Business community applauds local schools

California's business community has selected several local schools for its 2006 Honor Roll.

Among the recipients are Oak Park, Agoura and Calabasas high schools, as well as Chaparral, Round Meadow, White Oak and Willow elementary schools.

The award is presented annually by the California Business for Education Excellence Foundation and Just for the Kids-California, a test score data provider.

The 304 public high school, middle and elementary schools chosen demonstrate consistently high academic achievement and significant progress toward closing the learning gap between struggling and successful students.

In choosing schools the organizations consider student scores on state standards tests and the California High School Exit Exam.

"After reviewing student achievement data for every public school in California, these schools stood well above the rest in getting students to grade level proficiency," said foundation President James S. Lanich.

Officials hope the recognition program encourages public schools to help raise the academic scores of all children. The foundation's objective is to help all public schools, regardless of students' ethnic or socioeconomic background, raise scores by the 2013-14 school year as required by federal law.

"There are few things more important to California's business community and our state's economy than our future workforce," said Bill Hauck, foundation vice chairman and president of the California Business Roundtable. "Without a well-trained workforce, the state's future well-being is in serious jeopardy."

The schools will be honored at an awards dinner on Nov. 16 at the Park Hyatt Los Angeles.

--Sophia Fischer