FONTANA, CA – Oak Park Elementary School has been recognized on a state level for its high academic performance and dedication to closing the achievement gap after earning a spot on the Educational Results Partnership’s (ERP) prestigious 2024 Honor Roll list of California schools.

Like other ERP Honor Roll schools, Oaks Park Elementary has demonstrated consistently high levels of student academic achievement, improvement in achievement levels over time, and a reduction in achievement gaps among student populations. Principal Gerald Mullins credits those positive results to a positive school culture, along with its dedicated staff and teachers, and a supportive community.

“We have had really good state testing scores, and they have been improving over the years, which I am really happy about, along with our community,” said Mullins, who has served as Oak Park’s principal since 2017. “I am really happy our teachers and the community are getting this validation and recognition; this is 100% a credit to our teachers who do the work day-in and day-out, and our community members who send us their students ready to learn.”

For 10 years, the ERP Honor Roll has utilized public school student achievement data to identify and recognize successful schools. The 2024 Honor Roll methodology uses California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) results data for 2022, 2023, and 2024.

In the 2023-24 CAASPP results, Oak Park Elementary vastly outperformed state averages in students meeting or exceeding the state standard in English Language Arts (ELA) and math. Nearly 60% of Oak Park’s students met or exceeded the state standard in ELA, while nearly 44% did so in math, which surpassed the state averages of 47.04% in ELA and 35.54% in math last year.

Oak Park has boosted its CAASPP scores in ELA and math in recent years. The school has achieved at least a nine-percentage point increase in the number of students meeting or exceeding state standards in ELA (49.17 to 59.88) and math (34.79 to 43.79) since 2021-22.

Mullins credits the school’s consistently high test scores and improvements to the dedication and collaboration of its teachers, along with their hard work during the COVID-19 pandemic to mitigate learning losses.

Oak Park’s educators constantly collaborate and share data and best practices, and adapt strategies and approaches if necessary to ensure positive outcomes for students, he said.

Mullins also points to the school’s emphasis on balancing accountability with a sense of fun. Initiatives like “Fun Friday,” where students earn rewards for positive behavior and effort, contribute to a vibrant and engaging school culture that motivates students to excel and has helped improve attendance rates, he added.

“This is a special place, it starts off with great teachers and staff,” Mullins said. “This school is full of people who really love kids and do what’s best for them. The teachers and staff here really do care for and love kids and that makes all the difference.”

The ERP Honor Roll is the only school recognition program presented in partnership with state and local business leaders, using solely objective student achievement data as the criteria for recognition. The goal of the Honor Roll is to find and highlight successful schools and districts and encourage collaboration among educators on best practices for raising student achievement.

“Oak Park Elementary’s state testing results have been impressive over recent years, and the ERP Honor Roll distinction is a tremendous recognition for the entire school community of students, teachers, and families,” Fontana Unified Superintendent Miki R. Inbody said. “It is amazing what can be accomplished through the power of teamwork and innovative teaching practices, and Oak Park’s educators have set an exemplary standard for our District and beyond.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

FUSD_OAK_PARK1: Oak Park Elementary School teacher Lisa Johnson works with one of her transitional kindergarten students. Oak Park earned a spot on the Educational Results Partnership’s (ERP) prestigious 2024 Honor Roll list of California schools for high academic performance.

FUSD_OAK_PARK2: Fifth-grade Oak Park Elementary School teacher Timothy Kelly (second from left) leads a group of students through a lesson in the school’s learning garden. Oak Park has been recognized on a state level for its dedication to closing the achievement gap.

FUSD_OAK_PARK3: Oak Park Elementary School made the Educational Results Partnership’s (ERP) prestigious 2024 Honor Roll list of California schools in large part for student improvement on California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) testing in recent years.

FUSD_OAK_PARK4: Oak Park Elementary School students celebrate during the school’s “Fun Friday” event. The school’s weekly initiative gives students a chance to earn rewards for positive behavior and effort, including live music and dance parties during lunch breaks.