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Tuesday, September 24, 2013

National Blue Ribbon Schools Named - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education)

National Blue Ribbon Schools Named - Year 2013 (CA Dept of Education):

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Congratulates California
Winners of the 2013 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award




SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today congratulated 13 California public and two private schools that are being recognized as 2013 National Blue Ribbon Schools.
The schools, which were either high achieving or made significant academic improvement, were among 236 public and 50 private schools identified Tuesday by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
"These schools are wonderful illustrations of the work we do here in California schools to prepare our students to thrive in the world they will find outside of our classrooms," Torlakson said. "I am proud to see them held up as national examples."
The federal Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private schools from elementary through high school.
Public schools are nominated by each Chief State School Officer (CSSO), including the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education. The Council for American Private Education nominates private schools. Based on state data the nominated schools must be certified as meeting one of two eligibility criteria:
  • Exemplary High-Performing, defined as the achievement of the school's students in the most recent year tested placing the school among the highest-performing in the state on assessments of reading (or English-language arts) and mathematics. Disaggregated results for student subgroups, including students from disadvantaged backgrounds, must be similar to the results for all students tested.
  • Exemplary-Improving, defined as schools that have at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds and have improved student performance to high levels in English-language arts and mathematics on state assessments or assessments referenced against national norms. "Disadvantaged" means students eligible for free or reduced-priced meals, who receive Title I services, are limited English proficient, migrant, or in need of special services.
Blue Ribbon Schools will be honored at a national awards ceremony on November 18-19 in Washington, D.C., where each winner will receive a plaque and flag. Blue Ribbon winners may fly this flag at their schools as a mark of excellence. In its 31-year history, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has presented this award to nearly 7,500 of America's schools.
Details of the achievements of the 2013 National Blue Ribbon Schools can be found on the U.S. Department of Education's Web site National Blue Ribbon Schools Program External link opens in new window or tab..

California's National Blue Ribbon Public Schools for 2013

County
District
School
Alameda
Castro Valley Unified
Jensen Ranch Elementary
Alameda
Fremont Unified
Joshua Chadbourne Elementary
Fresno
Clovis Unified
James S. Fugman Elementary
Los Angeles
La Canada Unified
La Canada Elementary
Los Angeles
ABC Unified
Frank C. Leal Elementary
Los Angeles
Manhattan Beach Unified
Opal Robinson Elementary
Orange
Irvine Unified
Stonegate Elementary
Orange
Anaheim Union High
Oxford Academy
San Diego
Del Mar Union Elementary
Ocean Air Elementary
San Diego
San Diego Unified
Torrey Pines Elementary
San Francisco
San Francisco Unified
John Yehall Chin Elementary
Santa Clara
Cupertino Union
William Faria Elementary
Santa Clara
San Jose Unified
George W. Simonds Elementary

California's National Blue Ribbon Private Schools for 2013

CountyCitySchool
Santa ClaraSan JoseValley Christian Junior High School
VenturaThousand OaksLa Reina High School

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Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100