U.S. Secretary of
Education Margaret Spellings today named 320
schools as 2008 No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon
Schools. The No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon
Schools award distinguishes and honors schools
for helping students achieve at very high levels
and for making significant progress in closing
the achievement gap.
For the past 26 years, this prestigious
program has honored more than 5, 800 of
America's most successful schools.
"These Blue Ribbon Schools are an example of
what teachers and students can achieve,"
Spellings said. "Now our challenge is to help
other schools follow their lead by continuing to
measure progress through No Child Left Behind,
and by using the knowledge we've gained to
replicate effective strategies and help every
student improve."
The No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools
Program honors public and private elementary,
middle and high schools that are either
academically superior or that demonstrate
dramatic gains in student achievement to 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; and
- schools whose students, regardless of
background, achieve in the top 10 percent of
their state on state tests or in the case of
private schools in the top 10 percent of the
nation on nationally-normed tests.
