Morris County school among 9 New Jersey schools named 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools
NEW JERSEY – U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona today recognized 297 schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2022, including nine schools in New Jersey.
The recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. Secretary Cardona made the announcement during his Road to Success Back to School bus tour.
The New Jersey schools named as National Blue Ribbon Schools were:
- Cliffside Park – Cliffside Park School 4, Cliffside Park School District.
- Englewood Cliffs – Upper School, Englewood Cliffs School District.
- Glendora – Glendora Elementary School, Gloucester Township Public School District.
- Marlboro Township – Frank Defino Central Elementary School, Marlboro Township Public School District.
- Metuchen – Edgar Middle School, Metuchen School District.
- Pennington – Stony Brook Elementary School, Hopewell Valley Regional School District.
- Randolph – Center Grove School, Randolph Township School District.
- Scotch Plains – William J. McGinn Elementary School, Scotch Plains-Fanwood Public School District
- West Orange – Redwood Elementary School West, West Orange School District.
“I applaud all the honorees for the 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award for creating vibrant, welcoming, and affirming school communities where students can learn, grow, reach their potential, and achieve their dreams,” said Secretary Cardona. “As our country continues to recover from the pandemic, we know that our future will only be as strong as the education we provide to all of our children. Blue Ribbon Schools have gone above and beyond to keep students healthy and safe while meeting their academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. These schools show what is possible to make an enduring, positive difference in students’ lives.”
With its 39th cohort, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed approximately 10,000 awards to more than 9,000 schools. The National Blue Ribbon School award affirms and validates the hard work of students, educators, families, and communities in striving for – and attaining – exemplary achievement.
National Blue Ribbon Schools serve as models of effective school practices for state and district educators and other schools throughout the nation. A National Blue Ribbon School flag gracing a school’s entryway or on a flagpole is a widely recognized symbol of exemplary teaching and learning.
The Department recognizes all schools in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores, subgroup student scores and graduation rates:
- Exemplary High-Performing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.
- Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students.
Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year. The Department invites nominations for the National Blue Ribbon Schools award from the top education official in all states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education. Private schools are nominated by the Council for American Private Education.
