National Blue Ribbon Schools
The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes public and non-public elementary, middle, and high schools where students achieve at very high levels and/or where the achievement gap in narrowing. The Program sets a standard of excellence for all schools striving for the highest level of achievement. The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is part of a larger U. S. Department of Education effort to identify and disseminate knowledge about best school leadership and teaching practices. Each year since 1982, the U.S. Department of Education has sought out schools where students attain and maintain high academic goals, including those that beat the odds.
Blue Ribbon Schools honor public and private schools based on one of two criteria:
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Exemplary High Performing - Schools whose students, regardless of backgrounds are high performing. These are schools ranked among the state’s highest performing schools as measured by their performance on state assessments in both reading (English language arts) and mathematics or that score at the highest performance level on tests reference by the national norms in at least the most recent year tested
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Exemplary Improving Schools - Schools with at least 40% of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that have reduced the achievement gap by making the most progress in improving student performance in reading (English language arts) and mathematics or state assessments or tests referenced by national normed tests in at least the most recent year tested.