National Blue Ribbon Schools

National Recognition

National Blue Ribbon Schools are honored at an annual awards ceremony in Washington, DC, where each receives a plaque and flag to signify its exemplary status. These schools serve as examples for other schools throughout the nation and details of their achievements are shared on the U.S. Department of Education's website.

Founded in 1982, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes public and private elementary, middle, and high schools where students perform at very high levels or where significant improvements are being made in students' academic achievement. A National Blue Ribbon Schools flag overhead has become a mark of excellence in education recognized by everyone from parents to policy-makers in thousands of communities. Since the program's founding, the U.S. Department of Education has bestowed this coveted award on more than 9,000 of America's schools. Blue Ribbon Schools share some key qualities.

• Their leaders not only articulate a vision of excellence and hold everyone to high standards, they stay close to the real action of teaching and learning.
• Mutual respect and trust run deep in their cultures.
• The whole school community embodies a sense of collegiality and commitment and members are supported by mentoring and professional development.
• Data from many sources are used diligently to adapt teaching and learning to support every student.
• Families and educators work together in partnership.

Eligibility

The Department of Education invites Chief State School Officers (CSSOs) for all states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), and the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) to apply for recognition as National Blue Ribbon Schools. In submitting nominated schools, the CSSO of each state and these entities must certify that the nominated schools meet the minimum requirements established by the Department and describe any other criteria used by the state to nominate the schools. States must rely on their state assessment systems to identify schools for submission to the Secretary. Each state's nomination criteria must pertain equally to all schools nominated by the state. Visit the Department of Education for details on eligibility and visit our Flickr pages to see photos from previous winners.