The Association’s Boards of Distinction awards honor school boards that demonstrate effective use of the Washington School Board Standards. The standards, developed and adopted by WSSDA in 2009, promote research-based governance practices that lead to high levels of student and district achievement. This was the first year that the association separately honored a board in large, medium and small district size categories.
Award applicants submit an essay and supporting evidence to demonstrate how they are putting the standards into practice. This year, applicants addressed the following:
- Respecting and advocating mutual understanding of the roles and responsibilities of board members and the superintendent.
- Adopting a collaboratively developed district plan focused on learning and achievement outcomes for all students.
- Providing for learning essentials, including rigorous curriculum, technology and high quality facilities.
- Measuring student academic progress and needs based on valid and reliable assessments.
- Ensuring district information and decisions are communicated community-wide.
Ferndale, Marysville and Prescott school boards have been selected as the School Boards of the Year by the Washington State School Directors’ Association. The announcement was made Friday evening at the WSSDA Annual Conference in Spokane.
The Marysville School Board was honored in the category for districts with more than 9,000 students, Ferndale for those with 1,001-9,000 students and Prescott for those with 1,000 or fewer students. The three districts were chosen from among 23 boards honored in 2012 as Boards of Distinction.
“These boards have excelled as school governance teams,” said Dr. Jonelle Adams, the association’s executive director. “They provided extensive documentation and our evaluation was rigorous. They are exceptional school boards.”
By district size category, the other Boards of Distinction included:
More than 9,000 students – Auburn, Central Valley, Clover Park, Federal Way, Issaquah, Kent, Puyallup, South Kitsap and Vancouver.
1,001-9,000 students – Anacortes, Camas, Chimacum, Franklin Pierce, Lakewood, Monroe, Sunnyside, Tumwater, West Valley (Spokane), and White River.
1-1,000 students – Methow Valley.