Six schools in Los Angeles County and three in Orange County were named National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education Wednesday.
The Los Angeles County honorees were Hawthorne Math and Science Academy; Kipp Los Angeles College Prep; Wonderland Avenue Elementary; Point Vincent Elementary in Palos Verdes; Edison Elementary of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District; and San Jose Charter Academy of the West Covina Unified School District.
In Orange County, the honors went to A.J. Cook Elementary in Garden Grove; Francis Hopkinson Elementary in Los Alamitos and Tustin Memorial Elementary.
They were among 29 Blue Ribbon Schools named in California and 329 nationwide.
“This recognition for California is a testament to the hard work of our educators, administrators, and communities to prepare our students for both 21st century careers and college,” said Tom Torlakson, state superintendent of public instruction. “We are making progress, but we must keep our momentum going because we have much work to do.”
Schools are selected based on student achievement and progress in closing the achievement gap between various classes of pupils.
School officials will be recognized Nov. 7-8, 2016, in Washington, D.C., where each winner will receive a plaque and flag. Blue Ribbon winners may fly the flag at their schools as a symbol of exemplary teaching and learning.
–City News Service