Torrey Pines Elementary School in La Jolla is one of 362 schools across the nation to be named a 2019 National Blue Ribbon School. Announced today by the U.S. Department of Education, the recognition is based on a school's overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.
The coveted National Blue Ribbon Schools award affirms the hard work of educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content.
"We are thrilled to be selected for this honor and believe it is evidence of our schoolwide commitment to teaching children in the way that will best fit their individual learning needs," said Torrey Pines Principal Nona Richards.
The designation for Torrey Pines Elementary recognizes that it is a campus where students achieve very high learning standards, according to the Department of Education. These "Exemplary High Performing" campuses are recognized among their state's highest performing schools, as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.
"This recognition is an example of our students achieving at the highest level, thanks to our educator's hard work and dedication," said Superintendent Cindy Marten. "I congratulate the staff, students, parents and the Torrey Pines Elementary community on this remarkable accomplishment."
Previous San Diego Unified schools to receive the honor in recent years include La Jolla, Ericson, Florence and Fletcher elementary schools, Kearny High Digital Media &;; Design, and San Diego High School of International Studies.
Now in its 37th year, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed recognition on more than 9,000 schools. On November 14 and 15, the Secretary and the Department of Education will celebrate with 312 public and 50 non-public school honorees at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.
The Department recognizes all schools in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores, student subgroup 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 National Blue Ribbon School nominations from the top education official in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education. Private schools are nominated by The Council for American Private Education (CAPE).
NOTE TO EDITORS: Photographs and brief descriptions of the 2019 National Blue Ribbon Schools are available at https://www.ed.gov/nationalblueribbonschools.
For more information on Torrey Pines Elementary, please visit their website. For additional details on the National Blue Ribbon program, visit the Department of Education website.