by Jill Funke

Attendance at school events, as well as the number of parents who are active in their children’s classrooms are evidence that West Lyon Community School is a great school. Recently, the school received national recognition when it earned the U.S. News & World Report magazine’s bronze award as one of America’s Best High Schools. West Lyon High School ranked among the top 10% of high schools in the United States. One of 1,086 high schools which received a bronze award, West Lyon took its place among the 33 other Iowa high schools which also received a bronze award. Throughout the nation, 405 schools received a silver award and a mere 100 high schools were awarded the gold. Only 3% of all high schools in the study received the silver or gold award.

The study which U.S. News & World Report based their America’s Best High Schools awards on centered around the requirement that a high school meet the needs of all students, whether they will be attending college or not. Schools were first required to show proof through proficiency testing that they were successful in educating their students. Officials were looking for test scores which were higher than the scores expected from what they statistically deemed the average in that state. Institutions who met those performance indicators were assessed on the degree to which the schools prepared their students for college-level courses. The performance of disadvantaged students was also taken into account. Finally, schools that had placed well in test scores and performance indicators were judged on their college-readiness levels. Schools that produced the best college-level achievement for the highest percentages of their students were selected.

High School Principal, Doug Jiskoot, is greatly pleased with West Lyon students and staff. He says that West Lyon students are fantastic, and encourage each other to earn the best grades possible. Mr. Jiskoot says that he is proud of students who assist each other with their homework and test preparation, as it is not unusual to walk by an athlete sitting in the hallway in the early morning who is working on his or her studies after lifting weights before the start of school. There are also many instances of students grouping together, possibly in a tutoring manner to prepare for an upcoming exam.

In addition to the hard work of the student body, Jiskoot also credits the teachers with West Lyon’s academic success. He remarks that West Lyon teachers are willing to go to great lengths to help their students succeed. Often, teachers come in early or stay late into the afternoon to assist students with subjects where they need additional help. Jiskoot feels that the example set by teachers, along with the strong work ethic and community-mindedness of the students help make West Lyon a truly special place to learn.