COUNTYWIDE : Dozen Schools Win State Recognition

The state Department of Education has singled out 12 Orange County schools as “Distinguished Schools” for their pursuit of academic excellence during the 1991-92 school year.

“It is a recognition that we are doing really positive things,” said Jim Quartucci, principal of Valencia High School in Placentia, which was given the distinction for the first time. “This is a big deal for us. We’re really trying to improve in as many ways as we can to provide excellent education to our students.”

The state recognition, bestowed semiannually, is based on students’ test scores, dropout rates, the number of students enrolled in math and science courses, and the rate of college enrollment.

Quartucci said a delegation from Valencia will travel to San Francisco at the end of this month for an awards ceremony. Other Orange County schools honored this year are: Brea-Olinda High in Brea; Sonora High and Imperial Middle, both in La Habra; Donald S. Jordan Intermediate in Garden Grove; La Quinta High in Garden Grove; Ocean View and Westminster high schools in Huntington Beach; University High in Irvine; Yorba Middle in Orange; La Paz Intermediate in Mission Viejo, and Douglas MacArthur Fundamental Intermediate in Santa Ana.