Blue Ribbon Schools

Overview

The No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private K-12 schools that are either academically superior in their states or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement. The program allows both elementary and secondary schools to be recognized in the same year.

Program Elements

The program requires schools to meet either of two assessment criteria. It (1) recognizes schools with at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that dramatically improve student performance in accordance with state assessment systems and (2) rewards schools that score in the top 10 percent on state assessments.
Of the schools submitted by each state, at least one-third must meet the first criterion of having 40 percent of the students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The Secretary of Education announces the No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools annually in the fall. Two representatives from each school, the principal and a teacher, are invited to an awards ceremony in Washington, DC, where the schools receive a plaque and a flag signifying their NCLB-BRS status.

For questions about this information, contact Berland Meyer (608) 266-5197

Last updated on 3/24/2008 10:40:31 AM