Oak Hills distinguished again
By Sophia Fischer sfischer@theacorn.com

Oak Hills Elementary School has once again been named a California Distinguished School.

It's the third time the Oak Park school has earned the distinction, awarded annually by the state Department of Education to outstanding public schools.

"This award celebrates our school and the people who make up our learning community- our dedicated teachers, our incredible support staff, loving and involved parents and our students- the best of the best," Oak Hills Principal Leslie Heilbron said.

Tony Knight, Oak Park Schools superintendent, said, "We are certainly proud of Oak Hills. The school is a true model of world class quality. It is a caring place, where everyone works hard to ensure that every child has a positive start to their educational journey."

The school's participation in the Columbia University Writing Project was identified as being pivotal to student literacy success. The school's move toward gifted education for all students was also praised.

A team of visiting officials applauded the Oak Hills teachers, students, parents and principal. The visiting team said it "observed powerful practices and coordinated student supports that help all students master state standards.

"It is evident that school staff work in teams to design lessons that engage students' imagination," the team's report said. "Parents, staff and students demonstrated pride in the school, and all interviews expressed admiration and respect for the instructional leader, school principal Leslie Heilbron."

Oak Hills was one of 343 public elementary schools chosen from 839 applicants. Each applicant submitted a comprehensive, detailed application. To be eligible to apply, schools had to achieve certain levels on their Academic Performance Index and Adequate Yearly Progress results. Selection criteria this year were more stringent than in the past, according to Jack O'Connell, state superintendent of public instruction.

"These outstanding elementary schools represent many different kinds of communities, organizational structures," O'Connell said.