Four Oklahoma schools earn top U.S. Blue Ribbon honor

U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona has honored four Oklahoma schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools.

The annual recognition goes to schools that stand out for their academic success or for the strides they make to help students learn. Oklahoma’s four award winners all hail from the central part of the state, and each earned the honor based on their academic achievements.

Schools are selected based on a nomination and application process that considers test scores, graduation rates and other performance metrics.

In a statement, Cardona said the 356 Blue Ribbon schools honored nationwide this year serve as models for the best in teaching practices and community collaboration.

“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,” Cardona said on Monday, when the awards were announced.

The four Oklahoma schools recognized include:

Bethany High School, Bethany Public Schools

The lone high school honored was also the biggest. According to the school, 574 students are enrolled in grades nine through 12. In the 2022-23 academic year, the school’s graduation rate was 98%, officials said in their awards application. The statewide rate of students graduating within four years is 80%. Nine in 10 Bethany High graduates went on to college or career training. The school previously won a Blue Ribbon award in 2014.

Maple Public School, Maple School District

The smallest school to make the list, with 191 students in grades pre-kindergarten through eight, is located in rural Canadian County near Calumet. More than half of its student body opts to transfer in for the environment, anchored by a core group of more than a dozen certified teachers who have been at the school for more than 10 years, according to information provided to the U.S. Department of Education. A full-time school counselor visits every classroom once a week to discuss topics such as bullying and online safety.

Morrison Elementary School, Morrison Public Schools

The only school outside of the Oklahoma City metro to be recognized as a Blue Ribbon school, this Noble County school has a unique four-day academic week. Students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade all have dedicated blocks of time devoted to reading and math. Teachers routinely incorporate the area’s “agricultural richness” into science lessons, according to the school’s application materials.

Schwartz Elementary School, Mid-Del Schools

This K-5 school of 334 students in southeast Oklahoma City has consistently high daily attendance rate — seen as a key predictor of student success — of around 95%, according to its award application. Every grade has two teachers, one who excels in teaching reading and social studies and one who focuses on math and science instruction. It was also a Blue Ribbon School honoree in 2008 and 2015. Current Principal Rondall Jones also held that position in 2015.

"To gain this recognition once takes hard work," said Rick Cobb, the superintendent of Mid-Del Schools. "To earn it three times in 16 years means high expectations have been in place for a long time."

Ryan Walters, the state schools superintendent, said all four schools “demonstrate some of the best academic achievement in Oklahoma.”

“I congratulate these schools for being recognized for this prestigious honor and will not rest until every school in our state achieves academic success at the highest level for every student in Oklahoma,” Walters said in a statement.

Winning schools receive a special flag to display as an emblem of exceptional teaching and learning.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma City-area schools earn top academic Blue Ribbon award