Vinson-Owen Named Blue Ribbon School

The Vinson-Owen Elementary School was recognized Friday, Sep. 10 as a Blue Ribbon School.

The national award honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools whose students achieve at very high levels or have made significant progress and helped close gaps in achievement especially among disadvantaged and minority students. 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.

Vinson-Owen was one of 304 schools recognized nationally and eight in the state of Massachusetts, including Boston Latin, Bridge Elementary School in Lexington, Henry C. Sanborn Elementary School in Andover, John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science in Boston, M. Norcross Stratton Elementary School in Arlington, and Sprague Elementary School in Wellesley, and Ste Jeanne d'Arc School in Lowell.

The schools will be honored at an awards ceremony Nov. 15-16 in Washington, D. C.

"Our nation has a responsibility to help all children realize their full potential," said U.S. Secretary of Education Anne Duncan. "Schools honored with the Blue Ribbon award are committed to achievement and to ensuring that students learn and succeed. Their works reflect the conviction that every child has promise and must receive a quality education."

The Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private schools based on one of two criteria:

1. Schools whose students, regardless of backgrounds, are high performing. These are schools ranked among the state's highest performing schools as measured by their performance on state assessments or in the case of private schools, that score at the highest performance level on tests referenced by national norms in at least the most recent year tested; and
2. Schools with at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that improve student performance to high levels as measured by the school's performance on state assessments or nationally-normed tests.

A list of the 2010 Blue Ribbon Schools is available at their website.