4 Connecticut faculties earn 2022 Nationwide Blue Ribbon Faculties awards – Hartford Courant

Three elementary faculties and one highschool in Connecticut have been amongst 297 faculties throughout the nation offered with a 2022 Nationwide Blue Ribbon Faculties Award from the U.S. Division of Schooling Friday.

Sales space Hill College in Trumbull, Nice Plain College in Danbury, Whiting Lane College in West Hartford, and E.O. Smith Excessive College of Regional College District 19 in Storrs, have been acknowledged for exemplary tutorial efficiency and work closing achievement gaps in schooling.

“As our nation continues to recuperate from the pandemic, we all know that our future will solely be as robust because the schooling we offer to all of our kids,” U.S. Secretary of Schooling Miguel Cardona stated. “Blue Ribbon Faculties have gone above and past to maintain college students wholesome and protected whereas assembly their tutorial, social, emotional, and psychological well being wants. These faculties present what is feasible to make an everlasting, constructive distinction in college students’ lives.”

Connecticut Schooling Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker congratulated the 4 Connecticut award winners in a press launch Friday.

“The Connecticut State Division of Schooling congratulates all the faculties named Blue Ribbon Faculties in 2022,” she stated. “We’ve got made it a spotlight this yr to spotlight what’s proper in faculties, and our Blue Ribbon Award winners are prime examples of the various modern practices underway in districts to make sure the continued development and academic success of our college students.”

Within the launch, Governor Ned Lamont credited the state’s trainer workforce with the achievement of Connecticut college students.

“Connecticut’s public faculties are persistently rated among the many greatest within the nation, and that’s because of the lecturers and workers who work in our college programs and supply a excessive degree of studying that’s serving to our college students obtain success all through their future careers,” Lamont stated. “Our administration stays dedicated to strengthening all the faculties in our state so that each baby – regardless of their neighborhood or household earnings degree – has a chance to obtain an schooling that prepares them for achievement.”

E.O. Smith

2022 marks the second time E.O. Smith has obtained such an accolade— the highschool was additionally among the many 1993 Blue Ribbon recipients. Because the nationwide program started in 1982, 150 public and 32 personal faculties in Connecticut have obtained the award, however solely 13 faculties have earned the excellence twice.

E.O. Smith serves roughly 1,100 college students from Ashford, Columbia, Coventry, Eastford, Mansfield, Willington, and Windham. Based on a launch from the Governor’s workplace, in 2019, 80.9% of E.O. Smith graduates enrolled in a better schooling establishment.

“Educators at E.O. Smith encourage persistence by permitting college students to revise work and reassess progress towards studying targets. The varsity prides itself on a mixing of excessive requirements, mastery-based studying, and personalization with ample flexibility. They don’t give attention to pointless stipulations and timelines. As a substitute, they provide pointers and create circumstances that can permit all college students to enhance and develop their abilities as self-directed learners,” the discharge reads.

Sales space Hill College

Sales space Hill College joins a listing of three different faculties in Trumbull with Blue Ribbon Awards. The varsity was acknowledged for exemplary excessive efficiency amongst its greater than 500 college students. Based on the discharge, Sales space Hill was one among six faculties that reached the state’s goal for science in all pupil teams throughout the 2018-2019 faculty yr.

“Sales space Hill College prides itself on fostering a powerful sense of neighborhood for educators, college students, and households. School time is dedicated to grade degree walk-throughs and vertical planning classes to make sure consistency of expectations and coordination throughout the grade ranges,” the Governor’s launch reads. “This faculty has been recognized as a College of Distinction within the accountability system for 3 of the final 4 years.”

Nice Plain College

The U.S. Division of Schooling acknowledged Nice Plain College for its exemplary work closing achievement gaps. With the addition of Nice Plain, Danbury now has 5 Blue Ribbon faculties.

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Greater than 50% of the varsity’s 280 college students are economically-disadvantaged and 33% are English learners, in line with the discharge. Nice Plain was a College of Distinction for 3 years in a row. The varsity builds robust neighborhood partnerships with mother and father and native foundations to sort out challenges and help college students.

“In 2018-19, the varsity demonstrated not solely general excessive efficiency in English language arts, however they have been additionally acknowledged for the robust tutorial development of scholars with excessive wants in arithmetic and ELA,” the discharge reads. “In an effort to increase studying time, the varsity has provided a program for college kids to reach at college early 4 days every week utilizing district-provided transportation in order that they might take part in further math and studying instruction and enrichment based mostly on pupil want.”

Whiting Lane College

Whiting Lane College is now one among 11 Blue Ribbon faculties in West Hartford. The U.S. Division of Schooling awarded Whiting Lane College the excellence for its work closing achievement gaps.

Up till the beginning of the 2019-2020 faculty yr, Whiting Lane had a four-year streak as a College of Distinction for pupil tutorial development.

Based on the discharge, 25% of Whiting Lane’s 375 college students determine as having a incapacity. The varsity fosters an inclusive studying setting by way of its pre-kindergarten program that “Companions college students with disabilities with their typical friends in a classroom that ‘promotes inclusion and an consciousness and acceptance of variations…’ that permeates the varsity as much as and thru Grade 5.”

Alison Cross will be reached at throughout@courant.com.