Five Alabama schools awarded National Blue Ribbon School Program designation

Five Alabama schools were awarded the National Blue Ribbon Schools designation, according to a Tuesday afternoon news release.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has been in place since 1982, according to the U.S. Department of Education website. The program recognizes schools for “overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.”

353 schools were awarded nationally. The five awarded in Alabama are:

• Cordova Elementary School in the Walker County School district. According to the state report card, the school received an overall score of 90 and reported 100% academic growth and 80.27% academic achievement. 52.78% of the student body is economically disadvantaged.
• Mt. Carmel Elementary School in Madison County School System. According to the state report card, the school received an overall score of 94. It reported 100% academic growth and 88.98% in academic achievement. 25.86% of the student body is economically disadvantaged.
• Creek View in Alabaster City Schools. According to the state report card, it received an overall score of 92 and reported 100% in academic growth. It received an 85.58% in academic achievement. 38.42% of the student body is economically disadvantaged.
• Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School in Jefferson County received an overall score of 97 according to the report card. The school has an academic achievement score of 93.75% and 100.00% in academic growth. 31.85% of the student body is economically disadvantaged.
• Skyline High School in Jackson County received a 93 on the report card and has a graduation rate of 97.73%. The academic achievement rate is 77.73% and academic growth of 100%. 44.01% of the student body is economically disadvantaged.

The numbers are from the 2021-22 school year.

According to the 2022 guide to Alabama’s Accountability System, academic achievement and academic growth are based on a calculation with eligible student records in English Language Arts and math.

Academic growth, according to a state glossary of federal terms, is based on students who demonstrate improvement on assessments in tested graded in growth categories in English Language Arts and math. Academic achievement is based on students scoring on different achievement levels in math and English Language Arts in the tested grades.

In the news release from the Alabama State Department of Education, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said that Blue Ribbon Schools “raise the bar in education.”

“The leaders, educators, and staff at our National Blue Ribbon Schools continually inspire me with their dedication to fostering academic excellence and building positive school cultures that support students of all backgrounds to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally,” wrote Cardona in the statement.