{"id":15982,"date":"2026-03-19T13:16:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T20:16:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.dusd.net\/doty\/?p=15982"},"modified":"2026-03-19T13:19:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T20:19:57","slug":"doty-middle-school-is-a-2026-california-distinguished-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.dusd.net\/doty\/2026\/03\/19\/doty-middle-school-is-a-2026-california-distinguished-school\/","title":{"rendered":"Doty Middle School is a 2026 California Distinguished School!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Knights, it\u2019s time to celebrate! We are incredibly proud to announce that <strong>Doty Middle School<\/strong> has been named a <strong>2026 California Distinguished School<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This award isn&#8217;t just a trophy for the shelf; it is a reflection of the 21st-century learning happening in our classrooms every day. From our brand-new, state-of-the-art <strong>science labs and gymnasium<\/strong> (thanks to Measure O!) to our award-winning <strong>Music program<\/strong> and innovative <strong>Intro to Law<\/strong> elective, Doty is a place where every student can find their passion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether our students are broadcasting on <strong>Doty TV<\/strong> or competing in <strong>Unified Sports<\/strong>, they are proving that academic excellence and a vibrant school culture go hand-in-hand. This honor belongs to our hard-working students, our dedicated staff, and you\u2014our amazing Doty families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About the California Distinguished Schools Program<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Established in 1985, the <strong>California Distinguished Schools Program<\/strong> is one of the state\u2019s most prestigious honors for public schools. It recognizes campuses that demonstrate exemplary student performance or success in closing the achievement gap for historically underserved student groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How Schools Are Selected:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Data-Driven:<\/strong> Schools do not apply for this award. Instead, they are automatically considered based on performance metrics from the <strong>California School Dashboard<\/strong>, including academic achievement, college and career readiness, and graduation rates.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Strict Criteria:<\/strong> To qualify, schools must maintain at least 95% participation in statewide assessments and demonstrate a positive school climate, with low rates of chronic absenteeism and suspensions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Alternating Years:<\/strong> The program alternates annually; middle and high schools are recognized in even-numbered years (like 2026), while elementary schools are honored in odd-numbered years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2026, only <strong>408 middle and high schools<\/strong> statewide earned this distinction. These honorees will be celebrated at a formal recognition ceremony on <strong>April 24, 2026<\/strong>, at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you for making Doty Middle School a standout campus in California. Go Knights!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedowneypatriot.com\/articles\/downey-middle-schools-earn-california-distinguished-school-honors\">Read the news article on the Downey Patriot<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Doty Middle School has been named a 2026 California Distinguished School &#8211; again! Congratulations to the entire Knight community on this well-deserved recognition!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":81,"featured_media":15986,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[104,103],"class_list":["post-15982","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-posts","tag-awards","tag-ca-distinguished-school"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\r\n<title>Doty Middle School is a 2026 California Distinguished School! | Doty Middle School<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Doty Middle School has been named a 2026 California Distinguished School - again! 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