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National
Blue
Ribbon School Award
Nichols
Hills Elementary School has been selected as a 2001 Blue Ribbon
School by the United States Department of Education.
The Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award, one of the most
prestigious education awards in the country, distinguishes Nichols
Hills Elementary for its excellence in leadership, teaching,
curriculum, student achievement, parental involvement, and community
support.
Purpose
of the Program:
Since the Blue Ribbon Schools Program was established
by the Secretary of Education in 1982, it has developed into a
national school improvement strategy with three purposes. First, it
identifies and recognizes outstanding public and private schools
across the nation. Second, the program makes research-based
effectiveness criteria available to all schools so they can assess
themselves and plan improvements. Third, the program encourages
schools, both within and among themselves, to share information
about best practices based on a common understanding of criteria
related to educational success.
Blue
Ribbon Schools are models of both excellence and equity. To be
recognized, a school must demonstrate a strong commitment to
educational excellence for all students. The program welcomes
applications from schools that have demonstrated sustained success
in achieving these values, as well as schools that have overcome
obstacles and can provide evidence of significant improvements.
Which
Schools May Be Nominated?
Public and private schools serving grades K-12 from
the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S.
Virgin Islands, as well as Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Department
of Defense Dependents Schools, may be nominated. Elementary and
secondary schools are eligible to participate in alternate years.
Middle schools participate in program with secondary schools.
The
minimum period of operation for public and private schools,
including newly merged schools, is five years; that is, the school
must be in its sixth full year of operation when the application is
submitted. Previously recognized schools are eligible to reapply
after a five year waiting period.
How
Are Schools Chosen?
Each state education agency administers its own program for
selecting public schools to be nominated to the national level.
Chief State School Officers make their nominations to the U.S.
Department of Education. The Council for American Private Education
nominates private schools, and officials of the
Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Department of Defense Dependents
Schools nominate their schools. Each of these nominating agencies
has an assigned Blue Ribbon liaison who provides guidance to schools
applying to the program.
The
Department convenes the National Review Panel to evaluate the
nominations. The panel consists of approximately 100 outstanding
public and private school educators from the elementary, secondary,
and postsecondary levels. Based on the quality of the application,
the most promising schools are
recommended for site visits. The purpose of a visit is to verify the
accuracy of the information the school has provided in its
nomination form and to gather any additional information the panel
has requested. Experienced educators, including principals of
previously recognized schools, visit and observe the schools for two
days and submit written site visit reports. The National Review
Panel considers the reports in its
final review of applicants and makes recommendations to the U.S.
Secretary of Education, who then announces the names of the schools
selected for recognition.
What
Selection Criteria Are Used?
The National Review Panel considers the following
general categories in analyzing the application of each school:
Student Focus and Support
School Organization and Culture
Challenging Standards and Curriculum
Active Teaching and Learning
Professional Community
Leadership and Educational Vitality
School, Family, and Community Partnerships
Indicators of Success
Details of these eight categories of selection criteria are provided
in the nomination package available through the nominating agencies
or on the U.S. Department of Education website.
Each
year, special emphases are designated. These represent areas where
school performance needs to be greatly improved and where effective
models are sought. Schools may choose to seek honors in one special
emphasis area in addition to comprehensive recognition.
What
Are the Benefits?
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program has proven to be effective in
numerous ways:
The nomination package provides a comprehensive
framework of research-based criteria that schools can use to assess
themselves and plan changes. The self-assessment is an opportunity
to involve all relevant stakeholders in a common school improvement
project.
Recognition is a powerful energizer for recognized schools to
make further improvements.
By publicly validating school improvement efforts, confidence
in recognized schools increases. Their receiving the award often
results in higher local funding for schools, greater parent and
community involvement in education, and success in the search for
outside funds and other resources.
The public spotlight shines on recognized schools; often they
are the subjects of articles in national, state, and local
publications. They are designated as the universe from which
schools, teachers, or students are selected for special awards from
business and industry.
Recognized schools have opportunities to share their effective
practices with other schools as well as to learn from other schools.
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