level coursework to students who have performed well in the past—the Open Access program at Del Norte allows any student, no matter their history, to enroll in higher level classes.

Mizel gave the example of a graduating senior who was able to complete six years of math classes in four years, reaching to AP Calculus and AP Statistics, after entering high school needing to take Algebra I. By allowing students to take multiple math classes at the same time, for example, Del Norte allows students to accelerate. It doesn't always work out for everyone, Mizel said, but this system allows students to challenge themselves and choose their own academic path.

The school's second signature practice, Home Court Advantage, aims to create a campus environment where students feel safe and  supported, and have a sense of belonging. Making students feel like their peers and the staff are a home crowd, like in sports, helps them perform better and and feel as though they all equally own Del Norte, Mizel said.

The practice also includes encouraging students to participate in sports and clubs, making Del Norte feel like a home away from home for many students, he said.

An updated searchable database of these practices will be available later this spring from the Department of Education.

Here is the current Signature Practices Web site.

Schools selected as California Distinguished Schools will be honored in May during regional award ceremonies where Torlakson will present each school a 2013 Distinguished School plaque and flag.

Other middle schools honored in San Diego County were:

  • EJE Middle Academy in El Cajon
  • Aviara Oaks in Carlsbad
  • Parkway Middle in La Mesa
  • Carmel Valley in San Diego
  • Earl Warren in Solana Beach
  • Bonita Vista and Eastlake in Chula Vista

The honored high schools were:

  • Classical Academy in Escondido
  • Granite Hills and Grossmont in El Cajon
  • Del Norte in 4S Ranch
  • Health Sciences High and the Kearny International Business School in San Diego
  • Eastlake in Chula Vista
  • Valley Center High School

Other schools recognized were Mount Everest Academy in San Diego and, in Vista, Guajome Park Academy Charter and the School for Integrated Academics and Technology.

The state recognizes elementary schools in alternate years. Last year, seven PUSD elementaries were named distinguished schools:

  • Chaparral Elementary
  • Los Peñasquitos Elementary
  • Monterey Ridge Elementary
  • Morning Creek Elementary
  • Park Village Elementary
  • Westwood Elementary
  • Willow Grove Elementary

—City News Service contributed to this report.

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See: Photos: Del Norte High School Graduation 2012


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