Schools in Madison, Meriden and Shelton have been honored by the U.S. Department of Education as 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools.
The award, which was announced in a release from Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker on Monday, is given to select schools across the nation that “demonstrate overall high achievement or success in closing achievement gaps.”
Daniel Hand High School in Madison, Israel Putnam Elementary School in Meriden and Sunnyside Elementary School in Shelton were the three Connecticut schools earning the esteemed honor.
“Connecticut’s public schools are considered among the best in the nation, and that is because of the top-quality teachers and staff in our school systems who provide a high level of learning that is helping our students achieve success,” Lamont said. “Every child deserves access to a quality education that prepares them for achievement.
“There’s no doubt that we must continue working to close persistent achievement gaps, but I firmly believe that the strong work of so many of our educators is having an impact,” he added. “I congratulate these three public schools in Madison, Meriden, and Shelton on earning this national distinction and I wish them continued success.”
The Connecticut State Department of Education uses data from the Next Generation Accountability System to nominate the schools. The three schools were nominated for their performances in two categories for the 2022-23 school year: Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing and Exemplary High Performing.
Daniel Hand earned the title of Exemplary High Performing. The school has 776 students and has excelled in the Next Generation Accountability System since its inception in 2014-15. The high school has reached School of Distinction status two years in a row due to the school’s high accountability index. The state-wide target is 85% percent and, in 2022-23, Daniel Hand achieved a mark of 88.4%, according to a press release.
The accountability system has seven indicators on the accountability report, and Daniel Hand maxed out points on each including. More than 80% of the Class of 2022 went to a postsecondary institution within a year of graduation.
Other areas where Daniel Hand excelled: Nearly all ninth-grade students earned six or more credits; students enrolling in courses that lead to college and career readiness as well as participation in arts courses; and high graduation rates for those students with high needs, which includes students with disabilities, multilingual learners and students from low-income families.
The Daniel Hand absenteeism rate was 2.1% for all students and 5.6% for students with high needs in 2022-23.
In the Blue Ribbon application, Daniel Hand administrators highlighted the school’s Student Leadership group, which has about 40 students that meet monthly with school administration. The group discusses possible improvements and program decisions.
Israel Putnam, one of four elementary schools in Meriden, was tagged as a school with Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing.
The school has 482 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Approximately 80% of them are eligible for free or reduced priced meals and 19% are multilingual learners, speaking at least nine different languages.
Israel Putnam earned the School of Distinction status for the second straight year thanks to strong academic growth.
Students were in the top 10% of schools in growth in mathematics for all students and students with high needs. The school also excelled in reading for students with high needs. In math, students earned about 88% of its target and 2022-23 showed the highest growth in the subject in the school to date.
Outside of the core instruction, the school established the first Meriden elementary school drama club 10 years ago.
The drama club members are involved in every aspect of production fostering student confidence, communication skills, creativity and a love for the arts.
Staff volunteers also offer monthly enrichment opportunities like cupcake decorating, board games, world languages, crafts, fitness activities, science, cooking, yoga and coloring mandalas.
Sunnyside Elementary School, a small neighborhood school in Shelton, was selected as Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing school.
Sunnyside serves students in grades kindergarten through fourth grade. Nearly half of the students are eligible for reduced price meals and 15.5% are multilingual learners.
Sunnyside has earned School of Distinction honors every year since 2015-16.
Sunnyside students were among the top 10% in mathematics and reading for all students and students with high needs. The school earned an 80 on the overall accountability index in 2022-23. The school was over 90% in possible points for math and reading.
According to the release, Sunnyside has developed a strong professional culture that promotes trust, collaboration and continuous improvement through Instructional Rounds. Instruction Rounds are similar to what is used in medicine where a group of educators observe other teachers throughout the building. The visits are with small groups and are brief and the group talks about student engagement and the impact on learning.
“This authentic professional learning activity provides teachers with the opportunity to learn from their peers,” the release stated.
“The Connecticut State Department of Education congratulates all of the schools named 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools,” Russell-Tucker said. “These schools exemplify Connecticut’s dedication to fostering educational environments where all students can thrive and reach their full potential, preparing them for academic success as well as life and work beyond school. Congratulations to the students, educators and school leaders on this prestigious honor and for their continued pursuit of excellence.”
