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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING UTAH'S

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NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS

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2020 GENERAL SESSION

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STATE OF UTAH

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Chief Sponsor: Lincoln Fillmore

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House Sponsor: Jeffrey D. Stenquist

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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
23     

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.