Sacramento, Calif. – Two Sacramento City Unified School District elementary schools – Matsuyama and David Lubin – were named 2010 California Distinguished Schools by the California Department of Education on Monday. The award recognizes academic excellence and efforts to narrow achievement gaps. Schools are identified for eligibility on the basis of state and federal accountability program test scores. Applicants are then required to describe two “signature practices” that have led to an increase in student achievement and a reduction in test score disparity between ethnic, racial and socio-economic groups. At David Lubin, Principal Lynne Soto and her team have raised the test scores o

 By Maria L. Lopez Four Sacramento City Unified School District campuses are among 238 California schools announced today as recipients of the 2009-10 Title 1 Academic Achievement Award. The SCUSD sites are David Lubin, Earl Warren, Isador Cohen and Theodore Judah elementary schools. Aspire Capitol Heights Academy and St. HOPE Public School 7, both independent charter schools located in the district, are also among the award winners. “This recognition is a testament to the great work of students, teachers and parents occurring at these schools,” SCUSD Superintendent Jonathan P. Raymond said. “The recognition is especially appreciated because progress towards closing the achievement gap i