J.B. Hunt Elementary named Blue Ribbon school

SPRINGDALE — J.B. Hunt Elementary School was named a Blue Ribbon school Monday by the U.S. Department of Education.

The Springdale elementary school was among three schools statewide and 349 nationally earning recognition. The department uses the Blue Ribbon program to recognize public and private schools for high academic achievement or progress toward closing an achievement gap.

Other Arkansas schools earning the honor are Kingsland Elementary in the Cleveland County School District and Woodrow Cummins Elementary in the Conway School District.

J.B. Hunt and Woodrow Cummins elementary schools received the Exemplary High Performing Schools designation for student performance on state assessments. Kingsland Elementary School received the Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools designation for its efforts to close achievement gaps between student groups and all students over the last five years.

The local school had an enrollment of 607 in prekindergarten through 5th grade last school year.

Of those students, 58 percent were white, 24 percent Hispanic, 5 percent black, 3 percent Asian, 8 percent Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, 1 percent Native American and 1 percent two or more races.

Michelle Doshier is the principal.

“Whether our students come from across the street or across the ocean, these students are ours,” the J.B. Hunt application for the Blue Ribbon designation stated. “We love them all and are willing to work tirelessly to ensure our vision, to prepare all students to be college and career ready, lifelong learners, and productive members of society.”

The Springdale school faculty undertook three years of training in the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model, resulting in less teacher-focused instruction and more of a student-centered learning approach and a greater reliance on aligning instruction from grade to grade to eliminate instructional gaps and duplication.

“We are very honored to be a Blue Ribbon school,” Doshier wrote in an email. “We have amazing teachers and kids, and they are the ones who did all the work. One of the criteria was growth, and we had so many students that grew from their testing last year to this year. We are truly blessed.”

In all, 349 schools — 300 public and 49 of which are nonpublic schools — are the honorees this year. Public schools are initially nominated by their state’s chief school officer.

Nonpublic schools are nominated by the Council for American Private Education. Nominated schools are then invited by the U.S. Department of Education to apply.

Representatives of the winning schools are invited to an awards ceremony and other events in their honor Nov. 7-8 in Washington, D.C.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools program has honored more than 8,800 schools in its 36-year history.