COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

P.O. BOX 2120

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120

SUPTS. MEMO NO. 197

September 14, 2007

INFORMATIONAL

TO:	Division Superintendents
FROM:	Billy K. Cannaday, Jr. Superintendent of Public Instruction
SUBJECT:	United States Department of Educations No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools Recognition Program

The purpose of this memorandum is to announce an opportunity for recognition of certain schools in the Commonwealth through the United States Department of Educations No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools Recognition Program. The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) encourages school divisions to nominate eligible schools according to the criteria.

The Blue Ribbon Schools Recognition Program honors elementary and secondary schools that have made significant progress in closing the achievement gap or schools that have students achieving at the highest levels. This program recognizes and presents elementary and secondary schools as models that meet at least one of the following criteria:

1) achieving at the highest levels in reading and

mathematics on state assessments and have 40

percent or more of their students from

disadvantaged backgrounds;

2) dramatically improving student performance; or

3) achieving in the top 10 percent in reading and

mathematics on state tests, regardless of

background.

If you would like the VDOE to consider a school from your division as a 2007-2008 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon nominee from Virginia, please send an e-mail indicating the name of the school to Mia.Gomes@doe.virginia.gov by Friday, October 5, 2007. Please include the wording Blue Ribbon Schools in the subject of the e-mail. The VDOE will select nominees based on the eligibility criteria required by the United States Department of Education. Please note also that priority selection of finalist schools by the department will be based on those schools or school divisions that have not been selected in the past. The departments goal is to ensure equity throughout the state whenever possible. Additional information regarding the 2007-2008 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools Recognition Program can be found at http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/applicant.html.

For questions regarding the No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools Recognition Program, please contact Kathleen Smith, director, Office of School Improvement, at (804) 225-2865 or by e-mail to Kathleen.Smith@doe.virginia.gov, or Mia Gomes, school improvement specialist, at (804) 225-2657 or by e-mail to Mia.Gomes@doe.virginia.gov.

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