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Five North Carolina public schools and one private school were named National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2024 by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. The schools are among 356 schools nationwide recognized this year for their overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps.
North Carolina public schools receiving this honor are:
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Martin L. Nesbitt, Jr. Discovery Academy – Buncombe County Schools
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Hope Middle School – Pitt County Schools
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McDowell Early College – McDowell County Schools
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Willow Springs Elementary School – Wake County Public School System
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Rock Ridge Elementary School – Wilson County Schools
“The National Blue Ribbon Schools Award is a testament to the exceptional achievements of students and educators at each of these schools,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “The 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools are raising the bar for our nation’s students, serving as models for effective teaching and intentional collaboration in their schools and communities. As we celebrate their achievements, let us look to these schools for inspiration as we champion education as the foundation of a brighter future for every child.”
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt congratulated North Carolina’s recipients for their hard work and pursuit of excellence and achievement.
“I’m so proud to see these schools recognized for their incredible accomplishments and dedication to their students,” Truitt said. “Their entire school communities – including educators, students, parents and members of the community – illustrate the amazing things happening in North Carolina’s public schools, ultimately leading the way toward stronger schools across our state and even better outcomes for students.”
The coveted National Blue Ribbon School award affirms the hard work of students, educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content. National Blue Ribbon Schools serve as models of effective school practices for state and district educators and other schools across the nation.
For more than 40 years, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has conferred approximately 10,000 awards to more than 9,000 schools, with some schools winning multiple awards. In North Carolina, a total of 143 public schools have been recognized as Blue Ribbon schools since the program’s inception in 1982.
All Blue Ribbon schools are honored in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores, subgroup student 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 subgroups and all students over the past five years.
Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year. The U.S. Department of Education 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.
Photographs and brief descriptions of the 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools are available at https://nationalblueribbonschools.ed.gov/awardwinners/.
Read the news release from the U.S. Department of Education.
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