Five Greenwich Schools Named 'Schools Of Distinction'

GREENWICH, Conn. -- Greenwich High School, Eastern Middle School, the International School At Dundee, North Mianus School and Riverside School in Greenwich have all been named "Schools of Distinction" in various categories by the Connecticut Department of Education.

Five Greenwich schools, including Riverside School, above, were recognized by the state as Schools of Distinction.
Photo Credit: *Riverside School*

by Eric Gendron

05/27/2014 4:00 a.m.

The second annual Schools of Distinction Recognition Breakfast honored 73 schools in three categories: those with the highest overall student performance; those whose students made the most progress; and those with the highest-performing subgroups of students, such as students living in poverty, black and Hispanic students, students who are learning English, and students with disabilities.

The International School at Dundee was the only school recognized in the Highest Progress School category and was also noted in the Highest Overall Performance category. Eastern Middle School was recognized in the Highest Performing Subgroup category for English language learners and also in the Highest Overall Performance category.

Greenwich High School was recognized in the Highest Performing Subgroup category for English language learners.

North Mianus and Riverside School each were recognized in the Highest Overall Performance category.

“These schools honored today show us that great things are possible with the right mix of innovation, resources and a belief in doing what’s right for our children,” Gov. Daniel Malloy said in a statement. “This distinction is earned through the grit, talent and passion of the schools’ teachers and leaders. We are proud of them for their accomplishments and look forward to seeing such successes replicated for students across the state.”

The department identified this year’s Schools of Distinction using 2012–13 Connecticut Mastery Test and Connecticut Academic Performance Test data. To qualify, schools must score high enough to be placed in Connecticut’s top school classification categories and must have made significant progress in closing the achievement gap for the majority of historically low-performing student subgroups.

Turnaround Office Division Director Morgan Barth announced a grant opportunity next year for Schools of Distinction to receive up to $50,000 and become a Spotlight School.

Winning schools will be able to use half of the award as they see fit and will use the other half to create tools and resources for sharing best practices with Connecticut’s turnaround schools.

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