The Valley Chronicle - SJUSD Leadership Academy earns fourth ERP hono

The magnet school focuses on training student ‘cadets’ to lead with character

[caption id="attachment_11471" align="alignright" width="432"] Photo courtesy of SJUSD
SJLA Students Hernandez and Lomeli at Riverside National Cemetery.[/caption] ■ By SJUSD / Contributed San Jacinto Unified School District’s San Jacinto Leadership Academy announced it has been named the 2017-2018 Educational Results Partnership (ERP) honor roll for its high achievement and student success by a national Campaign of Business and Education Leaders (CBEE). This is the fourth consecutive year the leadership academy has been selected for this honor. In 2011, SJUSD Leadership Academy was opened as its first middle school (grades 6-8) magnet school with a focus on training student “cadets” to lead with character and develop strong intellectual capacities. In 2013, the academy was a recipient of a Models of Academic Excellence Award by the Riverside County Office of Education for leadership education. Since opening, the academy has been under the leadership of Colonel Francis Sick, a 28-year U.S. Air Force veteran who began his career at the district as commandant for the San Jacinto High School’s Air Force Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (AFJROTC). The 2017-2018 honor roll is developed by 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. School districts that receive the ERP Honor Roll distinction have demonstrated consistent high levels of student academic achievement, improvement over time, and a reduction in achievement gaps among student populations. “We are proud to be recognized as an ERP Honor Roll School District by educational and business leaders in California,” said Diane Perez, school district superintendent. “Our teachers and administrators are committed to reaching higher levels of academic achievement and continuously improving our practices. We are pleased to see our hard work and dedication translating to positive outcomes for all our students.”