The faculty, staff, students and parents are proud to announce that Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Burlington, KY has received the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School Award! This is quite a distinction and an award for which we can all be proud.
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created to honor schools. Established in 1982 by Secretary of Education Terrell Bell, the program first honored only secondary schools before it was expanded to include primary schools. The program has recognized more than 3,000 schools since its inception.
On July 28, 2002, the Secretary announced that schools singled out for national honors will now reflect the goals of our nation's new education reforms for high standards and accountability.
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 requires schools to meet either of two assessment criteria. It recognizes schools that have at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that dramatically improve student performance in accordance with state assessment systems; and it rewards schools that score in the top 10 percent on state assessments. It is the second criteria that Immaculate Heart of Mary School has met.
We began the application process in November of 2005. The application is lengthy and requires verification of test scores, curriculum and other academic competencies. The application packet was submitted to the awards committee after Christmas and we began the long wait for confirmation of our award status. Representatives of all schools winning the award are invited to Washington D.C. in November to receive a plaque and flag signifying our award.
Please join me in congratulating our dedicated faculty and staff, all our students and our supportive parents. We are working on a great team–IHM: TEAM BLUE!
Someone "decorated" the homes of the Principal and Assistant Principal overnight!
Spellings
Announces First List of 2006 No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon
Schools
Schools honored are
academically superior or show dramatic gains in student achievement
| FOR RELEASE: September 22, 2006 |
Contact: David Thomas (202) 401-1579 |
U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today named 250 schools as the first ones to be selected in the 2006 No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon Schools Program. These public and private K-12 schools are being honored for helping close the achievement gap and for their students who achieve at very high levels.
Spellings will announce a second group of schools in October, when more data on their achievements are available.
"These schools show what wonderful accomplishments can be made when we focus on the bottom line in education – student achievement," Spellings said.
"All of these schools have students from all subgroups who've made impressive test gains or who scored in the top tier on state tests. They are outstanding examples of how all students can achieve to higher standards."
The No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes schools that make significant progress in closing the achievement gap or whose students achieve at very high levels. The schools are selected based on one of two criteria:
Schools with at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that dramatically improve student performance to high levels on state tests
Under No Child Left Behind, schools must make Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, in reading and language arts and mathematics. Each state—not the federal government—sets its own academic standards and benchmark goals, because each state knows best what goals and criteria are most appropriate for its school districts.
Every state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, has an assigned number of possible schools based on the number of students and the number of schools in the state. A total of 413 schools can be nominated. The state's CCSO nominates public schools and the Council for American Private Education (CAPE) nominates private schools. Once the secretary has the nominations from the CCSO and CAPE, the secretary invites the nominated schools to submit applications for possible recognition as a No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon School.
The 2006 No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon Schools will be honored at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., November 9-10.
Further information on the program and a list of current winners can be accessed at http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/awards.html.
http://www.capenet.org/brs2.html