NEWS Walnut Valley Unified School District
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 880 S. Lemon Avenue
August 27, 2014 Walnut, CA 91789
Contact:
Kelli Gile, Office of Community Resources
(909)595-1261 ext. 31204
Best High Schools in America
Diamond Bar, Walnut Named to Top 100 for 2014
WALNUT, CA— Walnut Valley Unified School District is pleased to announce both high schools, Diamond Bar and Walnut, have been ranked in the top 100 of all high schools in America by the Daily Beast publication.
Diamond Bar High School ranked #54 overall in the nation and #7 in California. They also scored in the top 100 in specific categories of Rigor, Graduation Rates, and ACT / SAT Scores.
Walnut High School ranked #97 overall in the nation and #11 in California. They also scored in the top 100 in the specific category of Rigor.
This is a remarkable achievement when considering it’s estimated that there are more than 30,000 public and private high schools across the country.
It also appears that WVUSD is the only school district in California with two high schools in the top 100 in the nation.
“This is an incredible achievement for our schools and entire community,” Superintendent Dr. Robert Taylor stated.
“It is a reflection of the relentless commitment to student achievement on behalf of our Board of Trustees, staff, students, parents, and community. And, to be what appears as the only school district in California with 2 high schools ranked in the top 100 nationally is a tribute to the “Kids First” attitude throughout our K-12 community.”
Principals Catherine Real at Diamond Bar High and Jeff Jordan at Walnut High received notification of the prestigious national recognition this morning.
“Our ranking is a result of our hard work with our students, our excellent and staff, our supportive community, and the commitment to responsibly increase access to rigorous courses to a greater number of students.,” Real said.
“I am so proud of our Walnut High staff for this accomplishment. It definitely reflects the hard work and dedication that takes place on this campus. Our school has always taken a team approach to do what is best for our students. Both certificated and classified staffs take pride to provide great service to our students,” Jordan said.
The Daily Beast publication uses six indicators taken from school surveys to compare public high schools in the United States, with graduation and college acceptance rates weighed most heavily. Other criteria included: college-level courses and exams, percentage of students with free or reduced lunch, as well as SAT and ACT scores. The full results can be viewed at http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/27/america-s-top-high-schools.html.