National Blue Ribbon Schools Awards Program - Podcasts

North Lakeland Elementary School’s outdoor education program engages students in a standards-based curriculum which increases students' academic achievement, emotional and social growth, and physical fitness. This video describes the environmental education experiences of 4K through 8th grade students in the community's natural environment, the benefits of the program, and how others can create their own […] The post Video: All Learning Beyond the Four Walls first appeared on National Blue Ribbon Schools. The post Video: All Learning Beyond the Four Walls appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

Marine Science Magnet High School provides specialized marine science programming to students from over thirty Connecticut communities. This video describes how the school supports students to drive their own learning and become better stewards of their local environment. According to the school principal: “When you’re here, you’re going to understand more about what marine sciences […] The post Video: Student Driven Learning in Marine Science and Beyond first appeared on National Blue Ribbon Schools. The post Video: Student Driven Learning in Marine Science and Beyond appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

In this audio profile, Principal Deborah Capri and ELA Curriculum Specialist Jaclyn Gangloff describe how Enders Road Elementary School is strengthening instructional practices to better align with scientifically based reading research. In this profile, Principal Capri and Jaclyn Gangloff share the story behind how their high-achieving school is taking a fresh approach to their literacy […] The post Audio: Embracing Change for Better Literacy Outcomes first appeared on National Blue Ribbon Schools. The post Audio: Embracing Change for Better Literacy Outcomes appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

Laurel Magnet School of the Arts is shut down every Tuesday and Thursday for 105 minutes to provide each student with targeted instruction based on their individual needs as identified by data. This video describes the why and how of these differentiated instruction blocks, which the school most credits with their success. Says one teacher: […] The post Video: All Hands on Deck for Differentiated Instruction first appeared on National Blue Ribbon Schools. The post Video: All Hands on Deck for Differentiated Instruction appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

In this audio profile, Principal Jeff Wilson describes how Washington Irving School #4 went from a school targeted for support to a National Blue Ribbon School. In this profile, Principal Wilson shares how he worked with staff and the school community to create a culture of forward thinking and forward moving by celebrating success. Listen […] The post Audio: Sustaining School Improvement by Celebrating Success first appeared on National Blue Ribbon Schools. The post Audio: Sustaining School Improvement by Celebrating Success appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

This video profile explains how Hanover High School students, educators and community members come together for an annual program focused on a different way of learning. As one student shares, “March Intensive is a week-long program where you have the chance to explore something you’re very passionate about in an intense format.” The program also […] The post Video: A Week of Learning Differently: March Intensive appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

In this video profile, educators at C.W. Shipley explain how they adapted their instruction during a year of piloting a new reading curriculum. Implementing new curricula is just one example of Shipley's long-established commitment to helping students succeed. Kindergarten teacher Heather Williams (herself a Shipley graduate) shared that the school passes on a love of […] The post Video: Embracing New Ways to Teach Reading appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

In this audio profile, Principal Mahri Aste explains how students helped choose a new name for their school, inspired by the community's multi-cultural profile. Principal Aste also shares examples that have helped Mosaic Elementary welcome parents of all backgrounds into the school's Parent Teacher Association, and identifies three instructional practices that have been key for […] The post Audio: Students, Parents and Educators: Forming a ‘Mosaic' of Support appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

In this audio profile, Principal Ryan Ambrose explains how teachers at Checotah Intermediate Elementary School use assessments to help set individual student goals and adjust their instruction to meet all students' needs. Principal Ambrose shares that getting to their current well-honed system took time and a willingness to keep adjusting the process – but the […] The post Audio: Using Assessments for Student Goal Setting appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

In this video, hear how AcadeMir Charter School Middle provides opportunities for students to learn both in and outside of the school day. Students take four elective classes in addition to their four core classes. According to one teacher, electives are important because they are a fun way to incorporate instruction from core classes in […] The post Video: Student Engagement and Opportunities to Learn appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

At Greathouse Shryock Traditional Elementary School, fifth grade students know they are ready for middle school – and they proudly demonstrate their readiness by presenting a ‘defense of learning' to educators, in which they share learning artifacts and reflecting on their academic and personal growth as elementary students, now ready for the next stage of […] The post Video: Backpack of Success Skills: Ready for Middle School appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

At Greathouse Shryock Traditional Elementary School, fifth grade students know they are ready for middle school – and they proudly demonstrate their readiness by presenting a ‘defense of learning' to educators, in which they share learning artifacts and reflecting on their academic and personal growth as elementary students, now ready for the next stage of Read More

In this video, hear how AcadeMir Charter School Middle provides opportunities for students to learn both in and outside of the school day. Students take four elective classes in addition to their four core classes. According to one teacher, electives are important because they are a fun way to incorporate instruction from core classes in Read More

Students at Henry Ford Early College have a unique opportunity to explore health care career pathways and earn significant college credits while still in high school. As one student remarks, “when I graduate here, I’ll have my associate degree, and I’ll have all of these transferrable credits… when you come here, you’re really going to […] The post Video: Accelerating Student Pathways Through an Early College Partnership appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

Students at Henry Ford Early College have a unique opportunity to explore health care career pathways and earn significant college credits while still in high school. As one student remarks, “when I graduate here, I’ll have my associate degree, and I’ll have all of these transferrable credits… when you come here, you’re really going to Read More

At Meeting Street Academy in Spartanburg, North Carolina, three- and four-year-old students attend a full-day kindergarten program rich in learning through play, movement, and hands-on academic activities. Family engagement is also a Meeting Street hallmark, with the school offering a wide variety of opportunities for parents, students, and school staff to build relationships and learn […] The post Video: Success Through Early Learning and Family Engagement appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

At Meeting Street Academy in Spartanburg, North Carolina, three- and four-year-old students attend a full-day kindergarten program rich in learning through play, movement, and hands-on academic activities. Family engagement is also a Meeting Street hallmark, with the school offering a wide variety of opportunities for parents, students, and school staff to build relationships and learn Read More

At Saint Andrew Catholic School, parents, teachers and community partners come together to offer students several ways to start thinking about their economic futures. The school hosts an on-campus bank, invites parents in to teach financial and career planning classes, and teachers run a stock market club to introduce students to investing. Principal Robert Sikora […] The post Audio: Financial Literacy Programs at Saint Andrew Catholic School appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

At Saint Andrew Catholic School, parents, teachers and community partners come together to offer students several ways to start thinking about their economic futures. The school hosts an on-campus bank, invites parents in to teach financial and career planning classes, and teachers run a stock market club to introduce students to investing. Principal Robert Sikora Read More

Think of your favorite teacher in elementary school – and now imagine how great it would have been to have that teacher for three years instead of just one. That's what happens at Portland Elementary School in Portland, Arkansas, where upper elementary students loop with their core academic teachers for three years. And since those […] The post Audio: Grade Looping at a Rural Elementary School appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

Think of your favorite teacher in elementary school – and now imagine how great it would have been to have that teacher for three years instead of just one. That's what happens at Portland Elementary School in Portland, Arkansas, where upper elementary students loop with their core academic teachers for three years. And since those Read More

This audio profile shares how at John Hancock College Preparatory High School, educators engage students in rigorous academics and provide strong social-emotional support with the aim of helping them prepare for life after high school. This includes offering two Career and Technical Education options: pre-law, and pre-engineering. The programs give students a taste of what… Continue Reading Audio: John Hancock College Preparatory High School

In this video profile, Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School educators, students, and partners explain how the school has implemented a robust news literacy program, designed to help students learn to thoughtfully examine the many sources of information around them. As one educator puts it, this program “is the way in which [students are]… Continue Reading Video: Educating for Democracy: Helping Students Understand the News

Oyster-Adams Bilingual School teaches students in grades PK-8 through a school-wide dual language model, providing classes in all subjects (as well as student activities, interventions, and parent engagement) through a mix of English and Spanish. Additionally, students have the opportunity to learn Mandarin beginning in 4th grade. A key element of the school's success is… Continue Reading Video: Bilingual Education in the Nation's Capital

At George Hersey Robertson Elementary School, educators and school leaders have worked hard to achieve a balance of consistent instructional practices and flexibility, allowing opportunities for teacher creativity and student choice. As one educator notes, “our writing kind of went from prescriptive one size fits all … and kind of teacher centered … and then… Continue Reading Video: George Hersey Robertson School

Avon Middle School Avon Local Schools Avon, Ohio Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness. In this audio profile, Avon Middle School leaders describe their system for identifying and supporting students who may need targeted support due to experiencing housing misplacement or homelessness. Through a data-driven RTI process, educators identify students who need support and connect them with… Continue Reading Audio: Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness

Lipscomb Elementary School Williamson County Public Schools Brentwood, Tennessee Engaging Students and Supporting Educators with a School-wide Math Plan. When Lipscomb Elementary School set out to improve their math practices, they looked for ways to engage students, support educators, and implement a long-term, school-wide math plan that would help all kids succeed. In this audio… Continue Reading Audio: Engaging Students and Supporting Educators with a School-wide Math Plan

Educators at Day Creek Intermediate School realize that middle school is a unique moment in students’ academic, social and emotional lives. As Principal David Apodaca notes, “you have to respect the fact that this is a huge transition time in their lives … And if we don’t recognize that and respect that, then academic success… Continue Reading Building Character and Knowledge in Middle School

While science fairs may be a familiar sight at many schools, The Charter School of Wilmington’s Junior Research Project makes student research central to their high school experience. The whole school gets involved, providing a rigorous research course to students as sophomores, mentoring them throughout their junior year, and teaching additional workshops to help students… Continue Reading Students Making Science

Ladera Del Norte Elementary School Farmington, New Mexico Overcoming Challenges to Close the Achievement Gap. Like many schools, educators at Ladera Del Norte Elementary school were committed to supporting the success of all students, but they needed to strategically overcome a number of challenges in their mission to close achievement gaps. In this audio profile,… Continue Reading Audio: Overcoming Challenges to Close the Achievement Gap

Lakewood Elementary School Overland Park, KS Activating Student Engagement Through Brain-based Learning. Educators at Lakewood Elementary School take pride in creating schoolwide, interdisciplinary curriculum that students find exciting and memorable. They ground their strategies in a brain-based approach, meaning that lessons are designed to activate students’ brains, and that educators help children understand how learning… Continue Reading Audio: Activating Student Engagement Through Brain-Based Learning

Barret Traditional Middle School Louisville, KY Advancing Racial Equity Through Culturally Responsive Teaching. Like many schools across the nation, school leaders at Barret Traditional Middle School realized that they faced academic achievement gaps among students by race. With support from their district, and through the work of committed educators willing to address this difficult topic,… Continue Reading Audio: Advancing Racial Equity Through Culturally Responsive Teaching

Maxwell Air Force Base Elementary/Middle School Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama Supporting Highly Mobile Students at a Department of Defense School. Meeting the academic, social and emotional needs of highly mobile students is a challenge faced by many schools and districts. Teachers and school leaders at Maxwell Air Force Base Elementary/Middle School in Alabama are… Continue Reading Audio: Supporting Highly Mobile Students at a Department of Defense School

During the 2019 recognition ceremony, U.S. Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, Frank Brogan, congratulated the 362 NBRS award winners. The winners represented schools from 46 states, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Schools in Alabama, Netherlands, and Italy. Mr. Brogan talked about school issues not happening in a vacuum. National… Continue Reading Frank Brogan Congratulations Speech

  FEATURED STUDENT SPEAKER: Nate Tinbite Nathaniel Tinbite, a senior at John F. Kennedy High School (JFK), is the 42nd student member of the Montgomery County School Board of Education. Mr. Tinbite is a member of the Board’s Strategic Planning Committee and the Policy Management Committee. Nate shared his experiences as the President of the… Continue Reading Nate Tinbite

  The 2019 Terrel H. Bell awardees for outstanding leadership have been named. The ten National Blue Ribbon School principals were recognized on November 14th during the National Blue Ribbon Schools awards ceremony in National Harbor, MD. Read about each awardee below:   2019 Terrel H. Bell Awardees              … Continue Reading 2019 Terrel H. Bell Awardees Honored for Outstanding School Leadership

In New Orleans, Louisiana, Lusher Charter School serves students in grades K-12 by integrating the arts across all grade levels and disciplines. As the school’s CEO puts it, “Lusher is a school where a student can come and thrive regardless of the level of their talents. We’ll use the arts when we’re happy, when we’re… Continue Reading Building Culture and Enriching Learning through Art

Teachers at Paramount School of Excellence (now called Paramount Brookside) in Indianapolis, Indiana enrich their lessons using a variety of on-site school features, including a planetarium, farm, and beehives. These unique features help students learn from the world around them. However, the key focus for educators at this K-8 charter school is on providing high-quality… Continue Reading Learning from the World Around Them

High school goes to college at Lorenzo Walker Technical High School, which shares a campus and a vision for success with its partner institution, Lorenzo Walker Technical College. Students travel from all over the county to attend Lorenzo Walker, where they take academically rigorous classes while also receiving professional training in 25 career programs. After… Continue Reading Bringing High School to College

Turning around a low-performing school is no easy task – and sustaining that turnaround over the years to come can be just as challenging. In this video, teachers and school leaders from Evergreen Elementary School in Spanaway, Washington explain how the implementation of a “No Excuses” model helped them improve and sustain their success over… Continue Reading No Excuses: Sustaining Success at a Former Turnaround School

Village Oaks Elementary School Novi, Michigan Building School Culture by Leading with HEART. One of the most challenging tasks for any new principal is creating school culture, particularly when a strong culture already exists. This podcast walks you through the process Principal Alexander Ofili used at Village Oaks Elementary School in Novi, MI, to do… Continue Reading Audio: Building School Culture by Leading with HEART

Mount Lebanon Elementary School Pendleton, SC Learning Through Real World Application highlights how one school expanded on a STEM theme to create a teaching and learning culture matched to the way young students learn. When each of the four K-6th grade elementary schools in Anderson County School District 4 were tasked with creating a unique… Continue Reading Audio: Learning Through Real World Application

Alaska liaison Eric Caldwell describes how the state’s nomination process ensures representation across a unique low population, large, rural state. Eric Caldwell Interview Transcript For more information on becoming a National Blue Ribbon School, please visit the FAQ page, which details the nomination process and criteria for both public and non-public schools. Contact your state liaison.

Virginia liaison Chris Kelly describes how he supports Virginia’s National Blue Ribbon award winners through a state-level plan and a social media framework to promote and share their success. Chris Kelly Interview Transcript For more information on becoming a National Blue Ribbon School, please visit the FAQ page, which details the nomination process and criteria… Continue Reading 2018 State Liaison Interviews Chris Kelly, Virginia

Sierra Expeditionary Learning School Truckee, CA In 2008, in a small town in northern California, a dozen or so parents of preschoolers started dreaming about a different kind of elementary school and chartered SELS—the Sierra Expeditionary Learning School, in Truckee, California in March 2010. This podcast features Kim Bradley, a founding parent and current board… Continue Reading An Expeditionary Learning School Takes Off in California’s Mountains

 Hearts and Minds features Pinewood Elementary School in Jenison, MI, a suburb of Grand Rapids, where teachers and staff found themselves dealing with extreme student behaviors that disrupted learning. When Principal Rachael Postle-Brown and her staff adopted a “Whole School” approach to supporting positive student behaviors, a host of benefits followed. The approach has… Continue Reading Hearts and Minds: Social-Emotional Learning Improves Content Learning

University Academy—Upper School Kansas City, MO University Academy Upper School is a 9-12 high school located in Kansas City, Missouri and is on a mission to prepare students, not only for college admission, but also for college success. With a high school graduation rate of 100%, this mission-focused public charter high school located in an… Continue Reading Audio: College Readiness Through Mastery Learning and Teaching

 Teaching with Art and Heart highlights the resources a dedicated principal has secured for the 700-plus students in her rural South Carolina school, Skyland Elementary. For more than two decades, Dr. Carolyn Styles has created a thriving community of passionate educators and young scholars. In addition to identifying and remediating students’ educational gaps and… Continue Reading Teaching with Art and Heart: A Rural School Reaches the Whole Child

 Still Making the Grade showcases the Brooklyn (NY) School for Global Scholars, P.S. 748. Originally designed as a district-based application school for gifted and talented students, P.S. 748 featured a self-created and evolving curriculum that used project-based learning and departmentalized, interdisciplinary learning to prepare global citizens for the future. It opened in 2010. Two… Continue Reading Still Making the Grade: From a G and T District School to a Top Neighborhood School

Game Changer tells the story of struggling White Street School in Springfield, MA, where “demographics” had been the steady explanation for low student achievement. Families were reluctant to send their children to a school were only 4% of fifth graders scored Proficient in any subject. In 2010, the State Education Department had singled the school… Continue Reading Game Changer: Educators Turn Around a “Failing” School

Acting Assistant Secretary, Jason Botel Welcomes 2017 National Blue Ribbon Schools During the 2017 awards ceremony, Acting Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, Jason Botel was a keynote speaker. Mr. Botel identified the NBRS awardees as the nation’s education “all stars” and acknowledged their innovation, inspiration, and commitment. He… Continue Reading Jason Botel Opening Ceremony Speech