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 
.
.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
| County | City | School |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara | San Jose | Valley Christian Junior High School |
| Ventura | Thousand Oaks | La 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
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100