5 Alabama schools named to 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools list, including 2 from north Alabama

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - Five Alabama schools were named to the 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools list with two of the five schools being located in north Alabama.

The U.S. Department of Education released a press release recognizing a total of 353 schools as 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools, including five schools from the state of Alabama. The recognition is focused on a school’s “academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups on assessments.”

The following schools were named National Blue Ribbon Schools in Alabama:

*denotes north Alabama

Cordova – Cordova Elementary School, Walker County Schools
*Huntsville – Mt. Carmel Elementary School, Madison County School System
Maylene – Creek View Elementary School, Alabaster City Schools
Pleasant Grove – Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School, Jefferson County
*Scottsboro – Skyline High School, Jackson County School District

“The honorees for our 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award have set a national example for what it means to Raise the Bar in education,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “The leaders, educators, and staff at our National Blue Ribbon Schools continually inspire me with their dedication to fostering academic excellence and building positive school cultures that support students of all backgrounds to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.”

The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has awarded approximately 10,000 awards to nearly 9,700 schools. The program emphasizes the hard work of students, educators, families, and communities to aim for exemplary achievement. National Blue Ribbon Schools represent the full diversity of American schools and serve students of every background.

The Department recognizes schools in one of two performance-based 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.

The Department invites nominations for the National Blue Ribbon Schools award from the top education officials in all states, including the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, the Department of Defense Education Activity and the Bureau of Indian Education. Up to 420 schools have the opportunity to be nominated each year. Private schools are nominated by the Council for American Private Education.

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