Bethesda Private School Named 2015 National Blue Ribbon Winner

Montgomery County has one school honored Tuesday as a National Blue Ribbon School for 2015: Our Lady of Lourdes School in Bethesda.

A total of eight Maryland schools received the honor:

The schools are:

• Cardinal Hickey Academy in Calvert County
• Fountain Green Elementary School in Harford County
• Kemptown Elementary School in Frederick County
• Lake Shore Elementary School in Anne Arundel County
• Our Lady of Lourdes School in Montgomery County
• Pine Grove Elementary School in Baltimore City
• Severna Park Elementary School in Anne Arundel County
• Smithsburg High School in Washington County

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on Tuesday recognized 335 schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2015 based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. These schools demonstrate that all students can achieve to high levels.

“This honor recognizes your students’ accomplishments and the hard work and dedication that went into their success,” Duncan said in a video message to the awardees. “Your journey has taught you collaboration, intentional instruction, and strong relationships in school and with your community. You represent excellence—in vision, in implementation, and in results—and we want to learn as much as we can from you.”

The Department will honor 285 public and 50 private schools at a recognition ceremony on Nov. 9-10 in Washington, D.C. In its 33-year history, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed this coveted award on more than 8,000 of America’s schools.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools where students either achieve very high learning standards or are making notable improvements in closing the achievement gap. The award plaque affirms the hard work of students, educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging content. The award flag gracing a school’s building is a widely recognized symbol of exemplary teaching and learning.

All schools are recognized in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores, subgroup student scores and graduation rates:

· Exemplary High Performing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests. Student subgroup performance and high school graduation rates are also at the highest levels.

· Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s subgroups and all students over the past five years. Student subgroup performance and high school graduation rates for each subgroup are at high levels.

»Photo of Our Lady of Lourdes student body, courtesy of National Blue Ribbon website