The Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public elementary, middle and high schools that are either academically superior or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement. In addition to being honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., where each school receives a plaque and flag signifying their status, these schools serve as models for other schools throughout the state and the nation.
The program requires schools to meet either of two assessment criteria:
- Schools that have at least 40% of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that dramatically improve student performance in accordance with state assessment systems
- Schools that score in the top 10% on state assessments
Of the schools submitted by each state, at least 1/3 must meet the first criterion of having 40% of the students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The program allows both elementary and secondary schools to be recognized in the same year.
The U.S. Department of Education allows the commissioner of education for Texas to nominate 26 schools.
To be considered for Blue Ribbon School Recognition by the U. S. Department of Education, a Texas public school must be nominated by the commissioner of education. Campuses recommended for nomination are selected through analysis of student assessment data. Please see the NCLB-Blue Ribbon Schools Guide (Resources and Guidance) for a more detailed explanation of the selection for nomination process.
The United States Department of Education is responsible for administering the Blue Ribbon Schools Program, which is authorized by Public Law 107-110 (January 8, 2002), Part D—Fund for the Improvement of Education, Subpart 1, Sec. 5411(b)(5)
These profiles and presentations can serve as a resource for schools. They can be used to:
Stimulate ideas for discussion with school planning teams
Target strategies to address problems currently identified as needing improvement by the school community
Prompt the school administration to contact the Blue Ribbon School presenter to learn more about the topic area
Refer others to the No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools website as a resource for school improvement strategies
Links to resources