School districts selected to receive a State Superintendent’s Award for Educational Excellence
Published 1:30 pm Friday, March 6, 2026
State Superintendent Chris Reykdal has selected several Eastside school districts to receive the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction’s inaugural award in educational achievement in the previous school year.
Among the 25 state awardees are school districts from Bellevue, Issaquah, Lake Washington and Northshore.
The State Superintendent’s Award for Educational Excellence also goes to the 25 top-performing school districts in progress over the last three school years.
The award, which expands on traditional measures of success and includes 11 measures that focus on educational opportunities and academic success, is aligned with the state’s Annual Snapshot on Student Opportunity and Outcomes, according to the office’s site.
“When assessing student achievement, there are a number of school-based factors that contribute to students success,” said Reykdal. “The research shows that access to advanced coursework, readiness for success in kindergarten, and consistent attendance are all strong indicators of student learning, and paired with test scores, provide a more complete picture of student achievement. Our highest performing school districts are focused on these critical measures of success, and it is an honor to recognize them.”
The districts will receive a banner and plaque recognizing their “achievement and commitment to ensuring students receive a high-quality education,” the office said.
The metrics included in the award evaluation are split into student opportunity measures and student outcome measures.
Student opportunity measures include: Regular attendance, kindergarten readiness, highly capable program participation, high school level math in eighth grade, dual credit participation including career and technical education (CTE) and dual credit participation excluding CTE.
Student outcome measures include: Fourth-grade reading, eighth-grade reading, eighth-grade math, ninth-graders on track and four-year graduation rate.
