School Recognition

Washington School Recognition Program Black and White circle logo

Staff Contacts

Questions about the Washington School Recognition Program can be directed to:

Colton Kaltenfeldt, Communications Manager

There are a lot of great schools in Washington鈥攕chools that are making a real impact! That incredible work deserves recognition. That鈥檚 where the 91原创 School Recognition Program comes in. 

Each year, this program highlights schools that demonstrate exceptional progress in key areas of student success. For the 2022-2023 school year, 13% of schools received recognition.  

 All Washington public schools are eligible for the honor. 

The program is a joint effort between the State 91原创 of Education (SBE), the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), and the Educational Opportunity Gap Oversight and Accountability Committee (EOGOAC). Its purpose is to celebrate effective practices, support student success, and promote continuous improvement in schools across Washington. 

The program is required by statute. RCW 28A.657.110(3) directs the SBE, in cooperation with OSPI, to annually recognize schools for exemplary performance as measured by the Washington School Improvement Framework (WSIF).  

Honored Schools

2023-2024 School Recognition

2022-23 School Recognition

2021-22 Recognition Cycle

How A School Qualifies

Schools can be recognized in three categories: Closing Gaps, Growth, and Achievement. 

  • Closing Gaps: Schools in this category have made significant progress in areas identified for improvement in previous school years. These areas may include English language arts and math assessment scores, English learner progress, or graduation rates. 

  • Growth: Schools recognized for growth have at least one student group that has shown some of the state鈥檚 largest annual gains across multiple measures, such as attendance, assessment scores, English learner progress, graduation rates, or the percentage of ninth graders who successfully earned all their attempted credits. 

  • Achievement: These schools have the state's highest performance in at least two key areas, including attendance, dual credit completion, assessment scores in English language arts or math, graduation rates, or ninth-grade credit attainment, and are above average across all reportable student groups on the 2025 . 

Graphic showing three ways a school can be honored by the School Recognition Program

No matter how a school qualifies, it鈥檚 a huge honor鈥攐ne that takes a dedicated team of educators, administrators, and support staff to achieve. And of course, let鈥檚 not forget the students who show up every day to learn and grow!