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Council for American Private Education

What is a Blue Ribbon School

ST. JOHN REGIONAL CATHOLIC SCHOOL RECEIVES BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL DESIGNATION

St. John Regional Catholic School has been named a 2009 National Blue Ribbon School. The announcement was made Tuesday, September 15, by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. St. John is one of 50 private schools from across the country receiving this prestigious honor. A total of 314 schools, including public and private, have been named to the 2009 list.

The award honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools that are either academically superior, or have made dramatic gains in student achievement and helped close gaps in achievement among minority and disadvantaged students. As a high performing school, St. John Regional has demonstrated the achievement of its students, at the highest grade tested, as placing in the top 10 percent of schools on nationally normed tests in reading and mathematics.

According to St. John Principal, Karen Smith, "This award is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our faculty and staff. At St. John, we are constantly striving to ensure that the academic program we deliver meets the needs of our students, while encouraging them to do their best. We use data from our test scores to help improve instruction for all our students." The St. John curriculum is based on the Elementary Course of Study as prescribed by the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

Since 1982, the U.S. Department of Education's Blue Ribbon Schools Program has honored many of America�s most successful schools. In 2002, the program was renewed to bring it in line with the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act. A total of 413 schools nationwide can be nominated. St. John was nominated by the Council for American Private Education (CAPE) who then forwarded the application to the U.S. Department of Education. The 2009 Blue Ribbon Schools will be honored at an awards ceremony on November 3 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC.

A listing of the 2009 Blue Ribbon Schools is available at http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/2009/applications/index.html#md