Cheshire School Receives National Blue Ribbon Distinction

CHESHIRE, CT — Norton Elementary School in Cheshire has been named a 2020 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education, officials announced Thursday.

Norton was one of four public schools in Connecticut to receive the award, along with George Hersey Robertson School in Coventry, South Street School in Danbury and Northeast School in Vernon.

“We are so proud of Principal Kelly Grillo and the entire Norton team,” Cheshire Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Solan said. “This achievement would not have been possible without the hard work of caring and effective educators, supportive parents, and our talented, dedicated students who ultimately earned this well-deserved honor.”

The award is given to select schools across the nation annually for demonstrating overall high achievement or success in closing achievement gaps.

“At Norton School, it begins and ends with relationships,” Grillo said. “Strong bonds between teachers and students, with parents and the community, and among our entire staff form the foundation. Passion, professionalism and a shared commitment to our mission fuel our growth and make Norton a happy place to work and learn.”

The prestigious National Blue Ribbon Schools award affirms the “hard work of educators, students, families, and the community in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content,” officials wrote in a news release.

“We are excited that Norton has been recognized for this tremendous achievement,” Cheshire Board of Education Chairman Tony Perugini said. “Our board is committed to the continuous support of our schools and ensuring all students receive a high-quality academic experience.”

The Connecticut State Department of Education uses data from the Next Generation Accountability System to nominate schools for the National Blue Ribbon School award. Nominated schools must complete an application process and be approved by the U.S. Department of Education.

All selected schools in Connecticut were Schools of Distinction for at least two of the last four years, according to officials.

The Education Department recognizes all schools in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores including subgroup performance:

● Exemplary High Performing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.

● Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools are among their state’s highest performing in closing achievement gaps between school’s student groups and all students.

“Norton School is being recognized for exemplary high performance,” officials wrote in a news release. “Cheshire Public Schools have collectively demonstrated significant growth over the past four years. Ranked as the 35th highest performing K-12 school system in Connecticut on the Smarter Balanced Assessment in 2016, the district currently ranks fifth. While other Cheshire schools such as Highland Elementary, Doolittle Elementary, Chapman Elementary, and Dodd Middle School have all shown considerable growth in that time, Norton has led the charge. Norton students performed among the best in Connecticut in both Reading and Math, but were first overall on the Connecticut Science Assessment.”

Norton Elementary and the other 367 National Blue Ribbon Schools will be recognized at a virtual awards ceremony in mid-November. As part of Norton’s recognition, the school will receive a plaque and flag to proudly display.