Guilford High School Earns National Recognition, Award

GUILFORD, CT — Governor Ned Lamont today announced that the U.S. Department of Education is recognizing four Connecticut public schools as 2019 National Blue Ribbon Schools, an annual award given to select schools across the nation for demonstrating overall high achievement or success in closing achievement gaps. The schools include:

· North Mianus Elementary School in Greenwich;
· Guilford High School in Guilford;
· John Barry Elementary School in Meriden; and
· Tracey Magnet School in Norwalk.

“The success we are seeing at these schools must be credited to the exemplary teachers who are preparing our students for achievements throughout their careers,” Governor Lamont said. “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 training they receive, which is why it is critical that we provide the youngest in our communities with the tools needed to compete in today’s 21st century economy. Our administration remains committed to strengthening all of the schools in our state so that every child – no matter their neighborhood or family income level – has an opportunity to receive an education that prepares them for achievement.”

“Congratulations to our Blue Ribbon Schools,” State Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona said. “Everyone who played a role in this accomplishment deserves to be celebrated – students, parents, educators, and community partners. This is a prestigious honor and serves as further evidence that collectively focusing on student achievement, a strong core curriculum, and a high-quality learning environment creates opportunities for all children to thrive and succeed regardless of zip code.”

The Connecticut State Department of Education uses data from the Next Generation Accountability System to nominate schools for the 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 in 2017-18. National Blue Ribbon Schools are identified in two categories, Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing and Exemplary High Performing.

Guilford High School (Guilford)

Guilford High School with an enrollment of 1,095 students is identified as an Exemplary High Performing school based on its 2017-18 accountability index (90.3). Included in the accountability index is the percentage of students “on-track” to graduation at the end of ninth grade (96.8 percent), the four-year graduation rate for all students (99.2 percent), and the percentage of students entering two- and four-year post-secondary institutions in the year following graduation (83.1 percent), all exceeding state targets.

In their Blue Ribbon School application, the school administration shared the wide range of courses available to students including many UConn Early College Experience (ECE) courses, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate (IB) offerings. They are proud of the sequence of elective courses in the world language department where the curriculum is “proficiency-focused and performance-based.”

Nearly 80 percent of students choose to take these courses. The school also offers a robust selection of visual and performing arts courses. The 2017-18 accountability reports showed nearly 70 percent of students enrolled in at least one arts course, again exceeding the state target of 60 percent.