8 Schools on Federal Honor Roll

Orange County schools won more national Blue Ribbon awards this year than any other county in California.

On Wednesday, six Orange County public schools and two private ones learned that they had won one of education’s highest accolades, the coveted Blue Ribbon award, given by the U.S. Department of Education. By comparison, Los Angeles County, with more than three times the population, had six winning schools.

Most of the schools are those you might expect--affluent suburban campuses where most kids speak English fluently and have a family history of academic achievement. But others--including Concordia Elementary in San Clemente--don’t fit that model.

At Concordia, a quarter of students are poor enough to qualify for free or reduced-price student lunches, yet test scores are strong and every pupil is learning Japanese.

“We embrace the diversity here,” said Concordia Principal Kathy Oshima. “I love this school. We have children in million-dollar homes and some children who might live in local motels because their families are getting back on their feet. We have the whole gamut of socioeconomic conditions here, but we treat all children equally. They’re all gifted.”

Concordia launched its Japanese language program in the early 1990s, hoping to create a more worldly student body and prepare students for careers in international business. All students, starting in kindergarten, receive Japanese instruction once or twice a week.

One of education’s most competitive awards, the Blue Ribbon recognizes schools that foster high academic achievement, involve parents, promote technology and the arts and help struggling students. The awards alternate each year between elementary and secondary schools; this was the year for elementaries.

To win, schools first must be honored by their state education departments, then complete a 30- to 40-page application and undergo a site visit.

Orange County’s winners this year are: Concordia, Heritage Oak Private Elementary School in Yorba Linda, Laguna Road School in Fullerton, Lincoln Elementary School in Corona del Mar and Moulton Elementary School in Laguna Niguel. Three schools in Irvine were honored as well, Meadow Park Elementary School, Westwood Basics Plus School and Tarbut V’Torah Community Day School, a private Jewish academy.

In all, 266 schools were honored nationwide, 41 of them from California.

The Blue Ribbon award is not monetary, but it is a point of community pride and academic prestige.

Schools traditionally schedule special assemblies or sock-hops to celebrate the accomplishment. The award can increase parental involvement and lure corporate sponsorships, and some real estate agents believe it can boost home values.

Possible corporate sponsorships were the last thing on most principals’ minds Wednesday. They were too busy tossing confetti and hopping on the public address system to congratulate students and staff.

At Tarbut V’Torah, children get a healthy dose of traditional academics mixed with lessons in Hebrew language and Jewish culture and religion.

“I think we have a unique opportunity to provide a very challenging and innovative secular-studies program within the context of a Jewish environment,” said elementary Principal Bernice Tabak Gelman. “We offer a much stronger program than a lot of schools in the area.”

While the honored schools have many differences, principals said they also have a lot in common: committed parents, hard-working students and dedicated staff.

At Westwood Basics Plus in Irvine, three-quarters of the students are there by choice--a major factor in the school’s success, said Principal Beverley Khalil-White.

The school maintains a focus on basics, she said, while devoting additional resources to science, art and music. While such programs are available at all Irvine schools, what distinguishes Westwood Basics is the collaborative approach to decision making, and an emphasis on family involvement. “There’s a great deal of communication between parents and students, and a great effort made to keep parents aware,” Khalil-White said.

“We have a great deal of parent involvement,” she said. “Parents elect to come to this school.”

Laguna Road School prides itself on active parents and not selling any student short, Principal Harold Sullivan said. About 12% of the school’s students come from poverty and more than 13% don’t speak English fluently.

“We do have very high expectations for all students--that includes the limited English speakers,” Sullivan said. “We have homework clubs and other intervention strategies. We really believe all students can learn.”

Two of the schools honored, Meadow Park Elementary and Lincoln Elementary, put a special emphasis on integrating children with special needs and disabilities into the broader school environment. Meadow Park shares its facility with the Orange County Department of Education’s Special Schools classes. Students in both programs learn and play together, to promote understanding and acceptance.

Meadow Park Principal Sharon DeNisi said several of her approximately 700 students serve as “special friends” to the 28 students in the special education programs, working with them in the classroom or keeping them company out on the playground. “All of our kids benefit,” said DeNisi of the partnership. “It makes children more compassionate.”

Lincoln also reports that it has had more teachers participate in national board certification than any other school in the state.

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The Winning Mix

Orange County’s eight blue-ribbon-winning schools are a mixture of expected winners--from affluent enclaves--but include schools with a higher mixture of low-incomeand limited English speaking students. A profile of the winners:

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Concordia Elementary, San Clemente

Enrollment: 628

Mobility rate: 19%

Limited English: 13%

Low income: 25%

Special education: 7%

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Ethnicity

White: 78%

Latino: 18%

Asian: 2%

Black: 1%

Am. Indian/other: 1%

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Westwood Basics Plus, Irvine

Enrollment: 447

Mobility rate: 21%

Limited English: 5%

Low income: 8%

Special education: 13%

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Ethnicity

White: 61%

Latino: 6%

Asian: 30%

Black: 2%

Am. Indian/other: 1%

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Meadow Park Elementary, Irvine

Enrollment: 654

Mobility rate: 10%

Limited English: 10%

Low income: 15%

Special education: 10%

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Ethnicity

White: 70%

Latino: 7%

Asian: 20%

Black: 2%

Other: 1%

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Lincoln Elementary, Corona del Mar

Enrollment: 864

Mobility rate: 17%

Limited English: 2%

Low income: 4%

Special education: 12%

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Ethnicity

White: 90%

Latino: 4%

Asian: 5%

Black: 1%

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Laguna Road, Fullerton

Enrollment: 621

Mobility rate: 8%

Limited English: 14%

Low income: 12%

Special education: 12%

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Ethnicity

White: 35%

Latino: 15%

Asian: 49%

Black: 1%

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Moulton Elementary, Laguna Niguel

Enrollment: 978

Mobility rate: 15%

Limited English: 10%

Low income: 11%

Special education: 11%

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Ethnicity

White: 81%

Latino: 9%

Asian: 7%

Black: 2%

Other: 1%

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PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Tarbut V’Torah Community Day, Irvine

Enrollment: 259

Mobility rate: 12%

Limited English: 1%

Low income: 9%

Special education: 5%

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Ethnicity

White: 95%

Latino: 2%

Asian: 1%

Black: 2%

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Heritage Oak Private Elementary, Yorba Linda

Enrollment: 382

Mobility rate: 18%

Limited English: 0%

Low income: 0%

Special education: 0%

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Ethnicity

White: 60%

Latino: 13%

Asian: 14%

Black: 6%

Am. Indian/: 7%

Other: 6%

Note: Asian ethnic category includes Pacific Islanders

Source: U.S. Department of Education