Danbury School Earns Prestigious National Honor

DANBURY, CT — Gov. Ned Lamont and Connecticut Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker announced Friday that Great Plain School in Danbury was among four public schools in Connecticut named a 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education.

The award is given annually to select schools across the nation for demonstrating overall high achievement of success in closing achievement gaps, according to a news release from Lamont's office.

In addition to Great Plain, the other Blue Ribbon Schools in Connecticut are Booth Hill School in Trumbull, Whiting Lane School in West Hartford and E.O. Smith High School in Regional School District 19 (Ashford, Columbia, Coventry Eastford, Mansfield, Willington,and Windham).

"Connecticut’s public schools are consistently rated among the best in the nation, and that is due to the teachers and staff who work in our school systems and provide a high level of learning that is helping our students achieve success throughout their future careers," Lamont said in a news release. "The ability to attract businesses and encourage them to expand and grow in our state is directly connected to the strength of our workforce and the quality of training that students receive, which is why it is critical that we provide the youngest in our communities with the tools needed to compete in today’s economy."

The state State Department of Education uses data from the Next Generation Accountability System to nominate schools for the National Blue Ribbon School award.

Given the recent pause in accountability determinations, state officials said current recipients were nominated based on 2018-19 accountability results.

Nominated schools must complete an application process and be approved by the U.S. Department of Education.

"The Connecticut State Department of Education congratulates all of the schools named Blue Ribbon Schools in 2022," Russell-Tucker said in a news release. "We have made it a focus this year to highlight what’s right in schools, and our Blue Ribbon Award winners are prime examples of the many innovative practices underway in districts to ensure the continued growth and educational success of our students."

All selected schools in Connecticut were designated as Schools of Distinction.

National Blue Ribbon Schools are identified in two categories: exemplary high performing and exemplary achievement gap closing.

State officials said Great Plain School serves about 280 students in Grades K-5. More than half of the students are from economically-disadvantaged families, and one-third of the students are English learners.

This school was named a School of Distinction for three consecutive years. Most recently, in 2018-19, the school demonstrated not only overall high performance in English language arts (ELA), but they were also recognized for the strong academic growth of students with high needs in mathematics and ELA, state officials said.

State officials said the school takes a community approach to ensuring the best services for students. The school community, including parents and staff, have come together to develop a shared vision for Great Plain School. The group meets monthly to discuss student success and current challenges.

Additionally, through a partnership with the Jericho Foundation, the broader community is instrumental in supporting students. Jericho volunteers include retired teachers, bankers, doctors, construction workers, project managers, and nurses who work weekly with students to provide individualized attention and support, state officials said.

In an effort to extend learning time, the school has offered a program for students to arrive at school early four days each week using district-provided transportation so that they may participate in additional math and reading instruction and enrichment based on student need, state officials said.

For more information about the program, visit the U.S. Department of Education’s National Blue Ribbon Schools Program webpage at this link.

Great Plain School's government "report card" can be read here.