Carole Geary, assistant superintendent of curriculum at Pleasant Valley School District presented the principals of Eldred, Chestnuthill, Polk, PVE elementary schools and PV Middle School with Keystone Achievment Recognition awards from the Pennsylvania Department of Education at the Jan. 28 school board meeting.

Keystone Achievement Awards are given to public schools that achieved Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in both the 2007-08 and 2008-09 school years.AYP is determined, in part, by a school's performance on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment, the standardized test given annually to students in grades 3-8 and 11.Each school that earns a Keystone Achievement Award receives a large, keystone-shaped placard that can be displayed at the school. It represents the hard work and dedication of students, teachers and administrators and evidence of academic achievement and a commitment to excellence.At least 63 percent of a school's students had to perform at grade level in reading and 56 percent had to be at grade level in math, up from the 2007 targets of 54 percent for reading and 45 percent for math.Geary said they should be proud of the hard work they did to achieve these awards.