This year, three schools were named by the U.S. Department of Education as No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon Schools. Crescent Elementary School in Beckley, George Washington High School in Charleston, and Weirton Heights Elementary School in Weirton, received the nation’s top honors for meeting the stringent requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. The No Child Left Behind—Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private K-12 schools that are either academically superior in their states or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement.  

More than 125 schools were name Exemplary Schools last month by the State Board, and were honored during Wednesday evening’s event. In order to be named as an exemplary school, at least 80 percent of the school’s students must score at or above mastery in the All Students subgroup in reading/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, and the school must achieve AYP in each subgroup; at least 30 percent of all students must score above mastery or distinguished in reading/language arts, mathematics, science and social studies; have an attendance rate at or above 94 percent; and, have a graduation rate at or above 85 percent.  

Seventeen schools earned Schools of Excellence honors earlier this year. The Schools of Excellence were selected based on the following criteria: a rigorous and challenging curriculum, a safe and drug-free learning environment, participatory leadership, active teaching and learning, an environment that strengthens teacher skills, documented student achievement and implementing advanced and innovated programs.  

"The teachers and students at these distinguished schools truly have something to celebrate. They have worked very hard to earn these awards," said State Superintendent of Schools Steve Paine. "The schools recognized have continually raised the academic bar and they deserve this prestigious award."  

For more information about the Exemplary Schools program, contact the Office of Education Performance Audits at (304) 558- 3788. For more information regarding the Schools of Excellence program, contact the WVDE Office of Human Resources at (304) 558-2702. For more information regarding the No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon Schools program, visit http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/index.html.  

The Schools of Excellence include:  

Burnsville Elementary, Braxton County Dunlow Elementary, Wayne County Fairview Elementary, Marion County French Creek Elementary, Upshur County Virgil L. Flinn Elementary, Kanawha County Gary Elementary, McDowell County Jumping Branch Elementary, Summers County Kenna Elementary, Kanawha County Ona Elementary, Cabell County Ramage Elementary, Boone County West Milford Elementary, Harrison County Bridgeport Middle, Harrison County Park Middle, Raleigh County South Harrison Middle, Harrison County East Hardy High, Hardy County Moorefield High, Hardy County WVDE Barboursville School, Office of Institutional Education Programs  

The list of Exemplary Schools include:  

BARBOUR COUNTY Kasson Elementary/Middle School  

BERKELEY COUNTY Bunker Hill Elementary School Opequon Elementary School Tomahawk Elementary School Valley View Elementary School James Rumsey Technical Institute  

BOONE COUNTY Jeffrey-Spencer Elementary School  

BRAXTON COUNTY Burnsville Elementary School Davis Elementary School Frametown Elementary School  

BROOKE COUNTY Beech Bottom Primary School Bethany Primary School Collier Primary School Edgewood Primary School Hooverson Heights Primary School Lauretta B. Millsop Primary School  

CABELL COUNTY Cammack Elementary School Davis Creek Elementary School Geneva Kent Elementary School Hite Saunders Elementary School Miller Elementary School Village of Barboursville Elementary School  

FAYETTE COUNTY Divide Elementary School Oak Hill Elementary School  

GILMER COUNTY Glenville Elementary School Gilmer County High School  

GRANT COUNTY South Branch Career & Technical Center  

GREENBRIER COUNTY Frankford Elementary School Lewisburg Elementary School Smoot Elementary School White Sulphur Elementary School Williamsburg Elementary School  

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY Springfield-Green Spring Elementary School  

HANCOCK COUNTY Liberty Elementary School New Manchester Elementary School Weirton Heights Elementary School  

HARDY COUNTY East Hardy High School  

HARRISON COUNTY Johnson Elementary School Simpson Elementary School Bridgeport High School  

JACKSON COUNTY Evans Elementary School Kenna Elementary School  

JEFFERSON COUNTY Shepherdstown Elementary School C. W. Shipley Elementary School  

KANAWHA COUNTY Alban Elementary School Alum Creek Elementary School Chamberlain Elementary School Cross Lanes Elementary School Holz Elementary School Kenna Elementary School Lakewood Elementary School Montrose Elementary School Overbrook Elementary School Point Harmony Elementary School Weberwood Elementary School John Adams Junior High School George Washington High School  

LOGAN COUNTY Hugh Dingess Elementary School Justice Elementary School South Man Elementary School  

MARION COUNTY East Dale Elementary School Fairview Elementary School Monongah Elementary School Pleasant Valley Elementary School White Hall Elementary School Fairmont Senior High School  

MARSHALL COUNTY Glen Dale Elementary School Park View Elementary School Sherrard Elementary School  

MASON COUNTY Roosevelt Elementary School  

MERCER COUNTY Brushfork Elementary School Straley Elementary School  

MINERAL COUNTY Fort Ashby Primary School Frankfort High School  

MONONGALIA COUNTY Cheat Lake Elementary School Easton Elementary School North Elementary School Suncrest Primary School Suncrest Middle School  

MORGAN COUNTY Pleasant View Elementary School  

NICHOLAS COUNTY Mt. Lookout Elementary School Mt. Nebo Elementary School Panther Creek Elementary School  

OHIO COUNTY Bethlehem Elementary School Elm Grove Elementary School Middle Creek Elementary School Steenrod Elementary School West Liberty Elementary School Woodsdale Elementary School Triadelphia Middle School Warwood School  

PENDLETON COUNTY Brandywine Elementary School  

PUTNAM COUNTY Confidence Elementary School Eastbrook Elementary School George Washington Elementary School Hurricane Town Elementary School Poca Elementary School Scott Teays Elementary School West Teays Elementary School Winfield Elementary School Winfield Middle School  

RALEIGH COUNTY Crab Orchard Elementary School Crescent Elementary School Daniels Elementary School Hollywood Elementary School Maxwell Hill Elementary School Shady Spring Elementary School  

RANDOLPH COUNTY Pickens Elementary/High School  

RITCHIE COUNTY Creed Collins Elementary School Ellenboro Elementary School Smithville Elementary School  

TAYLOR COUNTY Anna Jarvis Elementary School Flemington Elementary School Pruntytown Elementary School  

TYLER COUNTY Arthur I. Boreman Elementary School  

UPSHUR COUNTY Washington District Elementary School  

WAYNE COUNTY Kellogg Elementary School Prichard Elementary School  

WEBSTER COUNTY Hacker Valley Elementary School