OCEAN VIEW, Del. - Lord Baltimore Elementary School, located in Ocean View and part of the Indian River School District, has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a National Blue Ribbon School.
The school is one of three recognized in Delaware, and one of 353 recognized across the country.
The department says that the recognition is based on the school's overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups on assessments.
“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. As the Biden-Harris Administration partners with states and schools to accelerate academic success and transform educational opportunity in this country, we take tremendous pride in the achievements of these schools and their commitment to empowering educators, serving students, and engaging families.”
The department says the program has bestowed around 10,000 awards to more than 9,700 different schools. They say the award is meant to affirm and validate the hard work of students, educators, families, and communities in achieving exemplary achievement.
According to the department, schools can be recognized in two performance categories, all based on student scored 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. Nominated schools also complete an extensive narrative application describing their school culture and philosophy, curriculum, assessments, instructional practices, professional development, leadership structures, and parent and community involvement.
Up to 420 schools can be nominated every year.
The other two Delaware winners are in Bear and Newark.