Anonymous
Franklin Elementary School (Photo: SBUSD)
Source: Santa Barbara County Education Office
State Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond named five Santa Barbara County schools as 2020 California Distinguished Schools by the California Department of Education (CDE), yesterday. The honorees are Aliso Elementary School in the Carpinteria Unified School District, College School in the College School District, Kellogg Elementary in the Goleta Union School District, Franklin Elementary School in the Santa Barbara Unified School District, and Solvang Elementary School in the Solvang School District.
“We are proud of the exceptional education programs and practices at these school sites. This award highlights their outstanding work, and we are thrilled their work resulted in this recognition,” said Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools Susan Salcido.
The Distinguished Schools program recognizes schools based on performance and progress on the state indicators as specified on the California School Dashboard. Indicators include test scores, suspension rates, and conditions and climate. Elementary schools and secondary schools are recognized in alternate years; therefore, awardees hold the title for two years.
Every year, two of California’s Distinguished Schools Awardees are also eligible to be recognized as a National Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Distinguished Schools Awardee.
The 2020 California School Recognition Program Awards Ceremony will take place on Monday, February 10, 2020, at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California.
A list of past California Distinguished Schools in Santa Barbara County can be found here: http://teacherprograms.sbceo.
I’ve heard they don’t test all their students only the ones they think will get higher scores. I think Franklin has gotten better but its always been a bad school so that doesn’t say too much.
Franklin Elementary Distinguished? Students test 13% proficient meaning 87% can’t read or do basic grade level math. SBUnified fails to prepare these students for secondary. Too many bomb, frustrated and discouraged, at SB Jr and Sr High Schools. Oops, almost forgot Former Principal Vale’s words of wisdom: SB needs housekeepers, nannies and restaurant workers, too. Academic mastery isn’t all important. Exemplary manners and cleanliness serve students well.
Congratulations to all five recipients of this coveted recognition. It takes a great deal of concerted, coordinated work on everyone’s part to achieve the growth that is necessary to be recognized.
Your numbers are most certainly wrong. From the CAASPP website for Franklin’s test scores (I downloaded a BUNCH of data from a dozen or so schools recently): Percentage of Franklin students AT or EXCEEDING grade level in ELA from 2015 to 2018: 36% – 41% – 56% – 57%. Percentage of Franklin students AT or EXCEEDING grade level in Math from 2015 to 2018: 34% – 37% – 48% – 49%. That is FANTASTIC improvement over four years and is occurring across all grade levels. THAT is why they are a distinguished school. In fact, their 2018 ELA test scores were higher than Roosevelt at every grade level.
Strange they put Franklin on there and not Monroe.
Why is that strange? It’s a statewide award. While Monroe’s test scores are improving (like most schools in the district), they have not been improving at the rate of Franklin.