The South Whidbey High School staff and students are celebrating another school-wide academic achievement.

According to a list published on Sept. 25 by the Puget Sound Business Journal, South Whidbey High School ranked ninth in the state for student achievement as stated in the State Board of Education’s Achievement Index for the 2012-13 school year.

The home of the Falcons received an achievement score of 8.521.

In an email to The Record, superintendent Jo Moccia said the district’s intense focus upon ensuring that students graduate career and college ready and a solid sense of staff accountability are the largest factors in the district’s success.

“The biggest factor in our success is that we are all working together toward our goals,” she wrote. “This includes the school board, administrators, teachers and all support staff. Students and families are in partnership with the district and we are going good work.”

Moccia added that the district is continuously improving and working to ensure students develop critical academic and life skills beginning in pre-kindergarten, through graduation.

South Whidbey High School principal John Patton wrote in an email to The Record that he feels obtaining the number nine slot to be a great accomplishment.

He continued by adding that the curriculum and teaching methods at South Whidbey High School are student-centered, focused on equipping the students with the opportunity to succeed.