2 HV High Schools Named National Blue Ribbon Winners For 2021

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Next door neighbors and sometime rivals Briarcliff High School and Pleasantville High School are in a select group of honorees announced Tuesday.

They are the only two Westchester schools to be named National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2021, joining just 325 schools across the country recognized Tuesday by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona for their academic prowess during the coronavirus pandemic.

"This year’s cohort of honorees demonstrates what is possible when committed educators and school leaders create vibrant, welcoming, and affirming school cultures where rich teaching and learning can flourish," Cardona said in the announcement.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools award affirms the work of educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content. Now in its 39th year, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed about 10,000 awards to more than 9,000 schools.

In all, 19 New York schools were named as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2021:

• Ballston Spa – Malta Avenue Elementary School, Ballston Spa Central School District.
• Bayside – Nathaniel Hawthorne Middle School 74, New York City Geographic District #26.
• Briarcliff Manor – Briarcliff High School, Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District.
• Bronx – Icahn Charter School 3, Icahn Charter School 3.
• Brooklyn – PS 249 Caton (The), New York City Geographic District #17.
• Brooklyn – The School for Future Leaders, New York City Geographic District #20.
• Castleton-on-Hudson – Green Meadow Elementary School, East Greenbush Central School District.
• Commack – Commack High School, Commack Union Free School District.
• Fayetteville – Fayetteville Elementary School, Fayetteville-Manlius Central School District.
• Fonda – Fonda-Fultonville K-4 School, Fonda-Fultonville Central School District.
• Glen Head – North Shore Senior High School, North Shore Central School District.
• Jericho – Jericho Senior High School, Jericho Union Free School District.
• Lawrence – Rambam Mesivta High School, Lawrence Union Free School District.
• Merrick – Sanford H Calhoun High School, Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District.
• Mount Sinai – Robert M. Grable Jr. Mount Sinai High School, Mount Sinai Union Free School District.
• PS 234 Independence School, New York City Geographic District # 2.
• PS 290 Manhattan New School, New York City Geographic District # 2.
• PS 41 Greenwich Village, New York City Geographic District # 2.
• Pleasantville – Pleasantville High School, Pleasantville Union Free School District.

Here's the US Department of Education's award website entry for Briarcliff High School:

Briarcliff Manor is a suburban community, located in Westchester County, New York. Families move to Briarcliff Manor due to the longstanding quality of its schools. As a quaint community, proximate to New York City, Briarcliff Manor is seen as an extremely attractive place to raise and educate children.

At the core of Briarcliff High School's academic success is a curriculum that is both rigorous and rich with 146 different course offerings, including 40 elective opportunities. This robust curriculum provides innovative and meaningful course selections to build creativity, confidence, and problem-solving skills for each student. Core content courses are complimented by the visual and performing arts, world languages, computer science, and research. Courses are deliberately designed to engage and inspire students so that they are well-prepared for life in the 21st Century. Nearly 100% of our graduates attend institutions of higher learning. This is a direct result of appropriate program planning, a process that considers each individual student's abilities, needs, and passions.

The Briarcliff School District has made significant investments in digital technologies and has been a fully operational 1:1 district since 2016. Teachers received extensive professional development to adapt their tech-infused classrooms and cultivate innovative lessons. With our vastly digitized world, it is critical for students to become information-literate and collaborative. Teachers facilitate individual and group-based work rather than teaching exclusively through lectures. Teachers have developed strategies to give students more ownership over mastering the content and crafting lessons based on authentic problems which students may encounter in their lives.

"Over the past decade, Briarcliff High School has emerged as a leader in educational innovation and student achievement," said district Superintendent James Kaishian, who knows whereof he speaks because he was once its principal. "Regardless the metric, our students thrive because they are at the center of everything we do. I am pleased that the U.S Department of Education has recognized the outstanding work of our teachers and staff."

Here's the award website entry for Pleasantville High School:

At Pleasantville High School, students actively engage in a 21st century holistic education that fosters a passion for lifelong learning, service to others, and leadership. Our school is an inclusive learning community that celebrates diversity and empowers all students to realize their full potential. All students at Pleasantville High School have access to rich academic programs that engage students in college level learning, targeted academic research, and the opportunity to explore potential career interests through our well-established internship program along with locally developed elective course offerings.

The faculty and staff at Pleasantville High School work tirelessly to support student learning. This work includes a deep commitment to our core mission, an ongoing process for reflection and continual professional growth. The professionalism of educators and the meaningful relationships that are cultivated throughout the school community makes Pleasantville High School a special place. Students, alumni, teachers, families, advisors, and coaches develop unique bonds that bring us together as a community to celebrate accomplishments and to support one another in times of hardships.

In addition to academics, Pleasantville High School celebrates the amazing work that students do in the arts and in athletics. Artistically, students excel on the stage and their work in the visual arts is regularly featured in community galleries. Athletically, the participation rate is over 65% of the student body and teams enjoy a rich tradition of success. These activities allow students to showcase unique talents and they further enrich the Pleasantville High School experience for all students.

“I commend all our Blue Ribbon honorees for working to keep students healthy and safe while meeting their academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs," Cardona said. "In the face of unprecedented circumstances, you found creative ways to engage, care for, protect, and teach our children. Blue Ribbon Schools have so much to offer and can serve as a model for other schools and communities so that we can truly build back better."

The Education Department recognizes all schools 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.
• Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students.

Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year. The Department invites National Blue Ribbon Schools nominations from the top education official in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education. Private schools are nominated by the Council for American Private Education.