By Nisqually Valley News staff
The Washington State School Recognition Program honored two schools in the Rainier School District on Tuesday, May 6, to coincide with National Teacher Day.
Rainier Middle School was recognized in the growth category for the 2023-2024 school year.
From the Washington State Board of Education’s website, “schools recognized for growth have at least one student group that has shown some of the state’s largest annual gains across multiple measures, such as attendance, assessment scores, English learner progress, graduation rates, or the percentage of ninth graders who successfully earned all their attempted credits.”
Rainier High School, meanwhile, was recognized for achievement during the 2023-2024 school year.
According to the SBE website, “these schools have the state’s highest performance in at least two key areas, including attendance, dual credit completion, assessment scores in English language arts or math, graduation rates, or ninth-grade credit attainment, and are above average across all reportable student groups on the 2025 Washington School Improvement Framework.”
“We are honored to have Rainier Middle School recognized by (the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction) for Growth and Rainier High School for Achievement,” John Beckman, principal for both schools, told the Nisqually Valley News. “These awards are a true testament to the dedication, hard work, and commitment of the teachers and staff in both buildings.”
The Washington State School Recognition Program is a collaboration between the SBE, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), and the Educational Opportunity Gap Oversight and Accountability Committee (EOGOAC). Only 16% of schools in the state received recognition for the 2023-2024 school year.
Both Rainier Middle School and Rainier High School will receive a banner for their recognitions.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to work alongside such student-centered educators who go above and beyond every day to ensure that all of our students receive a high-quality education,” Principal Beckman said. “Our success is also a reflection of the wonderful students we serve and the strong support we receive from our community. Together, we continue to create an environment where every student can thrive.”
A full list of the program’s 2023-2024 recognized schools is available at: https://sbe.wa.gov/our-work/school-recognition.
