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· Baltimore County – Carroll Manor Elementary School in Baldwin
· Caroline County – Preston Elementary School in Preston
· Howard County – Centennial Lane Elementary School in Ellicott City
· Montgomery County – Carderock Springs Elementary School in Bethesda
· Prince George’s County – Beacon Heights Elementary School in Riverdale
· Worcester County – Snow Hill Elementary School in Snow Hill
“This recognition will prove to the nation what many of us already know: that Maryland’s public schools provide some of the best education available in the country,” said Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. “These six schools live up to Maryland’s high standards, which pay big dividends for all our citizens.”
State Superintendent of Schools Nancy S. Grasmick noted that the national honor spotlights schools from across the state.
“It proves we have great schools in our cities, in our suburbs, and in our rural communities,” Dr. Grasmick noted. “There is excellent instruction taking place in classrooms located all over Maryland, and it is up to each of us to maintain that legacy of excellence.”
The No Child Left Behind (NCLB)/Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a national and state program that recognizes and honors schools that exhibit high performance and/or significant improvement in reading and mathematics achievement as measured by Maryland’s assessments.
Schools must meet rigorous standards that were developed by the Maryland State Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Education. These are schools that are extremely high achievers in reading and mathematics or economically less advantaged schools that are exceeding norms and dramatically closing achievement gaps between their students in reading and mathematics.
Based on school-age population, Maryland was allowed to select up to six schools for nomination. Maryland nominated its six Maryland NCLB/Blue Ribbon Schools last November. The state was one of only a handful of states to see all nominees receive the national honor, and Maryland was one of just 36 states to have any public school honorees. A total of 206 public schools were honored nationwide.
Maryland’s winners offer a cross-section of schools in the state:
- Baltimore County’s Carroll Manor Elementary School – The school has won several Maryland School Performance Recognition Awards, and has a history of focusing on improving student achievement and building academic excellence. Carroll Manor benefits from strong community support, as evidenced by its active extracurricular learning programs, such as Spelling Aces, Geography Club, Writer’s Workshop, Sacks of Science, 24 Challenge, and the Chess Club. The school’s fourth grade class from last year was one of a handful statewide that saw every student score proficient or above in the Maryland School Assessment.
- Caroline County’s Preston Elementary School – Working under the motto of “Preston Sets the Pace,” the school improved its test scores 73 percent between 1994 and 2001, receiving a Maryland School Performance Recognition Award. The school community continues to set high expectations, benefiting from focused instruction and the dedication of students, parents, teachers, and administrators.
- Howard County’s Centennial Lane Elementary School – Celebrating 30 years of academic success, the school has a history of strong leadership, highly committed staff, and a supportive parent environment. The school received Maryland School Performance Awards in 2001 and 2002, and Baltimore magazine recognized it as one of the area’s best elementary schools by virtue of its academic achievements and its strong related arts programs.
- Montgomery County’s Carderock Springs Elementary School – Carderock Springs has a 38-year history of academic excellence, performing well in a variety of local, state, and national assessments over the years. A strong instructional staff and active parent and community involvement support the work of Carderock’s internationally diverse student body.
- Prince George’s County’s Beacon Heights Elementary School – A Model Comprehensive Title I School, Beacon Heights prides itself on its rich and rigorous instructional programs, which have led to a dramatic increase in achievement. The school, with 76 percent of its students eligible for free or reduced-price meals, progressed in a few short years from being eligible for reconstitution to one of the most improved schools in the state.
- Worcester County’s Snow Hill Elementary School – Another Comprehensive Title I School, Snow Hill was recently named a National PTA Involvement School of Excellence. The staff and students work diligently to promote involvement in school as well as lifelong readers, thinkers, and writers. The school’s slogan, “Celebrate Success,” commemorates the dedication of the entire school family.
The Maryland No Child Left Behind/Blue Ribbon Schools Program benefits from the support of a number of sponsors, including Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Comcast, McDonald’s Family of Greater Baltimore. Peripheral Vision, Calcomp, Turning Technologies, Scholastic, Inc., and Verizon, Maryland. |