Six schools in Tennessee were recently recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2023.
A total of 353 schools across the country were chosen for recognition based on “overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student groups on assessments,” according to a press release by the Department of Education.
The following schools in the Volunteer State were recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools this year:
- Brentwood Middle School in Brentwood (pictured above)
- Crosswind Elementary School in Collierville
- Fairmont Elementary School in Johnson City
- Linden Elementary School in Oak Ridge
- Middle College at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville
- Nolan Elementary School in Signal Mountain
Each school recognized this year will receive a displayable National Blue Ribbon Schools flag from the Department of Education.
“A National Blue Ribbon School flag gracing a school’s entryway or on a flagpole is a widely recognized symbol of exemplary teaching and learning,” the Department of Education notes in its press release.
“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,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a statement. “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 Department of Education divided this year’s recognized schools into two nomination categories – Exemplary High-Performing Schools and Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing Schools.
All six Tennessee schools were recognized in the Exemplary High-Performing Schools category, meaning they are among the state’s “highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photos “Blue Ribbon Schools in Tennessee” by The US Department of Education.
So “closing the gap” rates the same as outstanding performance? The best of the worst get trophies. What a crock.