Seventeen school boards in Washington were named as Boards of Distinction by the Washington State School Directors’ Association.

Among those was the Kent School Board.

“Their work shows how much of a difference an outstanding board can make in student learning,” said Mari Taylor, President of the association. “We applaud their commitment to their students and communities.”

The annual Boards of Distinction program honors school boards that demonstrate effective use of the Washington School Board Standards. The standards, developed and adopted by WSSDA in 2009, promote research-based governance practices that lead to high levels of student and district achievement, and help close the opportunity gap.

Award applicants submit an essay and supporting evidence to demonstrate how they are putting the standards into practice. This year, applicants addressed the following:

·Promoting healthy relationships by inspiring and empowering others.

·Setting and communicating high expectations for student learning, with clear goals and plans.

·Creating conditions for student and staff success.

·Holding schools and the district accountable for student learning expectations.

·Engaging the local community and representing the values and expectations it holds for schools.

Applications are evaluated by an independent review panel.

The boards will be honored next week during the 2014 WSSDA Annual Conference in Spokane. At that time, the association will also announce three 2014 Boards of the Year winners. These are the highest-scoring board from each of three categories based on district enrollment.