The West Islip School District has been rated one of the top public school districts in the United States by Expansion Management Magazine's Education Quotient. The magazine evaluated school districts nationally that have student enrollments of more than 3,300. The rating of school districts is a way of providing readers with a basis for comparing the type of work force they are likely to encounter in various communities around the country. Expansion Management Magazine is a business publication for executives of companies looking for a location for expansion or relocation of facilities.

Certificates are being awarded to the superintendents of schools in the top 16 percent (Gold Medal) and top 33 percent (Blue Ribbon) "as a way of saying congratulations for a job well done," says Chief Editor Bill King. He added, "In today's knowledge-based global economy, nothing is more important to companies that the ability to find and employ an increasingly well-educated work force." The magazine is mailed to more than 43,000 CEOs and vice presidents. The Education Quotient is calculated on three aspects: Graduate Outcome, Resource Index (which measures the community's financial commitment to education), and the Community Index (which measures the community's adult education and income levels).

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Beth Virginia Blau has been presented with a Gold Medal Certificate, recognizing West Islip School District as "One of the Nation's Best Public School Districts."