Lindbergh High School Snags National Blue Ribbon

Lindbergh High School has received the national Blue Ribbon School award from the U.S. Depsartment of education.

Lindbergh is one of only four high schools in Missouri and 269 K-12 schools nationwide to receive the 2012 National Blue Ribbon Schools award. Fewer than 1 percent of the nation’s more than 100,000 schools were recognized this year.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan made the announcement last Friday  recognizing public and private elementary, middle and high schools for overall academic excellence or progress in improving student academic achievement levels.

“Our nation has no greater responsibility than helping all children realize their full potential,” Duncan said. “Schools honored with the National Blue Ribbon Schools award are committed to accelerating student achievement and preparing students for success in college and careers. Their work reflects the conviction that every child has promise and that education is the surest pathway to a strong, secure future.”

To qualify as an “Exemplary High Performing” school, LHS is recognized as one of the state’s highest-performing schools, as measured by the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) tests. Lindbergh High School Principal Ron Helms credits the school’s success to a three-tiered focus on curriculum assessment, personalized instruction, and collaborative teacher learning communities where instructors focus on individual students’ progress to help them achieve success.

“The kids and instructors form a real partnership, and they don’t just want to be mediocre; they want to be the best,” Helms said. “I applaud our students and staff who make the difference, and our board and district administrators who give us the support and resources we need to succeed.”

Moving a large 2,025-student high school to become one of the top high schools in the state is no simple task. In addition to being a Missouri Gold Star School and a National School of Character, LHS is ranked among the top high schools in the nation by Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, and The Washington Post. In addition, LHS has boasted some of the highest math and communication arts scores in the region in recent years.

The school plans to celebrate its most recent and impressive achievement during an all-school assembly in October.

 “This is the highest honor our educators can achieve -- winning Blue Ribbon is like winning the Nobel Prize of education,” said Dr. Jim Simpson, Lindbergh Schools superintendent. “We are very proud of the students and staff at LHS whose concerted efforts have resulted in some of the best achievement scores in the state.”

In its 30-year history, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has recognized nearly 7,000 schools in America. For more information, please visit http://www.ed.gov/nationalblueribbonschools.