BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS

NORTH CAROLINA CRITERIA

While many schools in North Carolina meet these criteria, only nine can be nominated. The criteria described below comprise the North Carolina response to the new federal guidelines provided by the United States Department of Education (USDE).

1. At least one-third (three schools) of the nine nominees will be selected from schools that have at least 40 percent of their students coming from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. These schools must have dramatically improved the performance of all students to high levels in reading (language arts or English) and mathematics on the North Carolina end-of-grade/end-of course tests* over at least the past three years.
   
   At a minimum, "high levels" means that the students in the school are achieving above the 55th percentile in reading and mathematics. The school has not been in school improvement status or identified by the state as "persistently dangerous" within the last two years.



2. Also eligible are those schools that consistently perform in the top 10 percent for at least three consecutive years in reading and mathematics,* regardless of the background of the students in the school.



3. Eligible schools must have met Adequate Yearly Progress.



4. Nominated schools named as USDE Blue Ribbon Schools may not be nominated again for five years.

*Tested areas for grades 3 through 8 and high school