Students score on state awards

-- Deirdre Newman

All four Newport-Mesa Unified School District high schools learned

Thursday that they have a slew of students eligible to claim $1,000

Governor’s Scholars Awards.

Newport Harbor High School scored the most, with 163 students

eligible. Corona del Mar High School ran a close second with 122.

Estancia and Costa Mesa both have close to 80 students eligible.

Gov. Gray Davis established the Governor’s Scholars Award Program in

2000 to encourage high school students to study hard and plan for higher

education.

The $118-million program awards $1,000 scholarships to ninth-, 10th-

and 11th-grade students who demonstrate high academic achievement on the

Statewide Standardized Testing and Reporting examinations.

Assistant Supt. Jaime Castellanos said it’s a great honor for students

to be recognized for achievement on a standardized test.

“It shows they worked hard and achieved at a high level,” Castellanos

said.

The schools are notifying the students who may claim the awards --

these students must score in the top 10% of their class or top 5% of

students in their grade level statewide and have attended a public school

for a year prior to testing.