Vancouver iTech Prep honored by magazine

VANCOUVER — Vancouver Public Schools is one of 30 districts nationwide to receive a November 2015 District of Distinction award from District Administration magazine.

Vancouver was honored for Vancouver iTech Preparatory, a school focused on science, technology, engineering and math. It was one of three districts in the state honored.

Vancouver iTech Preparatory serves grades six through 12 on two campuses, at the Jim Parsley Education, Family and Community Center and at Washington State University Vancouver.

With a focus on STEM and a liberal arts component, iTech uses project-, problem- and practice-based learning to encourage inquiry, critical analysis and innovation, according to a district news release. Students have early access to college courses, earning one to two years’ worth of college credits by the time they graduate.

Since it opened in 2012, iTech Prep has posted test scores that exceed state averages on math and biology end-of-course exams and sophomore reading and writing tests.

This is Vancouver’s second District of Distinction award, which honors K-12 districts for initiatives that benefit students and lead the way for other districts to follow. It received an award in 2014 for its Family-Community Resource Centers.