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Wooster High School Principal Named Nevada Principal of the Year
Reno, NV (May 18, 2011) - The Principal at Wooster High School has been named the 2011 MetLife/NASSP Nevada High School Principal of the Year. Debra Biersdorff will be representing the State of Nevada this fall in the nation's capital, along with other principals who won their state title. The annual program recognizes outstanding school leaders who have succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students.
Biersdorff has been the principal at Wooster since 2007. Under her leadership the school has made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for the past three school years and was designated as a 'High Achieving Turn-Around School' by the Nevada Department of Education following the 2009-2010 school year.
Under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, AYP is used to determine if schools are successfully educating their students. NCLB requires states to use a single accountability system for public schools to determine whether all students, as well as individual subgroups of students, are making progress toward meeting state academic content standards. Wooster achieved that status because it had a substantially significant increase in the percentage of proficient students that exceed the AYP requirements.
Superintendent Heath Morrison says, "Debra's leadership skills stretch far beyond the classroom. Many of her peers recognize her as a leader that they wish to emulate. She is regularly asked to serve on district-level committees to represent high school administrators and dedicates her time to mentoring others, which sets a great example for staff and the students at Wooster High School. We are proud that Debra will be representing the District and Nevada this fall in Washington, D.C."
Biersdorff says she is very proud of the work that is being done at Wooster and the recent accomplishments that the students and staff have been working toward. "We have gone from a school that five years ago didn't make AYP to a 'High Achieving Turn-Around' school. I am so fortunate to work at this school. The award names me, but behind me is a dedicated staff at Wooster High School. I couldn't have received this recognition without them."
Before coming to Wooster, Biersdorff was an administrator at North Valleys High School in Reno, a Dean at the District's opportunity school and a teacher. She began her career at WCSD as a social studies and English teacher at McQueen High School.
Area Superintendent Pati Falk said, "One only needs to spend a short time with this principal on her campus to witness the high level of respect and rapport that she enjoys with her entire school community at Wooster. Debra so deserves this honor for the many successes that Wooster High School has realized as a result of her leadership and commitment to excellence for all."
NASSP and MetLife will honor all state principals of the year at an Institute in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 21-24. The event salutes principals and serves as a forum to share their experience and expertise with each other and with national leaders in education and legislators.
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About Washoe County School District: The Washoe County School District includes the Reno/Sparks metropolitan area, Incline Village, Gerlach, Empire and Wadsworth, Nevada. The District provides each of its 63,000 students with a superior education in a safe and challenging environment and is committed to graduate every child career and college ready. For more information visit www.washoecountyschools.org. Follow us on Twitter at WCSDTweet.
Washoe County School District
425 East Ninth Street
Reno, NV 89520
