West Springfield School Named A National Blue Ribbon School

WEST SPRINGFIELD, VA—A school in West Springfield is one of 349 schools nationwide to win a Blue Ribbon School award from the U.S. Department of Education this year, the district announced. Keene Mill Elementary School was one of eight Virginia schools to receive the Exemplary High Performing Schools honor.

The elementary school received the award "for its academic excellence and for closing achievement gaps among student subgroups, demonstrating that all students can achieve in the classroom," Fairfax County Public Schools said in a press release.

To be qualified for the honor, schools must be in top 15 percent in their state on state assessments in reading and math, or a rating including these assessment results and other performance measures. Schools must also fall in the top 40 percent of schools in the state based on the performance of students in subgroups.

The honor comes after school had failed to make adequate progress on Standards of Learning (SOL) three out of four years from 2008 to 2011. After that, the administration changes hands and introduced a new Professional Learning Community model and a tiered intervention and enrichment system with academic, social-emotional and behavioral support. Students have been making academic improvements since then.

Keene Mill students come from diverse backgrounds, representing over 40 non-English languages spoken.

The Department of Education will honor the 349 Blue Ribbon Schools on Nov. 7-8 at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

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