Higganum School Earns National Blue Ribbon Schools Distinction

HIGGANUM, CT – Governor Dannel P. Malloy announced Monday the U.S. Department of Education has named four Connecticut public schools as 2018 National Blue Ribbon Schools – an annual award bestowed on schools across the nation for high academic performance or greatest progress in achievement gap closure among subgroups.

According to a news release, the four Connecticut public schools awarded this year are:

• Haddam-Killingworth High School in Regional School District 17
• University of Hartford Magnet School, a CREC school
• Forest School in West Haven
• West School in New Canaan

“Every student from every background and every walk of life deserves a quality education that allows them to succeed,” Malloy said in a release. “With exemplary schools like this year’s Blue Ribbon award winners, it’s no wonder that we have record-high graduation rates and students who are among the best in the nation. We congratulate these schools and their teachers, students, and families for their collective efforts to nurture positive school communities – they are all helping to shift the growing possibilities for our next generation in a positive direction.”

“We are excited to celebrate four Connecticut schools that are transforming the futures of students by delivering a top-quality education in the classroom,” Education Commissioner Dianna R. Wentzell said in a release. “Congratulations to our Blue Ribbon Schools on the collective effort and hard work by students, parents, educators and community partners to earn this prestigious honor.”

The Connecticut State Department of Education (SDE) 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 demonstrated outstanding overall achievement in 2016-17 and were identified as Schools of Distinction. National Blue Ribbon Schools are identified in two categories – Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing and Exemplary High Performing.

According to the release, Haddam-Killingworth High School is identified as an Exemplary High Performing school based on its 2016-17 accountability index. Included in the accountability index is the four-year graduation rate for all students (95.2 percent) and the six-year graduation rate for high needs students (100 percent), both exceeding state targets.

In their Blue Ribbon School application, the school administration expressed that they are most proud of their success in personalizing the student experience. They offer a wide range of “traditional” courses, a variety of online learning opportunities, an internship program where students earn credit through experiential learning within the community, and they have developed a system to support students who are interested in pursuing highly unique learning opportunities not found in a typical course of studies.

HKHS has established a goal that all students graduate having completed a college and/or career experience. To this end, they expanded course offerings as well as added a transition coordinator.

The 2016-17 accountability report shows that 84.8 percent of students in Grades 11 and 12 have taken at least two courses specifically designed to prepare students for college and/or career (Indicator 5), again surpassing the state target of 75 percent.

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