For a Michigan school, winning a Blue Ribbon is akin to a film actor receiving an Oscar or a newspaper journalist earning a Pulitzer Prize.
‘The Blue Ribbon award is only given to the finest schools in the State of Michigan,? said Leonard Elementary Principal Joyce Brasington.
Three, possibly four, elementary schools in the Oxford school district were recently selected as finalists to become Blue Ribbon Exemplary Schools.
Leonard, Oxford and Lakeville elementaries are all in the running to earn the state award which recognizes schools that demonstrate a strong commitment to educational excellence and significant academic improvement over five years.
The district is still waiting to hear whether or not Daniel Axford Elementary is a finalist.
Winners will be announced March 17 by the state Board of Education.
‘It means the world to Lakeville,? said Kristy Gibson-Marshall, principal of Lakeville. ‘For these kids and this staff to be recognized is huge. You couldn’t ask for more. It validates what Lakeville’s been doing for years.?
‘Of course, I couldn’t be prouder,? said Oxford Elementary Principal Debbie Stout. ‘Primarily it’s a marketing tool. It notifies the public, the community, of what we already knew ? we have a very good school.?
‘We feel real fortunate that we were even able to apply, let alone be considered to win it,? Brasington said. ‘We feel like we’re the best kept secret in the district. We felt it was necessary for people outside our school to know how special we are and how well our students do.?
Established in 1982, the Michigan Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon program has recognized more than 350 of the state’s most successful schools.
The only Oxford school to ever win a Blue Ribbon was Clear Lake Elementary for the 2002-03 school year.
In order to be considered for this prestigious award, each school must complete a comprehensive report that represents an extensive assessment of the building and its programs.
Each school’s application covers eight specific award criteria ? student focus and support; school organization and culture; challenging standards and curriculum; active teaching and learning; professional community; leadership and education vitality; school, family and community partnerships; and indicators of academic success.
According to Superintendent Dr. Bill Skilling, it takes an average of 700 hours to complete the Blue Ribbon application process.
‘It’s probably the hardest thing professionally that I’ve ever done,? Stout said. ‘This was the most thorough introspection that we’ve ever been through in terms of looking at every aspect of our school based upon very specific criteria. If you read that document there would be nothing you didn’t know about this school.?
‘What has been particularly rewarding is the way the staff has contributed to the report,? Stout noted. ‘They have been essential in gathering the data and doing the drafts for the sections. It’s been a total staff effort and the leadership of (teachers) Shanie Williams and Peggy Mueller has been the key to the success of the whole project.?
‘It’s so unique and overwhelming to see all that we do in one packet of 141 pages,? said Gibson-Marshall. ‘When you’re doing this in-depth of a self-assessment, you learn a whole lot about your school. Me, as a second year principal here, I learned a whole lot.?
Gibson-Marshall said the application process really helped Lakeville identify the things it’s ‘great at? and areas that needed to be ‘beefed up.?
‘We’ve implemented so many new things because we saw some flaws,? she said.
Only school buildings receiving a grade of either an A or B under Michigan’s Education YES! Accreditation Program and currently maintaining Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), as defined by the state Department of Education, are eligible for Blue Ribbon consideration.
‘Our student achievement scores have continued to rise over the last three to five years,? Brasington noted. ‘We’ve consistently met AYP over the last few years, plus we raised our letter grade (on the state report card) from a B to an A.?
The next step in the awards process is a site visit in which teams of Blue Ribbon-winning school administrators and teachers from other school districts visit the finalists.
A team from Rockford Public Schools will visit Leonard and Oxford elementaries on Jan. 6. A team from Lake Orion Schools will visit Lakeville Elementary Jan. 14.
The purpose of these visits is to validate each school’s award application by reviewing milk crates full of data, visiting classrooms and talking with staff, students and parents.
Brasington’s hoping earning a Blue Ribbon will ‘attract families from surrounding communities to Leonard? and give Leonard parents ‘a source of pride.?
‘Our staff works hard. Our students achieve at high levels. Our doors are open to parents and the community.?
However, don’t look for the school to rest on its laurels should it win.
‘It’s not like we can be done once we get a Blue Ribbon,? Brasington said. ‘We have to continue to get better and continue to meet the needs of our students. This is just the beginning of the journey. We need to keep improving from here.?