H-K among 4 Conn. 2018 National Blue Ribbon Schools

WEST HAVEN — Forest School, one of the state’s neediest schools, is one of four Connecticut schools recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as 2018 National Blue Ribbon Schools, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced Monday.

Forest, also one of West Haven’s schools with the highest percentage of children whose families speak a language other than English at home, was honored Monday along with University of Hartford Magnet School in West Hartford, West School in New Canaan and Haddam-Killingworth High School in Higganum.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools is an annual award bestowed on schools across the nation for high academic performance or greatest progress in achievement gap closure among subgroups, the governor’s office said in a news release.

“Every student from every background and every walk of life deserves a quality education that allows them to succeed,” Malloy said. “With exemplary schools like this year’s Blue Ribbon award winners, it’s no wonder that we have record-high graduation rates and students who are among the best in the nation.

“We are excited to celebrate four Connecticut schools that are transforming the futures of students by delivering a top-quality education in the classroom,” Education Commissioner Dianna R. Wentzell said in the release. “Congratulations to our Blue Ribbon Schools on the collective effort and hard work by students, parents, educators and community partners to earn this prestigious honor.”

To select and nominate schools for the National Blue Ribbon School award, the Connecticut State Department of Education uses data from the Next Generation Accountability System, the release said.

Nominated schools complete an application process and must be approved by the U.S. Department of Education, the release said.

All selected schools in Connecticut demonstrated outstanding overall achievement in 2016-17 and were identified as “Schools of Distinction,” the release said.

National Blue Ribbon Schools are identified in two categories — “Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing” and “Exemplary High Performing.”

Haddam-Killingworth High School is identified as an “Exemplary High Performing School” based on its 2016-17 accountability index, the release said. Included in the accountability index is the fouryear graduation rate for all students (95.2 percent) and the six-year graduation rate for high-needs students (100 percent), both exceeding state targets.

In its Blue Ribbon School application, the school administration expressed that it is most proud of its success in personalizing the student experience, the release said.

It offers a wide range of “traditional” courses, a variety of online learning opportunities, an internship program through which students earn credit through experiential learning within the community, and a system to support students interested in pursuing unique learning opportunities not found in a typical course of studies, the release said.

HKHS “has established a goal that all students graduate having completed a college and/or career experience,” the release said. “To this end, they expanded course offerings as well as added a transition coordinator. The 2016-17 accountability report shows that 84.8 percent of students in Grades 11 and 12 have taken at least two courses specifically designed to prepare students for college and/or career (Indicator 5), again surpassing the state target of 75 percent.”

“We congratulate these schools and their teachers, students, and families for their collective efforts to nurture positive school communities — they are all helping to shift the growing possibilities for our next generation in a positive direction,” Malloy said.

File photo Haddam-Killingworth High School