South Putnam High School named Four-Star School

South Putnam Jr./Sr. High School was one of 287 schools in Indiana and the only school in Putnam County to be named a Four-Star School by the Indiana Department of Education (DOE) on Tuesday.

"I am so happy with the hard work and effort that our students, teachers, and administrators put in to achieve this award," Superintendent Bruce Bernhardt said. "It takes a lot of dedication to be among the best in the state. We have great parents in our schools and it also takes their strong support of education at home to make this happen. My thanks goes out to everyone involved. You deserve it."

To qualify for the designation, schools must have earned an "A" grade in the award year and be accredited by the DOE. The award is given to school corporations whose students test in the 25th percentile of two ISTEP categories.

The DOE calculates the Four-Star rating for elementary and middle schools by examining how many students in each grade level pass either ISTEP+ English or ISTEP+ Math, then examining how many pass both. For high schools, the DOE examines how many sophomores passed either ECA English 10 or ECA Algebra 1, then how many passed both.

"I am pleased to recognize Indiana's Four Star Schools today," Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz said. "I applaud the hard work and dedication of the students, educators and families at these exceptional schools as we transitioned to more rigorous college-and-career ready standards and assessments last year."

South Putnam Jr./Sr. High School was one of 287 schools in Indiana and the only school in Putnam County to be named a Four-Star School by the Indiana Department of Education (DOE) on Tuesday.

Other area schools to receive the designation were the Avon Community School Corporation, Clay City Elementary School, Jackson Township Elementary School (Brazil), Danville Community High Schools, Cascade Senior High School (Clayton), Mill Creek East Elementary School (Clayton), Vigo County School Corporation (Terre Haute) and Plainfield Community School Corporation.

A complete list of the schools receiving the award, as well as a more complete methodology outlining Four Star determination, can be found at www.doe.in.gov.