Five schools in Alabama awarded the National Blue Ribbon

Five schools in Alabama are among the winners of the 2018 National Blue Ribbon for their exemplary performance in assessment by the state.

The Blue Ribbon Award is the highest national award given by the US Department of Education to a school.

The winners, announced today by the US Department of Education, are:

Arab Elementary and Athens Elementary are Grade I schools, which means that over 40% of their students live in poverty.

These five people join almost 100 public and private blue ribbon schools in Alabama since the beginning of the program in 1982. Click here to view a list of all the schools in the country that have won the award since 1982.

The 2018 Blue Ribbon has been awarded to 349 schools across the country, based either on their overall academic performance or on their notable progress in reducing the difference in results between subgroups of students.

The latest Alabama winners were in the "Exemplary High Performing" category, which means that the school must be at least one of the top 15% of schools in terms of performance. assessment in English and mathematics.

In Alabama, no one of the 36 schools in the country has been recognized to fill the gap in results this year.

In a video message to the winners today, US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said, "We recognize and honor your important work in preparing students for a successful career and a rewarding life. achievements of your students and for your extraordinary commitment to Needs. "

The National Blue Ribbon School Program has recognized more than 8,500 schools since 1982.

DeVos and the US Department of Education will celebrate with the winners at a ceremony in Washington, DC in November.

Public schools can be nominated for the Blue Ribbon Award by their national education departments. Private institutions may be appointed by the Council for American Private Education (CAPE).