On April 24, the Issaquah School District was recognized by the State of Washington for educational excellence: this year 10 Issaquah schools received the state’s top Washington Achievement Award of which all 3 high schools—Liberty, Issaquah, and Skyline—were recognized.

Liberty received the High Progress award given to the top 10 percent of title one schools displaying educational excellence. Principal Joshua Almy believes this award warrants pride of both students and staff.

“Receiving this award has been a commitment from both the students and staff to achieve more—a commitment filled with hard work,” Almy said.

Relative to Skyline and Issaquah, who received awards in Overall Excellence, Liberty only differs significantly in its classification as a title one school—a technicality that differentiates Overall Excellence from High Progress.

“Liberty’s standardized test scores, represented by the HSPE and EOC exams, have been continually improving throughout the past three years—our common assessment scores are incredibly similar to both Skyline and Issaquah’s scores,” Almy said.

As a High Progress school, Liberty staff and students function as an example for other schools. The award shines light on the best possible practices that allow for success.

“The teachers at Liberty are truly leaders that progress student education, and their teaching strategies serve as a model that impacts education positively district wide, county wide, and even statewide,” Almy said.

“With the progress and levels of achievement that students are demonstrating, I foresee Liberty continuing to receive awards for progress and excellence in the future.”