Six Georgia public schools and four private schools have earned the 2019 Blue Ribbon recognition for 2019.
The Blue Ribbon is a national recognition from the U.S. Department of Education. The Georgia schools named 2019 recipients of the honor are:
- Sope Creek Elementary School, Cobb County Schools
- Tritt Elementary School, Cobb County Schools
- Daves Creek Elementary School, Forsyth County Schools
- Marietta Center for Advanced Academics, Marietta City Schools
- Pierce County High School, Pierce County Schools
- CT Walker Traditional Elementary School, Richmond County Schools
“I offer my heartfelt congratulations to these six excellent public schools on this national recognition,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said, “and my gratitude to each educator within them who has worked hard to open up opportunities and create an environment where every student can learn.”
The department of education recognizes schools in two performance categories:
- Exemplary High Performing Schools are among their state’s highest-performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.
- Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools are among their state’s highest-performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students.
Four Georgia private schools also received the National Blue Ribbon recognition: Hancock Day School in Savannah, Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Atlanta, Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic School in Atlanta, and Queen of Angels Catholic School in Roswell. The selection process for private schools differs from the process for public schools.
Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year. The U.S. Dept. of Education invites National Blue Ribbon School nominations from the top education official in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education. Private schools are nominated by the Council for American Private Education.