State Senator Julie Rosen (R-Vernon Center) congratulated Maple River East Elementary School in Minnesota Lake today for being named one of the United States Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon Schools for 2018. Maple River East was one of eight schools in Minnesota — and only 349 schools in the country — to receive the recognition, which is based on overall excellence or progress made toward closing the achievement gap.

 “It is so satisfying to see a school with such a great reputation for excellence receive national recognition,” said Sen. Rosen. “By encouraging a collaboration between home and school, and by challenging students to set – and exceed – personal goals, Maple River East has been able to achieve incredible results. Congratulations to the administrators, the teachers, and most importantly, the students. I’m looking forward to many more years of success!”

Public schools nominated for the National Blue Ribbon Schools award must meet one of two performance award criteria.

• Exemplary High Performing Schools: The school must rank in the top 15 percent of all schools in the state based on results of state assessments or a composite index of assessment results and other indicators, such as graduation rates. The school must rank in the top 40 percent for each of the school’s subgroups.

• Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools: The school must rank in the top 15 percent of all schools in the state in progress closing the achievement gap between the school’s subgroups and the state’s “all students” group over the last five years, based on results of state assessments or a composite index of assessment results and other indicators, such as graduation rates.

Over the last 36 years, more than 8,800 schools throughout the United States have been recognized by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program.