FONTANA, CA – Dorothy Grant Innovations Academy and Wayne Ruble Middle School have been named to the Educational Results Partnership (ERP) Honor Roll in recognition of their overall performance and narrowing of the achievement gap on California standardized tests.

The two Fontana Unified schools were named Star Schools, a category for high-performing schools that have significant populations of students who are socioeconomically disadvantaged. Each school will receive a banner and be recognized as a model for other schools.

This is the ninth time the Dorothy Grant Innovations Academy has been named to the ERP Honor Roll and the first time for Wayne Ruble Middle School. The Honor Roll shines a light on bright spots in education by identifying schools that generate strong student outcomes and provide a model of best practices.

“Wayne Ruble staff has made a conscious effort to support both the academic and socio-emotional needs of our students,” Principal Anne-Marie Cabrales said. “Our teaching staff works together across content areas and grade levels to plan and design rigorous, engaging lessons for our students, even in the midst of a pandemic.”

In 2020, Wayne Ruble Middle School focused on aligning elective courses with the college and career pathways offered by the high schools students will attend – A.B. Miller and Summit high schools. Wayne Ruble Middle School offers Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), journalism/studio production, robotics, aviation, dance, integrated computer coding and computing classes.

“We are honored to be recognized by ERP as an honor roll school,” Dorothy Grant Principal Nikia Owens said. “As we continue to focus on equity, we work hard to develop the whole child, which fosters a foundation for lifelong learning. We have built and maintained a culture of love, leadership, creativity, equality, exploration, diversity and individualism.”

Dorothy Grant Innovations Academy students delved deeper into computer programming, with K-5 students participating in Code to the Future activities, leading to an Epic Build showcase, while Gifted and Talented Education students took part in after-school sessions with Engineering for Kids. In 2020-21, the school is developing a partnership with Redlands-based Garner Holt, which specializes in theme park animatronics.

The Honor Roll is created by the ERP under the sponsorship of the Campaign for Business and Education Excellence (CBEE). It analyzes 14 measures from California Department of Education data, including performance on state math and English language arts standardized tests, UC/CSU admission requirements and graduation rates. ERP looks at equity among students with differing ethnic background and socioeconomic status.

“Fontana Unified schools continually strive to provide equity and opportunity in education for every student,” Superintendent Randal S. Bassett said. “Our Honor Roll schools are leading by example, and we appreciate the hard work and dedication of their staff for providing a pathway to success for their students.”

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FUSD_GRANT, FUSD_RUBLE: Dorothy Grant Innovations Academy and Wayne Ruble Middle School have been named to the Educational Results Partnership Honor Roll, recognizing their efforts to support student excellence and narrow the achievement gap on California standardized tests.