California’s Blue Ribbon Schools celebrated in D.C.

Association of California School Administrators

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten (center) stand with California’s winners of the 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools.

December 5, 2022

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond congratulated the principals of California’s National Blue Ribbon School winners during an award ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 4.

California boasts the largest number of public school National Blue Ribbon winners in the nation at 29. Additionally, Thurmond met with Miguel Marco, principal of Wittmann (Helen) Elementary School in Cerritos, who was honored as one of the nine recipients of the Terrel H. Bell Award for Outstanding School Leadership.

“These California schools have done amazing things to address the education opportunity gap,” Thurmond said, in a news release. “They are helping us learn, model and develop refined strategies to scale success and innovation all across our great state. I am so glad the U.S. Department of Education recognized our 29 California Blue Ribbon schools today, and let me also say thank you to our awardees for their persistent hard work in creating a better environment for California students every day.”

Schools are recognized based on the school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.

These are among the state’s highest performing schools based on all student scores, subgroup student scores and graduation rates.

The award affirms the hard work of educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content. With its 39th cohort, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed approximately 10,000 awards to more than 9,000 schools.

“You are the beacons of hope, the beacons of light, you show what’s possible in your communities, and you make the Department of Education and, in fact, our nation so very proud.”

— Cindy Marten, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education

“You are all such huge points of pride for this entire country,” U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten said, speaking at the ceremony. “You are the beacons of hope, the beacons of light, you show what’s possible in your communities, and you make the Department of Education and, in fact, our nation so very proud. You are the shining examples of what’s possible for our peers around the country that are looking for answers, looking for what’s possible, and seeing what can happen when a community discovers what it cares about and puts its hearts and minds into action and delivers on the hope and promise of education.”

Public schools are nominated by top education officials in each state, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education. Private schools are nominated by the Council for American Private Education.

More information about the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is available online at www2.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/index.html.

California’s National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2022

Foothills Middle School, Arcadia Unified School District Ralston Intermediate School, Belmont-Redwood Shores ESD Burlingame Intermediate School, Burlingame Elementary School District Carmenita Middle School, ABC Unified School District Wittmann (Helen) Elementary School, ABC Unified School District Woods (Harold L.) Elementary School, Clovis Unified School District Diamond Bar High School, Walnut Valley Unified School District Eleanor Murray Fallon School, Dublin Unified School District Harold William Kolb School, Dublin Unified School District Grapeland Elementary School, Etiwanda Elementary School District John L. Golden Elementary School, Etiwanda Elementary School District Granite Ridge Intermediate School, Clovis Unified School District Woodbridge High School, Irvine Unified School District Helix High School, Grossmont Union High School District Newcomb Academy, Long Beach Unified School District Orinda Intermediate School, Orinda Elementary Union School District Thomas S. Hart Middle School, Pleasanton Unified School District Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, Palos Verdes Peninsula USD Richardson PREP HI Middle School, San Bernardino City Unified School District Westview High School, Poway Unified School District Arma J. Shull Elementary School, Bonita Unified School District Lawton Alternative Elementary School, San Francisco Unified School District Coyote Creek Elementary School, San Ramon Valley Unified School District Gale Ranch Middle School, San Ramon Valley Unified School District Iron Horse Middle School, San Ramon Valley Unified School District Windemere Ranch Middle School, San Ramon Valley Unified School District South Pasadena Middle School, South Pasadena Unified School District Colfax Charter Elementary School, Los Angeles Unified School District Kester Avenue Elementary School, Los Angeles Unified School District