ROYAL CITY - Royal School District is one of eight districts in Educational Services District to receive the latest Washington Achievement Award From the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The OSPI describes the awards as "the state's highest honor" for its public schools.

Award winners are selected on calculations based on student test scores, graduation rates, and closing of achievement gaps.

The awards recognize the state's top-performing schools in seven different categories: Overall Excellence (top 5 percent in the state), Language Arts, Math, Science, Extended Graduation Rate (only awarded to high schools), Closing Achievement Gaps, and High Progress (top 10 percent of Title I eligible or participating schools for performance and improvement in both reading and math for three years).

Royal Middle School was given the Washington Achievement Award for science. Royal High School was selected for science and high progress.

Schools were recognized through their results in the Washington School Achievement Index and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Flexibility Waiver.

The Washington School Achievement Index rates all schools according to specific outcomes and indicators from 2010 to 2012. The five outcomes are student performance in statewide assessments in reading, writing, math, and science tests, as well as the school's extended graduation rates, which includes those students who took longer than four years to graduate.

The award-winning schools will be honored on April 30 at Kentwood High School in Covington.