Columbia High School was one of 1,086 schools across the nation to earn a "bronze medal" distinction by U.S. News and World Report in an article posted November 29, 2007 and released a December magazine issue.
In determining which high schools to honor, U.S. News and World Report used a "three-step analysis." In the magazine's words, "First, we measured how each school's students performed on state tests, adjusting for student circumstances. We next evaluated how well each school's disadvantaged students did. Finally, we looked at whether the school was successful in providing college-level coursework."
"It truly does take the whole village to educate all of our students," said White Salmon Valley School District Superintendent Dale Palmer regarding the honor. "This is not only a CHS recognition, but an affirmation that our school district is doing the right things for all of our students."
Despite a population with a significantly higher percentage of "at-risk" factors such as poverty than compared to Washington State's overall population, district students consistently catch up to and overtake their peers across the state, as measured by the state's tests, called the Washington Assessment of Student Learning. On the whole, district students start their schooling behind their peers, but by the time they exit middle school, they typically have surpassed their peers.
For example, this year's ninth graders as a group outperformed 8th graders across the state on the WASL in reading, math, and science, with 70.1 percent passing reading, 58.6 passing math, and 50.6 passing science. (Yes, the WASL is a rigorous test!) Statewide, the percentage of 8th graders passing these tests were, respectively, 65, 49.8, and 44.6. When White Salmon Valley students took the reading and math tests as 4th graders and the science test as 5th graders, a smaller percentage passed those tests than the overall statewide population.
We believe that it is the overall K-12 program that results in such impressive growth. No single grade or school strives to make education a "test-prep" endeavor. Rather, we strive to provide a meaningful and relevant education, aligning our curriculum with state standards and coordinating what we do across the grades. Over time, this approach pays off in enduring fashion. In addition, strong community support makes an enormous difference. All our schools benefit from many community and parent volunteers. Local service organizations, churches, civic organizations, businesses, and individuals all contribute in a variety of ways. For example, Henkle Middle School's afterschool and summer program, Project Open Door, would never have been able to stay open without the amazing and ongoing support of more organizations and individuals than we could possibly name in this posting.
Photo: Samantha Spaeth, a sixth grader, demonstrates mathematical problem-solving to her classmates in Mrs. Pfister's classroom last month. HMS teachers provide extensive opportunities for students to demonstrate leadership and to engage in dialogue about their work.
