Two Northwest Arkansas schools receive National Blue Ribbon School honor

Eastside Elementary in Rogers and St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Fayetteville received the distinction of being named National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2014. The honors were made public Tuesday (Sept. 30) by the U.S. Department of Education.

Only five Arkansas schools were on the 2014 Blue Ribbon list. Other Arkansas schools named as 2014 Blue Ribbon Schools were:
• Centerpoint Primary School, Glenwood, Ark.;
• M.A. Hardin Elementary School, Redfield, Ark.; and
• Norfork Elementary School, Norfork, Ark.

St. Joseph’s held a reception on campus in Fayetteville celebrating the first time the honor has gone to a private school in Northwest Arkansas. Nationwide, 287 public schools and 50 private schools were named a 2014 Blue Ribbon School. The U.S. Department of Education estimates there are “just under” 7,900 schools in the U.S.

The award was established in 1982 to recognize public and nonpublic elementary, middle, and high schools where students perform at very high levels or where significant improvements are being made in students’ academic achievement. The National Blue Ribbon School award is considered the highest honor an American school can achieve.

Of the approximately 1,200 schools in the state of Arkansas, only 37 public schools and three private schools have received the award in the 32-year history of Blue Ribbon. 

School officials in Rogers said Eastside is the third of its schools to receive the honor in recent years. Russell Jones Elementary was selected in 2012 and Bellview Elementary received the honor in 2011.

“I am so happy and so proud of Eastside’s students, teachers and administration and their hard work,” said Janie Darr, district superintendent. “The individual success of so many students has resulted in the school virtually closing the achievement gap between different groups of students. To have several National Blue Ribbon Schools in the district is a testament to the consistent quality of education in Rogers.”

St. Joseph Catholic School officials said its high standardized test scores qualified the school to submit a lengthy application to the Council for American Private Education (CAPE) highlighting the school’s operations in areas such as assessments and utilization of assessment data, curricula, professional development, leadership, and community and family involvement. 

Once reviewed and approved, CAPE recommended St. Joseph to the U.S. Department of Education as one of only 50 private schools to be considered for the award. St. Joseph was chosen based on the criteria of schools whose students score in the top 15% nationally in both reading and mathematics on nationally-normed tests. 

According to the Department of Education, common qualities found in Blue Ribbon Schools are leaders who articulate a vision of excellence, but also stay close to the real action of teaching and learning. 

“We credit our success to a ‘Can-do attitude’ of high expectations for all of our students and staff,” Eastside’s principal Robin Wilkerson said. “The collaboration and embedded professional development that is possible through co-teaching, coaching cycles, and teachers working together has created a learning culture based on teamwork.”

Eastside will join the other honorees from across the nation at a special ceremony in Washington, D.C., Nov. 10-11.