West Ranch community students will officially be attending school in an Exemplary school district this 2009-2010 school year. With the recent release of Texas Education Agency ratings, all six Friendswood Independent School District campuses earned Exemplary status - the highest ranking possible.

This accomplishment surpassed last years ratings, which left all six still Exemplary, but the district overall as "Recognized."

Superintendent Trish Hanks claimed Exemplary was a "very challenging" rating to receive, and attributed the district's success to continued concentration on helping at-risk students, additional planning time for teachers, and an increased number of students who reached the commended level of proficiency on the state assessment.

To receive an Exemplary rating, at least 90% of a school's students must score passing rates in reading, social studies, mathematics, and science on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test. Student subgroups at the high school level must also score a 90% passage rate in those four areas.

Learn more about the TEA's rating systems.

Source: Chron.com.