FOR RELEASE
May 22, 1998
RILEY NAMES 166 BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS
U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley today named 166 public and private secondary schools selected as the 1997-98 Blue Ribbon Schools.
This marks the 15th year of the program, which spotlights some of the nation's most successful schools by honoring excellence in leadership, teaching, curriculum, student achievement and parental involvement.
"These schools prove that teamwork, commitment and hard work among parents, teachers, administrators and students can lead to outstanding achievements," Riley said. "The communities and the schools have formed successful partnerships that are beneficial to everyone involved."
Riley noted that each of the Blue Ribbon Schools possess the following ingredients for success:
o High student retention rate and graduation rates;
o Challenging standards and curriculum;
o Excellent teaching and environment that strengthens teacher skills and improvement;
o School, family and community partnerships; and
o Student performance on measures of achievement.
This year, 124 public and 42 private schools in 33 states and a Department of Defense Dependents School in West Point, N.Y., will be recognized.
The schools were nominated by state education agencies, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Department of Defense, and the Council for American Private Education.
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.
Established in 1982, the Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors elementary and secondary schools in alternate years and has evolved to place strong emphasis on school improvement. Since its inception, nearly 3,700 schools have been recognized.
NOTE TO EDITORS: A list of recognized schools is available upon request and at our website at www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/BlueRibbonSchools/.
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