Thomas Russell Middle School selected as 2024 California Distinguished School

Thomas Russell Middle School (TRMS) was one of only 16 secondary schools in Santa Clara County – as well as 293 middle schools and high schools throughout the state – honored as a 2024 California Distinguished School by the California Department of Education.

“This is a testament to the years of hard work and diligence of our Russell staff, families, and other community members,” said TRMS Principal Shangrila Mia-Ramzan. “It is an absolute honor and privilege to be a member of such an amazing team. It truly takes a village, and the WOLVERINES know how to do it!”

The California Distinguished Schools program recognizes schools for their excellent work in one of two categories: closing the achievement gap and achieving exceptional student performance. Since its inception in 1985, the California Distinguished Schools Award remains one of the state’s most important ways to celebrate exceptional schools, districts, teachers, and classified employees for their innovation, talent, and success in supporting students.

“The CA Distinguished School award reflects our commitment to establishing learning environments that foster a belief that through perseverance and teamwork, we can achieve remarkable outcomes,” said Superintendent Cheryl Jordan. “TRMS celebrates community through its signature practices of interdisciplinary team and personalized learning platform strategies for learner pathways.”

Former TRMS Principal Sean Anglon credited those signature practices such as Agency Building, Math Intervention and Reading Intervention as key factors in the increased student achievement. Additionally, once returning full-time from COVID years, teachers were able to again benefit from the signature practice of team tutorials.

“I was pleased to learn that the hard work of the TRMS students and teachers resulted in the school receiving the CA Distinguished School Recognition,” said Anglon, now an administrator at Milpitas HS. “I have no doubt TRMS will continue to perform at the level which merited this recognition for years to come.”

TRMS has a student body of 795 and a staff of 52, and is one of two MUSD middle schools, the other Rancho Milpitas MS was a 2021 recipient of the California Distinguished Schools Program. Russell increased its Above State Standards scores in English Language Arts by 13.2 points and Mathematics by 12.1 points, according to the CDE Dashboard.

The CDE uses multiple measures to identify eligible schools based on their performance on the state indicators as specified on the California School Dashboard. Specifically, schools were selected by analyzing data reported through the 2023 Dashboard, with a focus on demonstrating excellence and growth in academic achievement and ensuring a positive school climate.
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“Excellent middle schools and high schools play a critical role in the life outcomes of our young people,” State Superintendent Tony Thurmond said. “This year’s CA Distinguished Schools celebration provides us with an opportunity to recognize the hard work of our secondary educators and school staff who help our young adults discover passions and access college- and career-ready experiences that will propel them through life.”