U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona recognized around 297 schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2022. The recognition is entrenched and based on a school's overall academic performance or advancement in closing accomplishment gaps among student subgroups. Secretary Cardona announced his Road to Success Back to School bus tour.

Secretary Cardona stated I praise all the honorees for the 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award for creating dynamic, welcoming and affirming school communities where students can learn, grow, achieve their potential, and accomplish their dreams.

He added that as our country continues to recover from the pandemic, we know our future will only be as strong as the education we offer to all of our children. Blue Ribbon Schools have gone overhead and beyond to keep students healthy and secure while meeting their academic, emotional, social, and mental health needs. These schools indicate what is possible to make a long-lasting, optimistic difference in students' lives.

With its 39th cohort, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Programme has granted approximately 10,000 awards to over 9,000 schools. The National Blue Ribbon School award confirms and validates the hard work of families, students, communities, and educators in striving for – and achieving – superior accomplishments.

National Blue Ribbon Schools operate as models of effective school procedures for state and district educators and other schools throughout the nation. A National Blue Ribbon School flag gracing a school's entrance or on a flagpole is a widely acknowledged symbol of superior or exemplary teaching and learning.

The Department recognizes all schools in one of two performance classifications in accordance with all student scores, subgroup student scores, and graduation rates:

• Exemplary High-Performing Schools are among their state's highest performing schools as estimated by state inspections or nationally normed tests.


• Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing Schools are among their state's highest performing schools in closing accomplishment intervals between a school's student groups and all students.

More than 420 schools may be nominated each year. The Department invites nominations for the National Blue Ribbon Schools award from the top education official in all states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education.