HAMPDEN, Maine — Three Maine schools are among 279 public and 50 private schools that have been named National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2016, U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. announced Wednesday in a YouTube video.
This year’s recipients are RSU 22’s Reeds Brook Middle School in Hampden, Falmouth Middle School and Sea Road School in Kennebunk, which is part of RSU 21.
“We are very excited to receive this award,” RSU 22 School Board Chairman Niles Parker said Wednesday of the Hampden school having been chosen.
“The Blue Ribbon School award is wonderful recognition for the hard work that has been going on for a long time at Reeds Brook and within our district,” he said. “I am so grateful to the teachers and staff who strive to create an outstanding learning environment and for the students and parents who value education and continue to support our schools.”
RSU Superintendent Rick Lyons said Wednesday that he, Reeds Brook Principal Regan Nickels and Laura Matthews, who teaches mathematics and science at the school, will travel to Washington, D.C., along with officials from other winning schools, for a two-day award ceremony later this fall.
“This is an unbelievable accomplishment for our school and district,” Lyons said. “The designation affirms the highest standard in educational excellence.”
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, the Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools that are either high performing or have made significant strides in improving student achievement, especially among disadvantaged students, according to the Maine Department of Education’s website.
The program is part of a larger nationwide effort to identify and disseminate knowledge about best school leadership and teaching practices. Each year since 1982, the U.S. Department of Education has sought out schools where students attain and maintain high academic goals, including those that beat the odds.
The Maine Department of Education works with the U.S. Department of Education to identify schools honored through the Blue Ribbon Schools program.
Schools are nominated for the award by the state department of education, and then complete a comprehensive application about school practices.
Schools may apply for status as Exemplary High Performing, which is for the top schools in a state, or Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing, for schools making the fastest progress in their state in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.