02/08/96 Riley Names 266 Blue Ribbon Schools

US Education Department Press Releases, Feb 08, 1996

U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley today announced the selection of 266 public and private secondary schools as Blue Ribbon Schools.

In recognizing excellence in teaching and instruction, student achievement, leadership, and parental involvement, the U.S. Department of Education honors some of the nation's most successful schools.

"These schools are testimony to the successes we can have in American education if we work together to raise standards and focus on the basics of better schools," Riley said. "Each of them has demonstrated the key ingredients for excellence."

Riley said these successful schools feature: challenging academic standards and a rigorous curriculum for all students; a disciplined, supportive, safe and drug-free environment; participatory leadership and a strong partnership among the family, school and community; excellent teaching and an environment that strengthens teacher skills and improvement; low dropout rates and documented student achievement.

This year, 216 public schools and 50 private schools in 40 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, including a Bureau of Indian Affairs School in Cass Lake, Minn., and a Department of Defense school in Augsburg, Germany, will be recognized.

Each year, schools also are given the option of seeking special honors in an area of current importance in American education. This year, 77 schools are seeking special recognition in parental involvement and 97 in getting good computer technology in the classroom.

Special honors winners will be announced as part of the national awards ceremony this spring in Washington, D.C., when schools also will receive a special flag to be flown over the school and a plaque commemorating their achievement.

The schools were nominated by state education agencies, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Department of Defense, and the Council for American Private Education.

To be selected for recognition, a school conducts a self-evaluation -- a useful process that allows teachers, students, parents and community representatives to assess their strengths and weaknesses and develop strategic plans for the future. The school then submits a written application, including information on their progress toward achieving the National Education Goals. A review panel selects the most promising schools for site visits by experienced educators who submit reports on their findings. The review panel considers the reports and makes recommendations to the U.S. Secretary of Education, who announces the schools selected for recognition.

Established in 1982, the Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors elementary and secondary schools in alternate years and has recognized more than 3,000 since its inception.

These schools are not only centers of educational excellence in their communities, but are often visited by educators from across the country who study their success. The U.S. Department of Education currently is working with the states to explore ways to more widely share the successes of the participating schools so that others can benefit from what they have found to work.

NOTE TO EDITORS: A list of the schools is available on request. Blue Ribbon Schools Program 1994-1996 Secondary Schools Selected for Recognition Alabama Birmingham Louis Pizitz Middle School (205) 823-0423 Vestavia Hills City School Mr. David W. Miles

Mobile Phillips Preparatory School (334) 471-4431 Mobile County Public School System Dr. Carolyn Lee Taylor

Mobile W. P. Davidson High School (334) 342-7156 Mobile County Public School System Mr. Lewis Copeland Arizona Phoenix Greenway High School (602) 588-3500 Glendale Union High School District #205 Dr. Edward Murphy

Mesa Red Mountain High School (602) 396-1800 Mesa Unified School District Dr. Kenneth Salas

Litchfield Park Western Sky Middle School (602) 935-9560 Litchfield Elementary School District #79 Dr. Ann Allison

Phoenix Xavier College Preparatory (602) 277-3772 N/A Sister Joan Fitzgerald, BVM Arkansas Bentonville Old High Middle School (501) 271-1107 Bentonville School District #6 Mrs. Aris Larson Bureau of Indian Affairs Cass Lake, Minnesota Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig Middle School (218) 665-2282 Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig Schools Mr. Scott Anderson California Rowland Heights Alvarado Intermediate School (818) 964-2358 Rowland Unified School District Mr. H. Burl Hunt

Union City Alvarado Middle School (510) 489-0700 New Haven Unified School District Mr. Kevin Brodehl

Benicia Benicia Middle School (707) 747-8340 Benicia Unified School District Ms. Carole S. Hiltman

Clovis C. Todd Clark Intermediate School (209) 299-6858 Clovis Unified School District Mr. Carl Tomlinson

Torrance Calle Mayor Middle School (310) 533-4548 Torrance Unified School District Mrs. Marilou Ryder

Oxnard Charles Blackstock Junior (805) 488-3644 High School Hueneme Elementary School District Mrs. Robin I. Freeman

Cupertino Cupertino High School (408) 366-7371 Fremont Union High School District Ms. Barbara A. Nunes

Fresno Edison Computech 7-8 (209) 441-3971 Fresno Unified School District Mrs. Claudia Andresen