Murrieta Mesa High School Receives 'Model of Academic Excellence' Award

Murrieta Mesa High School's "Turning Passion Into Practice: Integrated Projects and Senior Exit Interview" program earned a "Model of Academic Excellence" award during the 11th Annual Riverside County Educational Summit held Oct. 24.

Maggie Avants, Patch Staff

Posted Mon, Oct 28, 2013 at 1:12 pm PT|Updated Tue, Oct 29, 2013 at 3:31 pm PT

This article was originally published at 1:12 p.m. Oct. 28 and updated at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 29 to include a comment from MVUSD Superintendent Pat Kelley.

Murrieta Valley Unified School District’s Murrieta Mesa High School was recently honored with a “Model of Academic Excellence” award.

During the 11th Annual Riverside County Educational Summit and Models of Academic Excellence Recognition Luncheon held Oct. 24, Murrieta Mesa High School was given a countywide award for its “Turning Passion Into Practice: Integrated Projects and Senior Exit Interview” program.

Find out what's happening in Murrietawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Riverside County Office of Education and County Superintendent of Schools Kenneth M. Young hosted more than 400 educators for the workshop summit at Palm Springs Convention Center that culminated in the awards luncheon, according to a news release.

County education officials review numerous applications for the Model of Academic Excellence award submitted by schools and school districts in the county that have been proven successful in improving student academic achievement and can be replicated countywide, according to RCOE Spokesman Rick Peoples.

Find out what's happening in Murrietawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“Those selected receive the Riverside County Models of Academic Excellence award during the luncheon,” Peoples said. “Some of those selected are also invited to share the best practice that earned them this recognition during a series of workshops at the summit.”

Pat Kelley, superintendent of the Murrieta Valley Unified School District, commended Murrieta Mesa for its exceptional program.

“We have been pleased to see our graduating seniors more focused and precise in their post graduate plans," Kelley said. "What Murrieta Mesa has done is exceptional by integrating this requirement across all four years so students are thinking deeply about their futures three to four years earlier than what is typical.”

The well-attended Palm Springs event was kicked off by keynote speaker Dr. Milton Chen, former executive director of the George Lucas Education Foundation and author of the book “Education Nation,” who shared that “as a result of constant innovation, learning is no longer limited by traditional confines and we're moving beyond students tied to their chairs, desks, and textbooks-and teachers locked away in classrooms.”

With the combination of the Internet and small, portable smart devices (like today’s smart phones and tablets), students literally have a world of information in their hands, Peoples stated.

Young people are accessing information 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and Chen encouraged educators to leverage this by treating students as digital scholars, mentoring them on the exploration and application of high quality online content that is relevant to their lives, interests and education. He also explained how parents can use technology to better help their children in the learning process.

“With the Internet, we can all get the answers to almost any question anytime, anywhere,” Chen said. “But it’s knowing why the answers are important that is so important.”

Chen also spoke about America becoming a country where “the education of children and adults is the highest national priority, on par with a strong economy, high employment, and national security.” He demonstrated this by displaying currency from China and other parts of the world where education is a very high national priority—the currency depicts images of groups of children learning.

Linking the best practices and Dr. Chen’s message together in his remarks to attendees during the luncheon, County Superintendent Young said: “We believe the information you’ve been given today, both by Dr. Milton Chen and by presenters from the Models of Academic Excellence demonstrations, will stimulate thought and action that can enhance student educational outcomes in Riverside County.”

The programs that earned the distinction of “Models of Academic Excellence” included transitioning to the new state Common Core standards, preparing students for college and careers, meeting the instructional needs of English Learners, and preparing teachers to address the needs of 21st century learners.

The schools and districts recognized as “Models of Academic Excellence” are listed below in alphabetical order by district:

Health Career Academy: Supporting Students for College and Health Career Readiness

Alvord Unified School District

La Sierra High School

Weathering the Storm: How Highly Functional Teams Drive Student Success

Alvord Unified School District

La Sierra High School

Collective Inquiry

Compton Unified School District

Laurel Street Elementary School

CST (California Standardized Test) Grade Incentive Program