The Iowa Department of Education today announced that five Iowa schools have been named as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2024. Proposed by the Iowa Department of Education at the end of last year and now designated by the U.S. Department of Education, the National Blue Ribbon Schools program honors some of the nation’s best schools based on excellent student academic achievement and growth.
Iowa’s 2024 National Blue Ribbons Schools are:
● Alta-Aurelia Middle School, Alta-Aurelia Community School District
● Decorah High School, Decorah Community School District
● Nodaway Valley Middle School, Nodaway Valley Community School District
● Rock Run Elementary, Iowa Falls Community School District
● Rock Valley Elementary, Rock Valley Community School District
“Educators, families, and students in Iowa’s five 2024 National Blue Ribbon schools represent educational excellence across grade bands, school models, and regions of the state,” said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow. “We applaud their leadership in investing in effective practices like evidence-based reading instruction, supporting teachers in doing their best work, and empowering students with multiple pathways to postsecondary success. The National Blue Ribbon designation recognizes these school communities as models of excellence in Iowa and across the nation, providing all students what they need to meet high expectations and realize their incredible potential.”
Schools recognized through the National Blue Ribbon Schools program must display high achievements as either an Exemplary High-Performing School or an Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing School. Selection is based on student assessment scores, student group scores and graduation rates.
Iowa’s five awardees were honored as Exemplary High-Performing Schools, which are measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests. Each of these schools performed in the top 15 percent of all Iowa public schools based on overall performance on school accountability indicators, including student proficiency, growth, graduation rates, and postsecondary readiness.
Since 1982, the National Blue Ribbon Schools program has honored over 10,000 public and nonpublic schools. The U.S. Department of Education accepts up to 420 school nominations each year from state directors of education and top education officials from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, the Department of Defense Education Activity and the Bureau of Indian Education. The Council for American Private Education submits nominations for nonpublic schools.
Additional information on the National Blue Ribbon Schools program can be found at https://nationalblueribbonschools.ed.gov/