News Release
The William S. Hart Union High School District, Golden Valley High School and La Mesa Junior High School are the winners of the 2022 California Pivotal Practice Award for creatively overcoming COVID-19 challenges during the 2020-21 school year.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, state law suspended the reporting of state and local indicators on the 2020 and 2021 California School Dashboard. A component of the California Department of Education California School Recognition Program, the CAPP Program replaced the California Distinguished Schools Program in 2022.
The Hart district was recognized under the Distribution of Technology category for its “Integration of Educational Technology” when it provided 6,327 Chromebooks at no cost to students across the district. And to help those computers connect to the internet, hotspots were also distributed to households with little or no internet, again at no cost to the families.
Both La Mesa’s and Golden Valley’s pivotal practice target area was social and emotional well-being of students. By using “Capturing Kids Hearts” training and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, both schools were able to celebrate the academic as well as social-emotional progress of students. This allowed teachers to connect authentically with students despite a virtual environment.
In addition to the “Social Emotional Well-Being of Students” and “Distribution of Technology” categories, the CDE also recognized schools and districts in “Student Engagement and Nutrition Services.”
