U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HONORS THREE ARCHDIOCESAN SCHOOLS
AS BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS
Archdiocese continues to be most decorated school system in the country
Chicago, IL (Sept 29, 2015) – The Archdiocese of Chicago announced today that three Catholic Schools have been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and awarded the prestigious Blue Ribbon award, created in 1982 to bring public attention to the best schools in the United States. In identifying several hundred outstanding schools annually, the program celebrates some of the most skilled and effective educators in the country.
The three Archdiocesan schools that are among the 335 schools, including 50 private schools, from across the country to receive Blue Ribbon School Awards include:
Since 1982, when the U.S. Department of Education began awarding Blue Ribbons, the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools have received 89 Blue Ribbon Awards, more than any other school system in the country. The schools will be honored at a recognition ceremony hosted by the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C., on November 9 and 10.
“We are thrilled to once again have schools within our Archdiocese recognized for excellence by the Department of Education,” said Interim Superintendent Dr. Mary Kearney, “Our recent system-wide AdvancED accreditation, in combination with the most Blue Ribbon Awards of any school system in the country, validates the superior academic program that our students receive every day in a faith-filled environment.”
The National Blue Ribbon Schools Award honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools where students perform at very high levels or where a school demonstrates significant improvements in students’ levels of achievement. All three of this year’s awardees are in the “Exemplary High Performing” category of schools, which have their state’s highest high school graduation rates and the highest achieving students (the top 15%) in English and mathematics, as measured by state assessments.
Across the Archdiocese, Catholic schools position their students as future leaders, with an emphasis on academic success, work ethic, service, critical thinking, leadership skills and a solid moral foundation. Academic success and preparedness in Catholic schools translates to exceptionally high graduation rates and college attendance rates. Ninety-eight percent of Catholic high school students graduate from high school and ninety-five percent attend college after graduation.
"This honor recognizes your students' accomplishments and the hard work and dedication that went into their success," U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a video message to the awardees. "Your journey has taught you collaboration, intentional instruction and strong relationships in school and with your community. You represent excellence - in vision, in implementation and in results - and we want to learn as much as we can from you."
About the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools
The Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools serves approximately 82,000 students in 230 schools in Cook and Lake Counties. It is the largest private school system in the United States and the recipient of the greatest number of U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Awards of any school system in the nation. In July 2015, all Archdiocesan elementary and secondary schools were successfully accredited by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more information or to locate a Catholic elementary or high school in Cook or Lake Counties, visit http://schools.archchicago.org.
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