August 29, 2008
TEXT SIZE

School districts honored for outstanding programs


The Magna Award Winners for 2002

The Magna Award winners for 2002 are:

• Adlai E. Stevenson High School District 125 in Lincolnshire, Ill. (citation winner) – "Success for Every Student."

• Bloomington (Minn.) Public Schools – "Placing Accountability upon a Student's Education."

• Caddo Parish Public Schools, Shreveport, La. – "Assessment Process with Quarterly Report Cards."

• Cambrian School District, San Jose, Calif. – "Cycles of Inquiry."

• Capistrano Unified School District, San Juan Capistrano, Calif. – "Professional Development Academies."

• Franklin (Ind.) Community School Corporation – "Community Classrooms."

• Granite School District, Salt Lake City, Utah – "Great Beginnings: A Better Start for New Teachers."

• Grenada (Miss.) School District – "The Kidzeum Children's Museum."

• Harford County Public Schools, Bel Air, Md. – "Study Circles on the Achievement Gap."

• Isaac Elementary School District No. 5, Phoenix, Ariz. – "Unidos Padres, Estudiantes y Maestros/United Parents, Students, and Teachers."

• Jersey City (N.J.) Public Schools – "Fifteen Together/PACE."

• Laurel-Concord Public Schools, Laurel, Neb. – "Virtual Parent-School Partnership."

• Macomb Intermediate School District, Clinton Township, Mich. – "Intersection of Values: The Foundation for a School and Business Collaboration on a Critical Thinking Curriculum."

• Mountain Home (Ark.) Public Schools – "FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology/FIRST Lego League."

• Pasco (Wash.) School District No. 1 (citation winner) – "Pathways to Success."

• Pueblo (Colo.) School District No. 70 – "The Futures Academy."

• Richardson (Texas) Independent School District – "Superintendent's Medallion."

• Rockland Board of Cooperative Educational Services, West Nyack, N.Y. – "Hilltop Elementary School: An Alternative Educational Model for Children with Behavior Challenges."

• School District of Hillsborough County, Tampa, Fla. – "Kids and Canines."

• Seminole County Public Schools, Sanford, Fla. – "Summer Safari: A Visionary View of Extended Learning."

• Snoqualmie (Wash.) Valley School District No. 410 – "School Learning Improvement Process."

• Syosset (N.Y.) Central School District – "Syosset Arts in Education."

• Tuscaloosa (Ala.) City Schools – "Cooperative Effort Between the Tuscaloosa City Schools and the Tuscaloosa City Council."

• Walton County Public Schools, Monroe, Ga. (grand prize winner) – "Linking Reading and Math to the Home."

• West Shore (Ohio) Boards of Education, including the Bay Village, Berea, Fairview Park, Lakewood, North Olmsted, Olmsted Falls, Rocky River, and Westlake school districts – "Public Education. It Works!"

The following districts received honorable mention:

• Burke County Public Schools, Morganton, N.C. – "Burke Alternatives to Suspension."

• Chula Vista (Calif.) Elementary School District – "Chula Vista Assistance Team New Teacher Program."

• Davenport (Iowa) Community School District – "90% Reading Goal."

• Kennewick (Wash.) School District No. 17 – "'School Talk' Television Program."

• Lincoln Unified School District, Stockton, Calif. – "The Lincoln Spirit of Community Safety Subcommittee."

• Longview (Texas) Independent School District – "Math Vertical Team Project."

• Memphis (Tenn.) City Schools – "Student Advisory Board."

• Napa (Calif.) Valley Unified School District – "New Technology High School."

• New Haven (Conn.) Public Schools – "Greater Achievement Through Shared Accountability."

• Palos Community Consolidated School District 118, Palos Park, Ill. – "Leaps in Literacy."

• Pomona (Calif.) Unified School District – "The Village @ Indian Hill – Village Academy High School."

• Portsmouth (Va.) City Public Schools – "Preparatory Academy."

• San Marcos (Calif.) Unified School District – "Pupil Academic Support System."

• School District of Hillsborough County, Tampa, Fla. – "The K-2 Reading Coaches Program."

3/19/02 – Twenty-five school districts from across the United States have been honored with Magna Awards this year.

The Magna Awards program, now in its eighth year, is sponsored by NSBA's American School Board Journal (ASBJ), with the support of Sodexho School Services.

The awards recognize districts across the country for outstanding programs that advance student learning and encourage community involvement in schools.

The grand prize winner, Walton County Public Schools in Monroe, Ga., receives $2,500 in scholarship money. Two citation winners–Adlai E. Stevenson High School District 125 in Lincolnshire, Ill., and Pasco (Wash.) School District No. 1–receive $1,000 each in scholarship funds.

Walton County was named the grand prize winner for "Linking Reading and Math to the Home," a program at Monroe Elementary School.

Monroe students and their parents receive laptop computers with instructional software to use at home. Parents participate in a three-hour training session with their child on the use of the equipment and volunteer at least five hours at school. As part of the program, area employers allow parents to take time off for the training.

Adlai E. Stevenson High School was honored for its "Success for Every Student" effort, which has resulted in more than 60 percent of its students taking at least one Advanced Placement course.

The Pasco school district won for its "Pathways to Success" initiative, which helps students discover what career paths match their interests and abilities, then gives them an opportunity to gain experience in those fields.

"School board leaders are at the forefront of an impressive group of programs designed to increase student achievement and help the community become more involved in the education of our children," says NSBA Executive Director Anne L. Bryant. "With a remarkable breadth of wisdom and creativity, this year's Magna Award winners showcase the varied and innovative ways that districts are accomplishing these goals."

ASBJ initiated the Magna Awards in 1995 to recognize local school boards for taking bold and innovative steps to improve their educational programs. The program has grown each year; more than 400 school boards applied for the 2002 awards.

Winners are selected by an independent panel that includes school board members and other educators. ASBJ will honor all 25 winners on April 8 at its School Leaders Luncheon during the NSBA Annual Conference in New Orleans, and all 2002 honorees will be highlighted in a special supplement to the April issue of ASBJ.

"The 2002 Magna Award recipients are an excellent example of innovation and creativity in education," says Rod Bond, president of Sodexho School Services. "Sodexho is proud to partner with NSBA to recognize and applaud school boards that develop and implement groundbreaking methods to advance student learning."

Top of Page

Reproduced with permission from the Mar. 19, 2002, issue of School Board News. Copyright © 2002, National School Boards Association. Opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect positions of NSBA. This article may be printed out and photocopied for individual or educational use, provided this copyright notice appears on each copy. This article may not be otherwise transmitted or reproduced in print or electronic form without the consent of the Publisher. For more information, call (703) 838-6789.