Three San Ramon Schools Make "2010 Distintinguished Elementary Schools" List

Three San Ramon elementary schools made the "2010 Distinguished Elementary Schools" list, put out annually by the California Department of Education as part of the California School Recognition Program.

Coyote Creek, Hidden Hills and Live Oak elementary schools were among the 484 exemplary California public elementary schools selected as 2010 California Distinguished Schools.

"These schools have persevered despite state budget cutbacks that have cut deeply into the budgets of local school districts," said State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell in a release today. He added that he personally called each winning school to share the good news with the principals.

"This is an incredible honor for our entire community," said Hanna Ma, principal at Hidden Hills Elementary School. "It is a reward for the hard work of our staff and student body, and the incredible support we receive from our parents and community."

Schools were identified for eligibility based on the Academic Performance Index (state accountability model) and Adequate Yearly Progress (federal accountability model). The applicants were also identified by their success in narrowing the achievement gap that exists between higher-performing and lower-performing students.

Since the program's inception, schools in the San Ramon Valley School District have received Distinguished School honors 66 times, more than any other school district in northern California.

The 2010 California Distinguished Schools will be honored during an awards ceremony and dinner at the Disneyland Hotel on June 4.