Ceres Unified School District
Golden Bell Award Recipient!

Ceres Unified School District will be honored at the 32nd Annual Golden Bell Awards program of the California School Boards Association (CSBA). The award was won in the Instruction Category for Ceres Unified School District's Instructional Norms Program: "Keeping the Main Thing, the Main Thing: Instruction" under the direction of Dr. Mary Jones, Deputy Superintendent of Educational Services.

The primary goal of Ceres Unified’s Instructional Norms model is to enhance teaching strategies in every classroom through effective planning, implementation, evaluation and reflection. By planning highly effective lessons based on a wide variety of student assessments and identified needs, teachers are able to implement lessons that produce verifiable student learning. Lessons conclude with evaluation and reflection to determine the effectiveness and next steps in responding to the immediate learning needs of students. Given that the District’s number one priority is student learning, Ceres Unified recognized the need to create a formal model that outlined the expectations and standards for high quality instructional delivery that is measurable across the district. As such, the institutionalization of this unique model has resulted in historical gains in student achievement.

The CSBA Golden Bell Awards program promotes excellence in education by recognizing outstanding programs in school districts and county offices of education throughout California. The Golden Bell Awards reflect the depth and breadth of the education programs necessary to address students’ changing needs. The goal of this awards program is to contribute to the development and evaluation of curriculum, instruction and support services.

The highly respected Golden Bell Awards will be presented at a special ceremony during the California School Boards Association’s Awards Luncheon on December 3, 2011 in San Diego. The event is held in conjunction with the CSBA’s Annual Education Conference.

CSBA is a nonprofit association representing more than 1,000 K-12 school districts and county offices of education throughout California.

Announced November 4, 2011