Two Wenatchee schools recognized by state for closing achievement gaps

WENATCHEE — In welcome news for the Wenatchee School District, the Washington State School Recognition Program (WSSRP) has identified two Wenatchee schools, Foothills Middle School and Sunnyslope Elementary, for recognition for their significant improvements and performance during the 2023–2024 school year.

Foothills was commended for its substantial growth in supporting low-income students, an achievement that the school was honored to see come to fruition. Their staff has been working extra hard to meet the goal, and their love for the students at the school is apparent.

Sunnyslope’s acclaim was even broader, noting similar progress with low-income students and simultaneous progress with students who have special education needs. That’s been a process that’s taken time and focus.

The WSSRP exists to recognize public schools in Washington State for their achievements in closing achievement gaps, student growth, and overall achievement. It is a product of collaboration between the State Board of Education (SBE), the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), and the Educational Opportunity Gap Oversight and Accountability Committee (EOGOAC).

Foothills Principal Craig Allen praised the supreme dedication of his staff, saying, “Our staff at Foothills Middle School has a tremendous amount of love for the students at our school and invest tremendous effort to help them learn and grow. It’s an honor to receive recognition for the results we are beginning to see from the hard work of our students, innovative systems of support, and focused efforts of our staff.”

Sunnyslope Principal Lance Young said, “We are deeply honored to be recognized by OSPI for our state assessment scores, particularly the improvements in supporting at-risk and marginalized student groups. This recognition reflects the dedication of all our staff to continuously evaluate, reflect, and modify our practices to best meet the changing and unique needs of all our students.”

Schools are continuously updating and evolving policies and practices in order to keep up with not just new laws or regulations, but also with the needs of their staff and students. That’s why this recognition by the state is so important to these two schools. The fact is, only 16% of schools in the state were recognized at all by the WSSRP this past school year, and that makes the achievements particularly noteworthy.

And it’s not just state agencies that have recognized the excellence that we can see here locally. On the US News & World Report's list of 100 Best Elementary Schools in Washington, Sunnyslope ranked number 59, which is the second-highest in all of Eastern Washington. And while the list that was published only included the 100 best, the publication ranked more than 1,100 elementary schools.

Wenatchee is fortunate to have these acclaimed schools, and it speaks to a culture in Wenatchee’s public education system that prioritizes not just students first, but also puts those who need the most help at the top of the list for support.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media