CSHS Receives HSTW Gold Achievement Award
Cave Spring High School has received a national High Schools That Work (HSTW) Gold Achievement Award based on the progress of local school leaders and teachers in improving school practices and raising student achievement. The award was presented by Dave Spence, president of the Southern Regional Education Board, at the 22nd Annual HSTW Staff Development Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, on Wednesday, July 9, 2008. The school is one of only 16 high schools in the nation receiving the Gold Achievement Award in 2008. Diane M. Herchenrider, Assistant Principal and site coordinator for Cave Spring High School, received the award for the school.
Spence praised the school for its achievement, pointing out that it takes dedication and hard work on the part of state, district and school leaders and teachers to make progress in preparing students for college and careers in an increasingly competitive world. He presented the award before an audience of more than 7,000 educators from across the nation attending the HSTW Conference.
To earn this recognition, schools had to have at least 50 percent of their students earn the HSTW Award of Educational Achievement based on their performance on the 2008 HSTW Assessment given in January, 2008. To earn this award, students met all three readiness goals on the assessment, completed the HSTW-recommended curriculum in at least two subjects and completed a concentration in the humanities, mathematics/science or a career technical area. These schools also met the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) criteria of the federal No Child Left Behind Act or had a graduation rate of at least 85 percent.
“Cave Spring High School has shown what can be accomplished to raise student achievement by deeply implementing the High Schools That Work model for strengthening curriculum and instruction,” said Gene Bottoms, senior vice president of SREB and founder of HSTW. “The school illustrates the spirit of change and the gains in performance that High Schools That Work advocates and supports through assessment, staff development and technical assistance.”
High Schools That Work is a national, comprehensive school improvement design based on the premise that most students can master rigorous academic and career/technical studies if school leaders and teachers create a school environment that motivates all students to make the effort to succeed. The HSTW initiative is the nation’s first large-scale effort to engage state, district and school leaders in partnership with teachers, students, parents and the community to equip all students with the knowledge and skills needed to graduate from high school and succeed in college and the workplace. More than 1,100 high schools in 31 states participate in the HSTW school improvement initiative. Cave Spring has been a member of the HSTW network for ten years.