For Immediate Release
September 7, 2012
For more information, call:
Sr. Michael Marie Friedman, OSUMSJ, 270/765-7011
Today, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recognized St. James Elementary in Elizabethtown, Ky. as a 2012 National Blue Ribbon School based on its overall academic excellence. Two hundred sixty-nine schools were recognized overall, and St. James was one of five private schools recognized in the state of Kentucky.
The Department of Education will honor St. James with approximately 219 public and 49 other private schools at a recognition ceremony on November 12-13 in Washington, D.C. In its 30-year history, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed this coveted award on nearly 7,000 of America’s schools.
“Our nation has no greater responsibility than helping all children realize their full potential,” Duncan said. “Schools honored with the National Blue Ribbon Schools award are committed to accelerating student achievement and preparing students for success in college and careers. Their work reflects the conviction that every child has promise and that education is the surest pathway to a strong, secure future.”
The National Blue Ribbon Schools award honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools where students perform at very high levels or where significant improvements are being made in students’ levels of achievement.
The program recognizes schools in one of two performance categories. The first category is “Exemplary High Performing,” in which schools are recognized among their state’s highest performing schools, as measured by state assessments or nationally-normed tests. The second category is “Exemplary Improving,” in which schools that have at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds demonstrate the most progress in improving student achievement levels as measured by state assessments or nationally-normed tests. St. James was recognized as being an “Exemplary High Performing” school.
To select National Blue Ribbon Schools, the Department requests nominations from the top education official in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education. The Council for American Private Education (CAPE) nominates private schools. A total of 417 schools nationwide may be nominated, with allocations determined by the number of K-12 students and schools in each jurisdiction. The Secretary of Education invites nominated schools to submit an application for possible recognition as a National Blue Ribbon School.
Founded in 1870, St. James Elementary is one of 38 elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Louisville serving 420 students in grades PK-8. Next month, the school will be moving to a new school building on Robinbrooke Boulevard in Elizabethtown.
NOTE TO EDITORS: A list of the 2012 National Blue Ribbon Schools is available at http://www.ed.gov/nationalblueribbonschools. Nominated schools from some states will be included at a later date following final certification by the state’s chief state school officer
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