WVUSD: 2019/2020 Year-End Results
● Seven Walnut Valley USD elementary schools have earned 2019 California PBIS
Coalition Awards for successfully implementing Positive Behavior Interventions and
Supports (PBIS). Congratulations to Collegewood, Maple Hill, Quail Summit, and
Westhoff – Platinum level; Vejar – Gold level; and Evergreen and C.J. Morris – Bronze
level. PBIS is a proactive approach to establishing the behavioral supports and social
culture needed for all students in a school to achieve social, emotional, and academic
success.
● Diamond Bar High School’s Rich Langham, choral music teacher, was selected as the
2019 District Teacher of the Year and Semifinalist in the Los Angeles County
Teachers of the Year competition.
● Diamond Bar and Walnut High Schools are ranked among top performing public high
schools in the country in the U.S. News and World Report of Best High Schools in
America. In the report issued on April 21, Diamond Bar High ranked #25 in Los Angeles
Metro Schools, #68 in California, and #519 in the nation. Additionally, Diamond Bar
placed #77 in STEM high schools.
Walnut High scored #35 in Los Angeles Metro Schools, #84 in California, and #601 in the
nation. The U.S. News Best High Schools rankings include data on more than 24,000
public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia. Nearly 18,000 schools in
the country and 1,612 in California were reviewed for performance in state assessments,
graduation rates, and how well they prepare students for college.
● A select group of 30 seniors from Diamond Bar and Walnut High Schools have been
distinguished as 2020 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists for demonstrating
exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies. More
than 1.6 million students entered the merit program as juniors by taking the Preliminary
SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. High scorers were designated
semifinalists representing less than 1% of the state’s graduating class. In total, just over
16,000 talented seniors qualified nationwide in the 65 th Annual National Merit Scholarship
Program. These academically talented students will continue to compete for some 7,600
National Merit Scholarships that will be offered in the spring.
● Diamond Bar High earned a place in Newsweek Magazine's "Top STEM High Schools
of 2020" report. Diamond Bar High ranked 317 th in the nationwide listing of top 500 STEM
schools that offer skilled teachers who keep up with the development in these fields and
who create dynamic learning environments to engage their students. The STEM
(science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) skills that only specialists have
today will be expected of virtually everyone in the American workforce tomorrow.
● Walnut High School and Maple Hill Elementary School have earned the 2019/2020 PLTW
Distinguished School Award for providing broad access to transformative learning
opportunities for students through Project Lead The Way (PLTW) (e.g., computer science,
biomedical science, and engineering). Only 143 high schools and 404 elementary
schools across the U.S. will receive this year’s honor.
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