In The News
Tracy Learning Center News
3/10/26
Millennium High School is recognized as a 2026 California Distinguished School.
March 10, 2026
Dear Principal/Administrator Carolyn Woods:
Congratulations! Millennium Charter in Tracy Joint Unified is being recognized as a 2026 California Distinguished School based on meeting the criteria for the following category(s):
Exemplary High Achievers
I would like to invite you to attend the California School Recognition Program (CSRP) Awards one-day conference and celebration on Friday, April 24, 2026, at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, California. Presented by the California Department of Education (CDE), the Awards Ceremony is a special day to recognize your school’s outstanding achievements.
In addition to honoring the 2026 California Distinguished Schools at the Awards Ceremony, we will also honor the 2025 California Blue Ribbon Schools, 2026 Green Ribbon Schools Green Achievers, and 2025 Civic Learning Award of Excellence Schools.
Information about the CSRP one-day conference and awards ceremony, including event registration and hotel reservations, will be available later this week. Award recipients will receive registration information in a separate email.
Early bird deadline: Monday, March 30, 2026
Last day to register: Friday, April 17, 2026
The 2026 California Distinguished Schools recognition program aims to recognize exemplary instructional programs throughout California public schools, the largest public school system in the United States.
This year’s award categories build on long-standing recognition of the following two categories:
1) Exemplary High Achievers: Schools that are among the highest in the state in academic achievement for all students, which have also ensured that historically underserved student groups are maintaining or increasing academic progress.
2) Achievement Gap Closers: Schools that are accelerating academic progress for two or more groups that have been historically underserved, while also demonstrating achievement for all students that is above the state median and maintaining or increasing academic performance for all students.
This year, California Distinguished Schools added a third category of recognition:
3) Beacons of Opportunity: Schools serving rural and Title I school communities that distinguish themselves through multiple student outcomes at very high performance levels.
For years in which middle schools and high schools are eligible, the outcomes considered include graduation rates as well as rates of college and career readiness.
Eligibility for all categories is determined by metrics generated through the California statewide accountability system for public schools, the California School Dashboard. The 2026 California Distinguished Schools were determined using data from the 2025 California School Dashboard.
In keeping with statewide standards for accountability, schools must have at least 95 percent participation in statewide assessments to qualify for Distinguished School recognition. Schools may not earn recognition as a California Distinguished School if they have concerning school climate indicators, such as very high suspension or chronic absenteeism.
Schools need not apply for California Distinguished Schools, as every school’s data is automatically considered in alternating years. To further clarify, elementary schools and kindergarten through eighth-grade schools were considered in 2025 and will next be considered in 2027. Middle schools and high schools are being considered in 2026 and will next be considered in 2028. Schools motivated to achieve this statewide distinction are encouraged to set annual schoolwide goals aligned to their progress and areas of growth on the Dashboard.
Information regarding the 2025 Dashboard is provided on the CDE California School Dashboard and System of Support web page at CDE School Dashboard Support
You can view the news release announcing the 2026 Distinguished Schools on the CDE News Releases Year 2026 web page at CDE News Release Link
If you have any questions regarding the California Distinguished Schools Program, please contact the CDE Awards Team by email at awards@cde.ca.gov.
I commend you on your success and look forward to seeing you in Anaheim!
Sincerely,
Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
10/10/25
Primary Charter and Millennium High Schools make the 2025 ERP Honor Roll.
Dear Carolyn,
I am pleased to share that Millennium Charter & Primary Charter School made Educational Results Partnership’s 2025 Honor Roll list of California’s top performing schools. Congratulations!
This is the eleventh year that ERP has completed the Honor Roll list, which recognizes top public schools, school districts and charter schools in California that have outperformed their peers in closing achievement gaps, particularly among higher-poverty and historically disadvantaged student populations.
Click here to see the full list of Honor Roll schools and districts.
This year 1,834 schools in California made the Honor Roll. This is approximately 21 percent of all eligible schools in the state. Results are based on data of student outcomes on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) for the 2023-2025 academic years. To see how schools were selected, click here to view the California Honor Roll Methodology.
The Honor Roll shines a positive light on schools where students are learning the fundamental skills that employers value. We are proud to recognize you as a higher performing school and plan on learning more about your best practices for accelerating student learning in the critical areas of reading, writing and math.
We also encourage you to spread the word about being recognized as an Honor Roll school. Click here to download a free print banner and social media graphic to proudly display at your school site and on your social media platforms. We have also provided a sample letter/email you can use to notify parents about your school making the Honor Roll.
This effort is part of a national campaign to engage business leaders in recognizing successful schools and educational systems that are preparing students with the fundamental skills needed to be successful in the workforce and in life. The Honor Roll is the only school recognition program presented in partnership with business leaders and based solely on objective student achievement data. The goal is to find and highlight successful schools and encourage collaboration among educators on best practices for raising student achievement.
The California Honor Roll is presented by the Campaign for Business and Education Excellence resultsin collaboration with a coalition of statewide and local business leaders including the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and 26 other state and local chambers of commerce. For the full list of Honor Roll business and chamber of commerce partners, visit our partners page.
Congratulations again on making the Honor Roll. We look forward to connecting with you soon!
Sincerely,
Jim Lanich, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer President, ERP