South Street named National Blue Ribbon School
DANBURY — South Street Elementary School has earned a national honor for its progress in closing achievement gaps.
The school is one of four in Connecticut and 367 in the country to be named a National Blue Ribbon School, a “coveted” award, the U.S. Department of Education announced Thursday. Up to 420 schools are nominated each year.
“It’s a privilege to recognize the extraordinary work you do to meet stu
dents’ needs and prepare them for successful careers and meaningful lives,” U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said in a statement.
Morris Street Elementary School earned this award in 2017 for working to close the achievement gap, as well. The state has named South Street a School of Distinction for three of the last four years.
Gov. Ned Lamont congratulated the Connecticut schools for the award.
“Every child – no matter their family’s income or the neighborhood where they live – deserves access to a quality education that prepares them for achievement,” he said in a statement. “We no doubt continue to have work to do to close persistent achievement gaps that have lingered far too long, but I firmly believe that the strong work of so many of our educators is having an impact.”
More than half of South Street students are English learners, while
87.2 percent are from economically disadvantaged families, Lamont’s office said. The school has a daily
30-minute block called “What I need,” or WIN, where students receive intervention or acceleration, which has led to academic growth, the governor said.
The state uses data from the Next Generation Accountability System to nominate schools.
“Receiving this prestigious honor speaks to the true team effort it takes to make tangible progress on closing gaps in opportunities, access, and outcomes that exist for too many of our students,” State Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona said in a statement. “Taking these successes to scale statewide will require us to come together in the same spirit of collaboration with all of us doing our part, especially in light of this pandemic.”
In addition to South Street, Northeast School in Vernon was awarded for its “exemplary” effort to close the achievement gap. Meanwhile, George Hersey Robertson School in Coventry and Norton Elementary School in Cheshire were honored for being among the state’s highest performing schools, the education department said.
A ceremony will be held virtually on Nov. 12 and 13. Schools will receive plaques and flags in the mail.