Schools receiving this distinction from California's business community have demonstrated consistently high student academic achievement as demonstrated by state standardized test scores of 75 percent student proficiency or higher.

"We are thrilled we've been selected as an Honor Roll school and recognized by California's business community," said Chuck Kilbourne, Valley View Principal. "Our teachers and communities are committed and have worked tirelessly to ensure the focus is on student academic achievement and reaching grade-level proficiency."

Breen Principal Chuck Thibideau was similarly proud of his students.

"We hold all our students, no matter what their background, to the same high standards because

Thibideau said no other school recognition program in California uses hard data, individual school and student subgroup performance data based on the California Standards Tests to evaluate school academic performance.

It is only by looking at this hard data, student test scores and the evaluation of students and schools based on grade-level proficiency of the California standards, that educators, parents and the public can thoroughly understand what is happening in our schools and ensure that schools are on track to get all students to grade level proficiency.

Honor roll schools are being recognized because they are on track to meet the goal of 100 percent grade-level proficiency by the 2013/14 school year as required by Federal law.

Staff from both Valley View and Breen will travel to San Francisco on Nov. 13 to be recognized at a special banquet sponsored by the California Business for Education Excellence Foundation and the Just for the Kids-California Group.