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8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This bill commends four Utah schools that received the National Blue Ribbon Schools
11 award in 2019.
12 Highlighted Provisions:
13 This resolution:
14 ▸ describes the criteria for high-performing schools to be eligible to apply for the
15 National Blue Ribbon Schools award;
16 ▸ recognizes the three public schools and one private school in Utah that received the
17 National Blue Ribbon Schools award in 2019;
18 ▸ encourages high-performing schools in Utah to apply for the award in future years;
19 ▸ encourages the Legislature, Governor, and State Board of Education to recognize
20 Utah schools that receive the National Blue Ribbon Schools award in the future.
21 Special Clauses:
22 None
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24 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
25 WHEREAS, the United States Department of Education's National Blue Ribbon
26 Schools Program recognizes exceptional public and private elementary, middle, and high
27 schools that have achieved academic excellence or exemplary success in closing academic
28 achievement gaps;
29 WHEREAS, the Blue Ribbon Schools award affirms the diligence of students,
30 educators, families, and communities in creating a safe and nurturing school environment
31 where students and educators alike can thrive;
32 WHEREAS, to be eligible for the award, a high-performing public school must meet
33 rigorous criteria based on the state's assessment and accountability system, with the school's
34 student body performing in the top 15% and the school's student subgroups performing among
35 the top 40% of schools in the state in both English language arts and mathematics;
36 WHEREAS, the Council for American Private Education nominates private schools
37 with student achievement in English language arts and mathematics in the top 15% of schools
38 nationally and, when applicable, in the state;
39 WHEREAS, in 2019 the United States Department of Education gave this prestigious
40 award to three public schools and one private school in Utah;
41 WHEREAS, the three Utah public elementary schools that received the National Blue
42 Ribbon Schools award met rigorous academic performance criteria and also achieved
43 exemplary or commendable academic growth results on their 2018-2019 Utah School Report
44 Cards;
45 WHEREAS, Crimson View Elementary School in St. George, Utah has a STEM
46 education focus - one of the few schools in Utah to receive a platinum STEM designation from
47 the Utah STEM Action Center - and the school's focus on staff professional learning helps staff
48 work together cohesively and integrate new technologies in the classroom;
49 WHEREAS, at McMillan Elementary School in Murray, Utah, teachers and leaders
50 work together on the Building Leadership Team and in professional learning communities to
51 build a school community with a strong culture of student well-being, academic success, and
52 community;
53 WHEREAS, North Rich Elementary in Laketown, Utah has become a model for
54 reading instruction with the school's focused, data-driven reading program, and school leaders
55 took steps to improve school culture and students' readiness to learn even further by
56 incorporating civics and citizenship into instruction with a curriculum emphasizing
57 mindfulness and the Three C's: care about self, care about others, and care about community;
58 and
59 WHEREAS, students in Juan Diego Catholic High School in Draper, Utah receive a
60 rigorous education focused on the whole person, including a challenging curriculum driven by
61 careful and thoughtful application of the ACCUPLACER subject proficiency and placement
62 exam:
63 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
64 Governor concurring therein, commends Crimson View Elementary School, McMillan
65 Elementary School, North Rich Elementary, and Juan Diego Catholic High School for their
66 outstanding achievement as recipients of the National Blue Ribbon Schools award.
67 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and Governor recognize the
68 exceptional honor of having four additional schools in Utah flying the National Blue Ribbon
69 School flag over their school buildings.
70 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor recognize the
71 crucial role of the many exceptionally high-performing schools in Utah in both educating the
72 youth of the state and setting high standards for other schools to follow and encourage these
73 schools to apply for the National Blue Ribbon Schools award, and urge the Legislature, the
74 Governor, and the State Board of Education to honor every school that receives this
75 distinguished award in the future.
76 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be delivered to Crimson
77 View Elementary School, McMillan Elementary School, North Rich Elementary, Juan Diego
78 Catholic High School, and the State Board of Education.