By Isaac Cox
Among the 329 schools selected nationwide, and 33 California sites chosen to receive the 2016 National Blue Ribbon designation, are three ART of TEACHING alumni schools.
Edison Language Academy from Santa Monica-Malibu, Francis Hopkinson Elementary in Los Alamitos, and Tustin Memorial Academy of Tustin Unified, are the three Cotsen alumni schools that received this prestigious recognition. These honorees join the ranks of three additional ART of TEACHING schools that have earned the Blue Ribbon designation over the last four years. Previous winners include Andrews in Whittier City District, Newland Elementary in Fountain Valley, and Rossmoor from Los Alamitos Unified.
The Blue Ribbon Program, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, has been in existence for 34 years. It was created to highlight schools that exemplify powerful teaching and learning that results in academic excellence. The award is to commend the hardworking teachers, administrators, students, and families that strive to build professional learning communities where students can and do achieve.
The selection process for becoming a Blue Ribbon school utilizes extremely rigorous qualifying criteria. According to the Department of Education, schools are recognized in two performance categories, based on all student scores, subgroup student scores and graduation rates:
- Exemplary High Performing Schools are among their state’s highest-performing schools, as measured by state assessments or nationally-normed tests.
- Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s subgroups and all students over the past five years.
Schools will be formally recognized on Nov. 7 and 8 in an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. The Cotsen Foundation for the ART of TEACHING congratulates this year’s recipients. We are extremely proud of them and wish them continued success in their pursuit of instructional excellence.
To learn more about the National Blue Ribbon Schools, or to browse the entire list of California 2016 recipients, follow this link to the California Department of Education.
If you know of a Cotsen alumni school that has been recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School and isn’t on this list, please email us at info@cotsen.org and we will be sure to add them. Thank you!