Baldwin Stocker Elementary School Blue Ribbon Recipient

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson Monday congratulated 23 California public schools and one private school that have been named by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as national Blue Ribbon Schools for 2010-11.
“I congratulate these dedicated schools for receiving such a prestigious national honor,” said Torlakson, who nominated the schools earlier this year. “This recognition was made possible by motivated teachers, administrators, and staff supported by involved parents who worked together to provide their students a firm foundation for a lifetime of learning.”
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a U.S. Department of Education program. BRSP honors public and private schools from elementary through high schools, whose students achieve at very high levels or have made significant progress and helped close gaps in achievement, especially among disadvantaged and minority students.
Public schools are nominated by each Chief State School Officer (CSSO), including the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education. Based on state data, the CSSO must certify that the nominated schools meet one of two eligibility criteria:
Exemplary High-Performing defined as the achievement of the school’s students in the most recent year tested places the school among the highest -performing schools in the state on state assessments of reading (or English language arts) and mathematics, and disaggregated results for student subgroups, including students from disadvantaged backgrounds, must be similar to the results for all students tested.
Exemplary-Improving defined as schools that have at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds and have improved student performance to high levels in English-language arts and mathematics on state assessments or assessments referenced against national norms. Disadvantaged means students eligible for free or reduced-priced meals, who receive Title I services, are limited English proficient, migrant, or in need of special services.
Blue Ribbon Schools will be honored at a national awards ceremony on November 12-13 in Washington, D.C., where each winner will receive a plaque and flag. Blue Ribbon winners may fly this flag at their schools as a mark of excellence and a symbol of quality. In its 30-year history, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed this award on nearly 7,000 of America’s schools.
Details of the achievements of the 2012 National Blue Ribbon Schools can be found on the U.S. Department of Education’s Web site at: National Blue Ribbon Schools.
For more information on California’s past winners, please visit thttp://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/sr/br/index.asp.

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