FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LAGUNA BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
CONTACT: ANAKAREN UREÑO
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT
(949) 497-7700 EXT. 5232

May 30, 2024

Laguna Beach Unified makes Educational Results Partnership's 2023 Honor Roll for top-performing California school districts

Top of the World, El Morro Elementary among 17% of California schools to earn Honor Roll distinction

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. - Laguna Beach Unified School District has been named to the Educational Results Partnership's "Honor Roll" as one of California’s top-performing school districts. This recognition marks the ninth year of the program honoring school districts that excel in closing achievement gaps, particularly among students from higher-poverty and historically disadvantaged backgrounds. 

Top of the World and El Morro Elementary have also earned places on the Honor Roll as two of 1,430 schools recognized, representing the top 17 percent of all schools in California. The Honor Roll is developed by the Educational Results Partnership (ERP), a nonprofit organization that applies data science to help improve student outcomes and career readiness. ERP maintains the nation’s largest database on student achievement and utilizes this data to identify higher-performing schools and districts. This year, only 109 districts, approximately 14 percent of all eligible in the state, achieved this distinction based on student outcomes from the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) spanning 2019 to 2023. 

“We are entrusted with our students for a relatively brief period before they step into the world on their own, and our goal is to prepare them for success beyond the structured school environment. Our Learner Profile drives our educational approach, emphasizing relevant learning experiences that nurture essential skills such as effective communication, constructive collaboration, creative problem-solving, and empathetic citizenship, all aimed at empowering lifelong learning,” said the LBUSD Superintendent Jason Viloria, Ed.D. “The Honor Roll distinction recognizes our progress towards developing these ideal learning environments and highlights them as effective strategies in promoting academic excellence," he concluded.

The Honor Roll shines a light on schools where students learn the fundamental skills employers value and look for. This recognition is part of a broader national initiative that collaborates with business leaders to spotlight educational success and promote effective teaching strategies to enhance student achievement and workforce readiness. It is the only school recognition program presented in partnership with state and local business leaders, using solely objective student achievement data as the criteria for recognition.

Schools that receive the ERP Honor Roll distinction have demonstrated consistently high levels of student academic achievement, improvement in achievement levels over time, and reduced achievement gaps among student populations. Learn more about the methodology used to determine the 2023 Honor Roll schools and districts. 

The California Honor Roll is presented by the Campaign for Business and Education Excellence in collaboration with the California Foundation for Commerce and Education, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, California Black Chamber of Commerce, CalAsian Chamber of Commerce, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, San Joaquin A+, and other business leaders across the state. The complete list of Honor Roll schools is available on ERP’s website at edresults.org/honor-roll.

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