
Ready for a double dose of community pride? Not one but two elementary schools in the Long Beach Unified School District have been announced as finalists for 2012 National Excellence in Urban Education Awards.
Roosevelt and Lafayette elementary schools, two inner-city institutes that each cater to a sizeable number of disadvantaged students, have both exceeded the state's Academic Performance Index goal of 800 on a scale of 1,000.
In 2011 Roosevelt experienced one of the highest gains in the district when its API score jumped 46 points to a score of 840. Lafayette, which has shown impressive gains over the last few years, has a current API score of 860.
A thrilled LBUSD Superintendent Christopher Steinhauser said in a statement, “This national honor again shows that Long Beach schools excel at serving all populations of students despite many challenges, including tough economic times.”
Award program representatives will visit Roosevelt and Lafayette in February to decide whether the schools will be among 12 schools that will receive the top award.