The No Child Left Behind---Blue Ribbon School Program honors public and private K-12 schools that are either academically superior in their states or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement.  Schools may be nationally recognized for their academic achievement as some of America’s most successful schools.  Nomination is a way to acknowledge the hard work of students, staff members, families and the community in closing the achievement gap.

The program requires schools to meet either of two assessment criteria.  It recognizes schools that have at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that dramatically improve student performance in accordance with state assessment systems; and it rewards schools that score in the top 10 percent on state assessments.  These “high performing schools” are in the top 10 percent of all schools on state assessment scores in both language arts and in mathematics, regardless of their demographics.

US Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced the 2005 No Child Left Behind- Blue Ribbon Schools on September 23, 2005.  The principal and a teacher from each school will attend a ceremony in Washington DC on November 10-11, 2005 where the schools will receive a plaque and a flag signifying their NCLB-BRS Status.

Kenny Lake School is:

• One of only three Alaskan schools nominated in 2005 by the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
• One of only two public K-12 schools nationwide recognized as a NCLB-Blue Ribbon School in 2005
• One of only 295 schools recognized as NCLB-Blue Ribbon Schools nationwide

Kenny Lake School held an award ceremony and school celebration for this prestigious honor on October 4, 2005 in our Kenny Lake School Gymnasium.  Ms. Donna Foxley, from the United States Department of Education presented the award

Speech Delivered by Reed Carlson at NCLB-BRS Awards Ceremony; October 4, 2005