SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced California's nominees for the 2004 No Child Left Behind -- Blue Ribbon Schools, a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE). Attached is a list of the 35 public schools — the maximum number California is allowed to nominate under the new USDE program guidelines.

The national recognition program allows states to nominate schools that show dramatic growth and high achievement. Public school nominees were chosen for the most part from among 2003 California Distinguished Secondary Schools. In some cases, 2002 California Distinguished Elementary Schools were chosen. Nominees will be invited to submit an application to the USDE. There, the applications will be screened for growth and achievement in accordance with Blue Ribbon criteria. Final selections will be announced next year by U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige.

"These schools are proven leaders in raising student achievement and showing tremendous progress and accomplishment," said O'Connell. "They have remained focused on our vision that all children can and should exceed in school."

This is the second year of the newly redesigned Blue Ribbon Schools Program. Changes reflect new USDE priorities under the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation. Under the new design, schools must fit one of the two categories:

1. Mandatory Category: have a student body comprised of at least 40 percent disadvantaged students, show dramatic improvement, and score at the 55th percentile in reading and math in at least the highest grade tested; or
2. Optional Category: be among the top 10 percent of the schools in the state.

Secondary schools were considered first, since the most recent round of California Distinguished Schools was limited to middle and high schools. All schools met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and showed growth over three years. Schools that showed the most growth were selected first.

When the Blue Ribbon Schools Program changed two years ago, the state application process was eliminated. With the new USDE emphasis on data, nomination is done exclusively based on school data at the California Department of Education. Potentially eligible schools are asked if they would consider applying in the event that they are nominated to the USDE.

The weight of the USDE application rests almost exclusively on test scores -- growth and achievement in reading and math over three years -- including those for significant subgroups. Growth and achievement among subgroups have to be comparable. While many schools in the state qualify, California is limited in the number of nominees it can submit -- up to 12 schools with a 40 percent disadvantaged student population, and twice as many schools that are in the top 10 percent of the state.

For more information on the NCLB -- Blue Ribbon Schools Program, visit the USDE Web site at http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/index.html (Outside Source).

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Attachment

2004 NCLB Blue Ribbon School Nominees