Rocklin Assistant Principal Mrs. Mary Anne Knox remembers well the early days of Rocklin High School.

While working on the campus for 19 years, she has seen the campus sprout as the only high school in Rocklin to the acclaimed campus it is now.

She’s seen the school accept numerous sports trophies, send its academic teams to state tournaments, and win the highest API scores in Placer County – for five years in a row.

Successes like these have prompted headlines, like The Triple Team’s 2011 “Rocklin High School Tops in API…Again!” and the Sacramento Bee’s “Defending Division-II champion Rocklin is No. 1 - and wary.”

However, the latest achievement for RHS might as well be its greatest - for the first time in history, Rocklin High School has been distinguished as a Gold Medal School by U.S. News, giving it recognition as one of the best high schools in the United States.

They are also the only school to receive Gold Medal status in Placer County

“We were bumped up to gold medal, and the reason we jumped is because we are now ranked 481 in the nation,” Assistant Principal Mrs. Mary Anne Knox said.

Schools were judged by three different criterions. Firstly, schools had to perform better than statistical averages across the county. They would be placed on the Academic Performance Index, a system determined by school Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) and the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) average scores. The index ranged from 200 to 1,000, with 1,000 being the best.

Rocklin High School received a high 865, making it eligible to be judged by the next criterion.

After judging API scores, reviewers looked at least-advantaged students to judge how they were performing against their groups’ state wide-averages., to insure that the school was serving their entire community well.

If these minority and low-income students were able to perform better than state averages, the school was then able to be judged nationally on college performance.

Judges would evaluate Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) performance, measuring schools by best college-level achievement and standards. In short, U.S News evaluated RHS' AP scores to see how ready students were for college. From there, schools had to receive a College Readiness Index scores over 20 to be eligible for Gold Medal.
 
Rocklin High School received a 46.3, double the needed score.

In these three categories, RHS surpassed thousands of schools, ranking #481 in the nation. Although that number seems high, #481 actually represents a major achievement.

“You’re talking over 21,000 schools in the nation we were compared against,” said Knox.

The actual number was 21,776; making Rocklin High School in the top 2% countrywide. The school was also ranked 93rd within California and was the only Placer County school to receive Gold.

Although RHS has received Silver Medals in the past, this is the first year the school has been ranked high enough to receive Gold.

Rocklin High School Principal David Bills found RHS’ elevation as no surprise.

“The recognition from the US News & World Report, designating Rocklin High School as a Gold school is a tribute to the hard work of our students and staff. The entire community of Rocklin can be proud of this recognition, as it reflects the value we place on education…I consider it a privilege to serve as Rocklin High School’s principal,” Bills explained.

Teaching staff also voiced their pride in their students and their academics.

Science teacher Mr. Bill Kimmel said “The Gold Medal standard is a community award, but all the measurements are based really on the students”

Kimmel is known as the local math whiz on campus, even encouraging students to up API scores by calculating exact percentages needed to improve.

History teacher and Social Science Department head Mr. Ryan O’Donnell echoed Kimmel’s sentiments, saying “We truly are the best school in the Sacramento area. We ask for so much more out of our students, not just to come out as students but as citizens – with community service and all. We buy into the idea of school and that is why we are something special here.”

The enthusiasm of the staff on campus is a definite contribution to Rocklin’s academic success. Teachers are notorious for their close bond with their students, even going so far to have a flash mob in 2011.

KCRA, one of the lead television stations in the Sacramento Area, reported that Activities director John Thompson said that the flash mob "was a surprise gift to the Rocklin High student body from the staff to celebrate Thunder Spirit."

This “thunder spirit” also manifests itself in the drive of the student body.

Rocklin High School Associated Student Body President, Zach Dahla said “I think it is evidence of the hard work that we students put into our learning… It’s refreshing to see an award that also honors teachers who inspire kids to want to learn”.

As the year wraps up, receiving Gold Medal status is a tribute to the hard work and effort put in by the students and staff of the Rocklin Community.

“This is an amazing accomplishment for our community to have our students perform at this level. That’s absolutely amazing. It’s something that really shows a lot about RHS students,” said Kimmel.