Countywide

Eleven San Diego County secondary schools have been named state “distinguished schools,” concluding a yearlong competition for the awards, which are presented every two years.

The winners were: La Jolla and Point Loma high schools, and Muir Alternative School in San Diego; Fallbrook High School; Chula Vista High School and Bonita Vista Junior High in the Sweetwater school district; Vista High School; Mt. Carmel High School and Meadowbrook Middle School in Poway; Oak Grove Middle School in Jamul; Palm Junior High School in Lemon Grove.

The schools are among 60 high schools and 60 middle or junior high schools statewide selected under the program headed by Bill Honig, state superintendent of public instruction. More than 1,600 schools in California were eligible.

The winning schools were chosen on the basis of “quality indicator” scores, including student test scores on the California Assessment Program (CAP) and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) exams, percentage of dropouts, and other measurements.

Chula Vista High, Fallbrook High and Meadowbrook Middle School in Poway previously won National Recognition Program awards under a separate U.S. Department of Education project.

In other awards, the county Department of Education announced eight winners in the college-ready writers program. More than 360 high school seniors competed for $4,900 in scholarships last week, taking the first-ever practice version of a college writing exam at UC San Diego. The test was intended to prepare students for English placement tests used by California universities.

Top winners of $300 prizes were: Andrew Agtagma of Montgomery High School in San Ysidro; Brian Byrne and Sascha Dublin of Torrey Pines High School in Del Mar; Jonathan Howes and Karen Wilson of Serra High School in San Diego; Hoang Nguyen of San Diego High School; Lisa Thurman of Vista High School and Amy Yarger of Hilltop High School in Chula Visa.