U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige today joined representatives of 264 public and private elementary schools from across the country that are being honored this week as Blue Ribbon Schools.

The 18-year-old Blue Ribbon Schools program spotlights some of the nation's most successful schools by honoring excellence in leadership, teaching, curriculum, student achievement and parental involvement.

"I am delighted to congratulate the principals, teachers, parents and all other representatives of the Blue Ribbon Schools who are here today," Paige said. "Often excellence is difficult to achieve, and often it doesn't get the notice it deserves. That's why it is so important that we take the time to identify and appreciate how our schools are helping students."

Schools honored this year were evaluated on a number of characteristics, including:

• high student retention and graduation rates;
• challenging standards and curriculum;
• excellent teaching and an environment that strengthens teachers skills and improvement;
• school, family and community partnerships; and
• student performance on measures of achievement.

This year, 223 public schools and 41 private schools in 38 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as well as a Department of Defense school, will be recognized. The schools were nominated by state education agencies, the Department of Defense and the Council for American Private Education.

Selection of Blue Ribbon Schools is based on an evaluation of written materials from the nominated schools and the reports of experienced principals and teachers who visit the nominated schools. Reviewers make recommendations to the secretary for final selection.

Elementary and secondary schools participate in alternate years with middle schools participating in the program with high schools.

Schools selected for recognition have conducted a thorough self-evaluation involving administrators, teachers, students, parents and community representatives in the completion of their nomination forms. This process included assessing their strengths and weaknesses and developing strategic plans for the future.

In keeping with the tradition of the Blue Ribbon Schools program, Paige announced that as part of President Bush's No Child Left Behind plan for education reform, the current program will undergo changes that will be reflected in the 2002-03 school year. "As our sense of what makes an excellent school has changed, the Blue Ribbon Schools program has changed to match it," Paige said. "Starting next year, the program will have a new name—the No Child Left Behind Schools—but it will continue the Blue Ribbon Schools tradition into the future by recognizing schools that dramatically improve student performance and schools from disproportionately disadvantaged backgrounds that perform at the highest levels."

Paige said more details on the program would be available in the coming months. "We will continue to hold up excellent schools as models, just as we are doing here today with our Blue Ribbon Schools," Paige said. "In education, as in life, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

NOTE TO EDITORS: A list of recognized schools is available on request and on-line at http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/awards.html.

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