For immediate release
Dec. 21, 2011
Kathy Toelkes, Director of Communications, 785-296-4876
Five Kansas Schools Nominated for Blue Ribbon Schools Awards
TOPEKA—Education Commissioner Dr. Diane DeBacker announced today the names of the five Kansas schools she will nominate for the 2012 National Blue Ribbon (NBR) Schools Award Program. The nominations will be sent to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who will invite the schools to apply for this prestigious award. The final selection of the 2012 NBR schools will be made in September 2012.
The NBR program honors elementary and secondary schools that make significant progress in closing the achievement gap, recognizing schools that have at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that have shown exemplary improvement to high levels of student performance in reading and mathematics. The program also recognizes schools in which students achieve in the top 15 percent in the state on reading and mathematics assessments regardless of demographics.
“It’s never an easy task choosing just five schools to nominate for this prestigious award, but these five schools represent the best efforts of schools throughout our state in raising student performance and maintaining performance at high levels,” said Dr. DeBacker. “I’m pleased to nominate these schools and I congratulate them for their commitment to student learning and their success in helping all students achieve.”
A committee consisting of school administrators, staff members from previously honored NBR schools, representatives from the Kansas National Education Association (KNEA), the Kansas Association of School Boards, and the Kansas Association of Secondary School Principals reviewed the data on schools deemed to have achieved improvement to high levels and those achieving at high levels regardless of demographics. The result of the process was the selection of five schools in two categories.
Group A – Schools identified as achieving improvement to high levels, serving at least 40 percent disadvantaged students.
Garden City High School
1412 N. Main
Garden City, KS 67846
Principal: James Mireles
Garden City USD 457
Superintendent: Dr. Richard Atha
Marshall Elementary School
1015 N. Jefferson
Eureka, KS 67045
Principal: Robert Leis
Eureka USD 389
Superintendent: Randy Corns
Group B – Schools in the top 15 percent of the state on the reading and mathematics assessments, regardless of demographics.
Basehor Linwood High School
2108 N. 155th Street
Basehor, KS 66007
Principal: Sherry Reeves
Basehor-Linwood USD 458
Superintendent: David Howard
Blue Valley High School
6001 W. 159th Street
Stilwell, KS 66085
Principal: Scott Bacon
Blue Valley USD 229
Superintendent: Dr. Tom Trigg
Goddard High School
2500 S. 199th Street West
Goddard, KS 67052
Principal: Doug Bridwell
Goddard USD 265
Superintendent: Dr. Justin Henry
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