The Boards of Distinction program is not for show; it’s an evidence-based program where applicants are screened based on rigorous criteria. To receive recognition, boards must demonstrate how they fostered successful student outcomes in their district. And one of the best ways to do that is by aligning the board’s efforts with the Washington School Board Standards.
What the Application Entails
Positive changes in student outcomes don’t happen overnight – or even in the course of a year or two – so school boards need to take the long view. The decisions and actions of the board today can reverberate for many years, and lasting change can take decades.
In the application, boards will showcase their decisions, actions, and initiatives that have gradually reduced opportunity gaps and enhanced student success. It can take time for those efforts to be reflected in student outcome data, especially when looking at detailed sub-categories of the entire student body.
Acknowledging the long-term nature of this work, the Boards of Distinction application asks boards to show, with evidence, how work they committed to one to five years ago is benefiting students now. Also, the application asks boards to share how they continue to focus on that work for long-term success.
Finally, applicants will need to clearly articulate which actions of the board contributed to better student outcomes and which parts of an initiative were operationalized by school staff.
How Applications are Scored
Applicants are evaluated based on criteria that include:
- Did the board identify any opportunity gaps?
(An opportunity gap is the unequal distribution of resources and/or experiences that can impact a student’s academic, health, and economic outcomes.) - Did the board provide evidence of successfully addressing these gaps?
- Did the board show that they learned from the experience? Will their learning lead to adjustments to district initiatives in the future?
- What elements of Washington School Board Standards aligned with their initiative?
- Did the board distinguish between its own actions and those of district staff that participated in the initiative?
- Did the board show connections between its actions and the success of the initiative
After Applying
Applications are reviewed by a panel of reviewers that includes former and current educational service district superintendents, State Board of Education board members, former school directors, and other education leaders in Washington state.
Scoring is based on how well applicants show alignment with the Washington School Board Standards, support their statements with data, and demonstrate a link between outcomes and decisions or actions made by the board.
All successful applicants will be named a Board of Distinction. Then, within the categories of small, medium, and large school districts, a board from each category that demonstrates exemplary actions and outcomes may also be honored as a Board of the Year.