The Indiana Department of Education today recognized eight Indiana schools as 2012 National Blue Ribbon Schools. The United States Department of Education (ED) honors schools with the Blue Ribbon distinction for demonstrating student achievement gains or high performance on state assessments.
The following eights schools were recognized as 2012 Blue Ribbon Schools:
- Douglas MacArthur Elementary School, Cedar Lake
- Ferdinand Elementary, Ferdinand LaSalle
- Intermediate Academy, South Bend
- New Palestine High School, New Palestine
- Northview Elementary School, Valparaiso
- Smoky Row Elementary School, Carmel
- Webster Elementary School, Plymouth
- Yorktown High School, Yorktown
“I applaud the students, teachers and staff at each of the Indiana Blue Ribbon Schools,” Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Tony Bennett said. “These honorees show us that no matter where you look in Indiana—in our urban, suburban and rural settings—there are passionate and committed adults working hard to reach every student and help them succeed.”
The Blue Ribbon School program honors public and private schools that are either among the state’s highest performing schools or are schools with high gains in student performance where at least 40 percent of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
State school superintendents nominate public schools, and the Council for American Private Education (CAPE) submits private school nominations. The nominated schools are each then invited by the U.S. Secretary of Education to submit an application for possible recognition as a Blue Ribbon School.
More than 300 schools nationwide were nominated as 2012 Blue Ribbon Schools based on their overall academic excellence or their success in closing achievement gaps. Indiana’s National Blue Ribbon Schools will be honored at an awards ceremony in November in Washington, D.C.
For more information regarding the National Blue Ribbon School program, visit http://www2.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/index.html.