Central High School in Philadelphia also was cited.
Holly W. Acosta, principal of Coebourn, said she was "so excited." Acosta found out Wednesday evening that the school would be receiving the award for "consistently high performance on the PSSA," or Pennsylvania System of School Assessment. Coebourn students have excelled over the last five years, Acosta said - in 2010, 100 percent of fourth and fifth graders were proficient in math, for instance; 98 percent were proficient for reading.
Acosta credits the staff, the parents, and the children for their daily effort to succeed.
"They do whatever it takes to do well," Acosta said.
The school offers before and after programs twice a week to help with math and reading. They participate in the Reading Olympics and offer fun activities that focus on using math and reading skills. A campaign - Respectful, Responsible, and Ready - that focuses on positive support for behavior carries over into the classroom, she said.
Acosta and another teacher will travel to Washington in November to accept the prize, and she was also busy planning ways to celebrate with students and teachers.
"It is everyone's award," she said.
Contact staff writer Mari A. Schaefer at 610-892-9149, mschaefer@phillynews.com, or @MariSchaefer on Twitter.
