”Because you believe in your students, they believe in themselves,” Education Secretary John B. King, Jr. said during his announcement of the 329 schools that are receiving the National Blue Ribbon School award this year.

“You’re proof that we can prepare every child for college and meaningful careers. From making college part of the elementary school conversation, to promoting leadership among middle school students, to finding internships and charting career pathways for high school students...where students who are not going immediately onto college can graduate career ready with endorsements in business and industry,” he said to the honorees.

The list of recipients includes 279 public schools and 50 private schools, to be honored Nov. 7 and 8 at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

In its 34th year, the award is bestowed on schools that display outstanding achievement and fall into one of two categories:

• Exemplary High Performing Schools, which are among their state's highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests
• Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools, which are among their state's highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school's subgroups and all students over the past five years

As for the nomination process, the Department says it "invites National Blue Ribbon School nominations from the top education official in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, 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 420 schools nationwide may be nominated each year.”

Read the full list of this year’s recipients here.

Nicole Gorman, Senior Education World Contributor