U.S. News & World Report ranks Vernon’s Lake Street School Among Best in Connecticut
Vernon, Connecticut – U.S. News & World Report magazine, long known for ranking colleges and healthcare providers, has listed Vernon’s Lake Street School among the best elementary schools in Connecticut.
The magazine this month released its first ranking of elementary and middle schools nationwide. The magazine used data reported to state and federal agencies to rank more than 80,000 public elementary and middle schools across the country.
Lake Street School was ranked No. 60 out of 560 schools in Connecticut. The magazine’s rankings are based on math and reading proficiency on state assessments as well as how students perform compared to expectations. The data the magazine relied on is from the 2018-2019 school year.
“Our teachers, administrators and staff work hard each day with the goal of challenging students to achieve at the highest level,” said Dr. Joseph Macary, Vernon’s Superintendent of Schools. “Parents play a key role in that effort and the success of our students, and this ranking is recognition of that work.”
Lake Street School, like all Vernon Public Schools, has a culture where students thrive and are challenged to do their best work, Principal Terese Duenzl said.
“This recognition from U.S. News is based on test scores, which are important in assessing our students’ performance and tell part of the story about what makes Lake Street School a wonderful place for children to learn,” Duenzl said. “But Lake Street School is about much more than test scores. We have a strong and supportive family community. Our staff works together to do what’s best for kids. As a result, our students are engaged, challenged each day, immersed in the arts, and taught to think critically and collaboratively as they grow into life-long learners.”
While Lake Street School has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report, all Vernon Public Schools are focused on creating an environment where all students can achieve at the highest level, Assistant School Superintendent Robert Testa said.
“In every Vernon school, everything we do each day is designed to move students forward,” Testa said. “We have a high quality curriculum, top-notch educators and high expectations for everyone. We look at each child in our schools and ask, ‘what does this child need to do his or her best,’ and then we do whatever we can for that student. We know that all Vernon children are capable of being top performers and we push them toward that.”
Last year, Vernon’s Northeast School was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a National Blue Ribbon School. Northeast School’s students, families, teachers, staff and administrators were recognized for overall academic excellence and closing the achievement gap.
“If you have a quality teaching staff and focused interventions in English Language Arts and Mathematics for students who are not yet on grade level, you are moving forward,” Dr. Macary said. “Add in a relevant curriculum and a culture of students, parents, teachers, administrators and staff working as a team, and everyone benefits.”