McAuliffe Middle School was one of 24 California public schools named as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2010-11.

California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson recently congratulated McAuliffe Middle School of Los Alamitos and 22 other California public schools and one private school that have been named as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2010-11 by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

Blue Ribbon Schools will be honored at a national awards ceremony on Nov. 12-13 in Washington, D.C., where each winner will receive a plaque and flag.  Blue Ribbon winners may fly this flag at their schools as a mark of excellence and a symbol of quality.

In its 30-year history, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed this award on nearly 7,000 of America’s schools.

“I congratulate these dedicated schools for receiving such a prestigious national honor,” said Torlakson, who nominated the schools earlier this year.

“This recognition was made possible by motivated teachers, administrators, and staff supported by involved parents who worked together to provide their students a firm foundation for a lifetime of learning,” Torlakson said.

The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a U.S. Department of Education program. BRSP honors public and private schools from elementary through high schools, whose students achieve at very high levels or have made significant progress and helped close gaps in achievement, especially among disadvantaged and minority students.

Public schools are nominated by each chief state school officer, including the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education. Based on state data, the CSSO must certify that the nominated schools meet one of two eligibility criteria:

• Exemplary High-Performing—defined as students’ test scores placing the school among the highest-performing schools in the state on state assessments of reading (or English language arts) and mathematics, and results for student subgroups, including students from disadvantaged backgrounds, must be similar to the results for all students tested.

• Exemplary-Improving—defined as schools that have at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds and have improved student performance to high levels in English-language arts and mathematics on state assessments or assessments compared against national norms.

“Disadvantaged” means students eligible for free or reduced-priced meals, who receive Title I services, are limited English proficient, migrant, or in need of special services.