3 Delaware schools land Blue Ribbon honor in student achievement: Education roundup

Three Delaware schools are 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools.

The elementary institutions in Appoquinimink, Christina and Indian River districts were honored last week among hundreds of schools for exemplary student performance. Also in Indian River, the Howard T. Ennis School will finally see its ribbon-cutting, as educators continue to serve students with significant disabilities.

In this roundup, we'll catch you up on some education updates you may have missed.

[Did we miss another good education story? Tell me about it: kepowers@gannett.com.]

3 Delaware schools honored for student achievement

Three elementary schools in the First State were named 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools. Just over 350 schools landed the same recognition, announced by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona last week, rooted in overall performance and achievement in closing gaps among diverse student groups.

Joining the program's 40th cohort, these Delaware schools were:

• Olive B. Loss Elementary School, Appoquinimink School District.

• Thurgood Marshall Elementary School, Christina School District.

• Lord Baltimore Elementary School, Indian River School District.

DOE recognizes such schools in one of two performance categories, based on student scores, scores among subgroups and graduation rates:

• Exemplary High-Performing Schools fall among the state’s highest-performing schools, as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.

  • All three of Delaware's honorees were nominated in this category.

• Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing Schools are among the 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.

Cardona said this year's honorees "set a national example for what it means to Raise the Bar in education."

"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," he said in a press release from the U.S. Department of Education.

Only up to 420 schools may be nominated each year.

Blue Ribbon schools, according to the program, represent the "full diversity of American schools" and serve students of every background. Olive B. Loss, Thurgood Marshall and Lord Baltimore elementary schools join more than 9,700 earning the same recognition since 1982.

Thurgood Marshall Elementary's award page reads: "The instructors at Marshall Elementary are deeply committed to facilitating students' academic accomplishments, firmly believing in the potential for excellence in every learner, irrespective of background or ability." The Christina school has 18% white students on its enrollment rolls, alongside 39% Black, 23% Asian and 13% Hispanic, among additional student groups.

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Leaders at Olive B. Loss, planted in Appoquinimink School District, said their "school culture is rooted in kindness, inclusivity and courage. Teachers appreciate the potential for greatness that lies within each student, and families partner as trusted advocates for their child’s success and well-being." The school hosts 42% white, 30% Asian, 16% Black and 5% Hispanic learners, according to program metrics. Both elementary schools also had roughly 1% American Indian students enrolled.

For Lord Baltimore, this is the second National Blue Ribbon Award, according to the district, with the first coming in 2001. Overall, it's Indian River’s 12th in the past 22 years.

Enrollment at the Ocean View facility looked a bit less diverse than its counterparts, per program figures, with 84% white students in its rolls, alongside 2% Black, 9% Hispanic, 5% two or more races and about 1% Asian learners. Indian River School District's overall enrollment is 10% Black, 37% Latino, 47% white and similarly just about 1% Asian.

Regardless, all three schools were recognized for high performance among all students.

“Receiving this prestigious award affirms the dedication and hard work of each and every educator at LB," Principal Pam Webb said. "The relationships we have established with our families, students and community foster a positive learning environment to meet the needs of our students academically, behaviorally and socially. We look forward to celebrating this school year!”

New school will serve students with moderate to severe disabilities in Sussex County

Still down in Indian River School District, a new school will be formally celebrated next month after opening earlier this year.

The new Howard T. Ennis School, already serving students with moderate to severe disabilities since opening its doors in January, will get its ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony by early October.

Construction of the 94,000-square-foot facility began in fall 2020 and was "substantially completed" in time for students and staff to move in, according to the district. But delays in construction and hopes for a completed therapy pool saw the final touches postponed. The new outfit replaces a previous facility under the same name, anchored in Georgetown since 1972.

The finished building will serve Sussex County children from ages 2 to 22 navigating significant disabilities. These students demonstrate a need for highly specialized educational support, according to the district, and will continue to learn alongside an experienced team of teachers, therapists, nurses and more.

A dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for 10 a.m. on Oct. 3 at 26021 Patriots Way, in Georgetown.

Got a story? Kelly Powers covers race, culture and equity for Delaware Online and USA TODAY Network Northeast, with a focus on education. Contact her at kepowers@gannett.com or (231) 622-2191, and follow her on Twitter @kpowers01.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: 'A national example': Delaware honored with 3 Blue Ribbon Schools