OWC Collegiate High School Named National Blue Ribbon School - School to Travel to Washington D.C. Nov. 10 to Receive Honor & Present Workshop
10/09/2006
The Collegiate High School at Okaloosa-Walton College has been named a "2006 No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon School", among 250 nationwide and 12 from Florida, who were recognized in an announcement from U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. The school received its official notification letter from the secretary last week, along with congratulations from U.S. Senator Bill Nelson.
School officials will travel to Washington, D.C. November 9th and 10th for ceremonies that will honor all schools who received the national Blue Ribbon designation.
The No Child Left BehindBlue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private K-12 schools that are academically superior in their states or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement. The schools are nationally recognized for their academic achievement as among America's most successful schools.
"To be recognized at the national level is a true honor," noted Dr. Bob Richburg OWC president. "We are especially pleased since the school earned this recognition under the more stringent national standards of No Child Left Behind."
Since 2002, Blue Ribbon status is linked to the federal No Child Left Behind standards and schools are singled out for national honors as they reflect the goals of the nation's new education reforms for high standards and accountability.
The OWC Collegiate High School was also chosen to lead a workshop as part of the November ceremonies in Washington, D.C. for Blue Ribbon schools. Only about 25 schools were chosen for this additional honor. At the national ceremony, all the Blue Ribbon schools will receive a plaque and a flag signifying their NCLB-BRS status.
"The Collegiate High School at OWC was one of only two public high schools in Florida to receive the Blue Ribbon designation," said Dr. Jill White OWC senior vice president. She said the school's "Culture of Reading" program, which celebrates the joy and value of reading in all aspects of the school from the classroom to clubs and activities, will be featured at the workshop in Washington, D.C.
"These schools show what wonderful accomplishments can be made when we focus on the bottom line in education - student achievement," Secretary Spellings said in a national press release. "All of these schools have students from all subgroups who've made impressive test gains or who scored in the top tier on state tests. They are outstanding examples of how all students can achieve to higher standards."
In order to be considered for Blue Ribbon status, schools must be nominated for the honor at the state level by their respective governing board. The OWC Collegiate High School was nominated by the office of Florida Commissioner of Education, John Winn. In addition to national No Child Left Behind standards, the Blue Ribbon Schools program also requires schools to meet either of two assessment criteria:
- be a school who has at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that dramatically improves student performance in accordance with state assessment systems; and/or
- be a school whose students, regardless of background, achieve in the top 10 percent of their state on state tests or, in the case of private schools, in the top 10 percent of the nation on nationally-normed tests. High performing schools are in the top 10 percent of all schools on state assessment scores in both reading (language arts or English) and mathematics.
The OWC Collegiate High School's Blue Ribbon award is the first time a local school has been recognized since Niceville High School was named a Blue Ribbon school in 1996.
Further information on the program and a list of current winners can be accessed at http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/awards.html.
Department of Education - NATIONAL CONTACT:
No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools Program
Office of Intergovernmental and Interagency Affairs
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue SW, 5E121
Washington, DC 20202-8173
202-260-7464 (fax)
J. Stephen O'Brien
202-205-1662
FLORIDA SCHOOLS CHOSEN
Holy Family Catholic School
Orlando, FL
Key Biscayne K-8 Center School
Key Biscayne, FL
MAST Academy
Miami, FL
Okaloosa Walton College Collegiate High School
Niceville, FL
Our Lady of Lourdes School
Daytona Beach, FL
St. Joseph Catholic School
Palm Bay, FL
St. Margaret Mary Catholic School
Winter Park, FL
St. Mary Magdalen Catholic School
Altamonte Springs, FL
Tarpon Springs Fundamental Elementary School
Tarpon Springs, FL
Warfield Elementary School
Indiantown, FL
William S. Talbot Elementary School
Gainesville, FL
Windy Ridge School
Orlando, FL