Nash Nominated for the National Blue Ribbon School Award

by Victoria Marquis

January 18, 2012

Congratulations! John L Nash Middle School has been nominated by Illinois for the 2012 National Blue Ribbon Schools award. Nash Middle School is one of 16 outstanding schools nominated from Illinois as deserving of the National Blue Ribbon Schools Award.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools award highlights and gives recognition to both public and private elementary, middle and high schools that are producing outstanding results for all students regardless of race or socioeconomic status. Schools recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools are those that have demonstrated consistent excellence, and in some cases, those that have made progress and closed gaps in student achievement. The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is part of a larger U. S. Department of Education effort to identify and disseminate knowledge about best school leadership and teaching practices.

The school was nominated for the award based on one of two criteria: 1) Exemplary High Performing: a school, whose students, regardless of backgrounds, is high performing. This means your school is ranked among the state’s highest performing schools as measured by your performance on state assessments; or 2) Exemplary Improving: a school, with at least 40 percent of its students from disadvantaged backgrounds that has reduced the achievement gap by making the most progress in improving student performance as measured by the school’s performance on state assessments.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools award sets a standard of excellence for all schools striving for the highest level of achievement. Each year since 1982, the U.S. Department of Education has sought out schools where students attain and maintain high academic goals, including those that beat the odds. For many schools, a National Blue Ribbon School flag waving overhead has become a trademark of excellence, a symbol of quality recognized by everyone from parents to policymakers in thousands of communities. The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program sets a high standard that should represent a goal for all schools that strive for excellence. For the past 29 years, this prestigious program has honored more than 6000 of America’s most successful schools. For public schools, the U. S. Secretary of Education invites Chief State School Officers to nominate schools from their state that meet the National Blue Ribbon School recognition criteria. The Secretary invites the Council for American Private Education to nominate private schools that meet the criteria. The Department of Defense Education Activity and the Bureau of Indian Education are invited to nominate schools as well.