Three Schools are 'Distinguished'

The School of International Studies at the San Diego High Educational Complex is joined with charter schools Preuss School UCSD and the Albert Einstein Academy Middle School on the state education department's list of Distinguished Schools for 2011.

Schools are selected based on their academic performance and success in losing the achievement gap. The annual award alternates between elementary and middle/high schools.

"All of us in San Diego Unified salute these schools for their high achievements," said Superintendent Bill Kowba. "From the students to the teachers and staff to the principal -- a job well done."

In Sacramento, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson congratulated this year's honorees.

"Becoming a Distinguished School is a direct reflection of the dedication, hard work, and vision of each school¹s education community," said Torlakson. "They have succeeded despite a bleak economic environment and have endeavored to maintain their momentum and focus."

-- The School of International Studies at the San Diego High Educational Complex is one of the six small schools at the San Diego High Complex. Its focus is internationalism, which students explore in all courses. The school also offers International Baccalaureate classes along with the opportunity to attempt the IB diploma.

-- The Preuss School, located on the University of California San Diego (UCSD) campus in La Jolla, California, is a charter middle and high school dedicated to providing a rigorous college prep education for motivated low-income students who will become the first in their families to graduate from college.

-- Albert Einstein Academy Charter Middle School is an independent charter school that has a instructional focus of German, Spanish and English immersion within the context of a rigorous academic instructional model. It is an authorized International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program World School.

The applicants were also identified by their success in narrowing the achievement gap that exists between higher-performing and lower-performing students. All applicants underwent a stringent selection process conducted by the California Department of Education with the help of many educators from across the state.