Two GGUSD Intermediate Schools Earn Prestigious Recognition as CA Distinguished Schools

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Two Garden Grove Unified School District (GGUSD) schools were recognized as 2024 California Distinguished Schools in an announcement by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond on February 29. Bell and McGarvin intermediate schools were among the 38 Distinguished Schools recognized from Orange County. Schools are awarded for achieving exceptional student performance or closing the achievement gap.

“GGUSD teachers and staff consistently earn statewide recognition for exceptional instructional strategies that lead to outstanding student outcomes,” said Board of Education President Teri Rocco. “We are so proud of our schools for earning this prestigious distinction.”

Bell and McGarvin intermediate school will be recognized at an awards banquet win May along with GGUSD’s three 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools: Anthony, Cook and Paine elementary Schools. Bell and McGarvin were also recognized with CA Distinguished School Awards in 2021. Elementary and secondary schools are recognized in alternate years and awardees hold the title for two years.  

The California Department of Education (CDE) identifies and awards eligible schools based on performance and progress on state indicators specified on the California School Dashboard, the state’s accountability and continuous improvement system. Indicators include test scores, suspension rates, and conditions and climate.

Distinguished School award winners represent examples of not just excellent teaching, learning, and collaboration, but also highly successful school climate efforts ranging from real-time conflict resolution to positive behavior intervention.