Catholic school was one of only 7 Iowa schools to win 2011 US Education Department Blue Ribbon
Davenport, IA - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) visited students today at Davenport's St. Paul the Apostle Catholic School to recognize the school being named a 2011 Blue Ribbon School by the US Department of Education. Only seven schools in Iowa received the award this year, including St. Paul's.
Braley met with members of St. Paul's student council before addressing the school's students in an assembly.
"My mother was a schoolteacher in my hometown, and my wife teaches high school in Waterloo - so you could say I have education in my blood," Braley said. "Being named a Blue Ribbon School is no small achievement - only 305 schools in the entire country earned the distinction this year.
"Every school in Iowa should strive for this level of educational excellence. After all, a world-class education is the foundation of our kids' future. Quality schools lay the groundwork now for good-paying jobs and a stronger economy tomorrow."
Being named a Blue Ribbon School means meeting one of two criteria:
- High-performing schools. Schools that are ranked among each state's highest performing schools as measured by their performance on state assessments, or, for private schools, that score at the highest performance level on national tests.
- High-performing high-risk schools. Schools with 40 percent or more of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that improve student performance to high levels as measured by national tests.
To be named a Blue Ribbon School, a school must be nominated for the distinction by the top education official in its respective state. The Council for American Private Education (CAPE) nominates private schools in each state.
# # #
