Lincoln Elementary Nominated As Blue Ribbon School
Posted
Staff Report-
Superintendent of Public Instruction Suellen Reed announced Dec. 10 that eight Indiana public schools have been nominated for a 2009 federal No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools award.
"The educators and students at these schools have demonstrated a commitment to academic achievement, and being nominated as a national Blue Ribbon School is a fitting tribute to their efforts," said Reed.Schools are separated into two groups. The federal program honors K-12 schools that either demonstrate academic superiority in their states or make dramatic gains in student achievement.
Lincoln Elementary School, Warsaw, was nominated for being one of five schools with at least 40 percent disadvantaged students that have dramatically improved student achievement:
Schools are nominated for meeting assessment criteria which include scoring in the top 10 percent on state assessments or dramatically improving student performance while having 40 percent of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The U.S. Department of Education determines how many schools states may nominate based on the numbers of K-12 students and schools in each state (eight in Indiana). Nominated schools cannot have been selected in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 or 2008, and of the schools submitted by each state, at least one-third must meet the criterion of having 40 percent of the students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
To ultimately be named a 2009 Blue Ribbon School, the nominees must meet all the requirements, submit an application to the U.S. Department of Education and make Adequate Yearly Progress, as determined by the federal No Child Left Behind Act. AYP determinations, which are based primarily on Indiana schools' performance on the ISTEP+ assessments, will be released next year. The U.S. Department of Education will present the Blue Ribbon awards to eligible schools nationwide in fall 2009.
For more information on the program, visit the Indiana Department of Education Web site at www.doe.in.gov/accreditation/blueribb.html or the U.S. Department of Education Web site at www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/index.html
