March 15, 2012

Contact: Linda Farmer, APR | Director of Communications
Association of Washington School Principals
O: 360.357.7951 | C: 253.232.2891
lindaf@awsp.org

Washington State Middle Level Principal of the Year
Goes to Leavenworth Leader

 Icicle River Middle School Principal Kenny Renner-Singer Takes Home the Honors 

OLYMPIA–Kenny Renner-Singer, principal at Icicle River Middle and Beaver Valley Elementary schools in Leavenworth (Cascade SD), is this year’s Washington State Middle Level Principal of the Year.

Renner-Singer was named this year’s Middle Level Principal of the Year by the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP). A panel of principals representing the Association of Washington Middle Level Principals, a component of AWSP, selected him from a pool of regional finalists.

The selection committee said it was Renner-Singer’s work producing “significant student achievement gains” that tipped the award in his favor. Renner-Singer, who has served as principal of Icicle River and Beaver Valley schools since 2005, encouraged his staff to collaborate to ensure high levels of learning for all. Staff members looked at student achievement data to determine focus areas. He helped teacher teams develop content-area learning targets, benchmark assessments and interventions for struggling and accelerated students.

As a result of adding new enrichment programs for accelerated students, 8th-grade math scores skyrocketed from 63.5 percent in 2005-2006 to 90.4 percent in 2009-2010.

Another area Renner-Singer focuses on is hiring. He carefully selects new hires to fit grade-level and content-area teams and the overall culture of the school. He also places a strong emphasis on national board certification and teacher participation in leadership roles at the local, regional and national levels. As a result of this focus, Renner-Singer has seen direct gains in student achievement:

• Since 2006, two board-certified 6th-grade reading teachers have more than 90 percent of students meeting standards on state assessments.
• In 7th grade writing, a newly hired board-certified teacher saw a 20 percent increase in student performance from 2008 to 2011.

Renner-Singer began his career as a language arts and social studies teacher at Pioneer Middle School in Walla Walla in 2000. In addition to his teaching duties, in 2003 he also took on the role of administrative intern at Pioneer.

He earned his bachelor of arts in political science from Whitman College, his masters in teaching from Lewis and Clark College (Portland) and his principal certification from Washington State University (Richland). He is expected to receive his doctorate in educational leadership and policy from the University of Washington (Seattle) in June.

Local and State Honors
Renner-Singer will be honored locally. Check with the Cascade School District for details. In October 2012, Renner-Singer will be honored alongside the state elementary and high school principals of the year at the annual AWSP Principals’ Conference.

National Honors
Renner-Singer now becomes eligible for the 2012 National Principals of the Year award. The program, sponsored by MetLife and the National Association of Secondary School Principals, annually recognizes outstanding middle level and high school principals. From the state winners, six finalists (three middle level, three high school) will compete for the award in Washington, D.C., later this year. For more information, visit www.nassp.org.

About the Association of Washington School Principals
The Association of Washington School Principals is a professional association serving principals, assistant principals and principals in training. Formed in 1972, the association now includes more than 3,400 members from public and private elementary, middle and high schools statewide. It is governed by a board of practicing principals drawn from three grade-specific boards representing the elementary, middle and high school levels. For more information, visit www.awsp.org.

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AWSP MEDIA CONTACTS

Linda Farmer, APR | Director of Communications | 360.357.7951 | lindaf@awsp.org

Don Rash | Director of Middle Level Programs | 360.357.7951 | don@awsp.org