Southeast Texas P-16 Council

AUSTIN – Ogden Elementary in Beaumont was one of 25 Texas schools (including Ogden Elementary in Beaumont) were named 2010 Blue Ribbon Schools award winners by the U.S. Department of Education. The award honors schools that achieved academic excellence or made significant progress in closing the achievement gap.

Since its creation in 1982 by then Secretary of Education Terrel H. Bell, this prestigious program has honored more than 6,300 of America’s most successful schools, including more than 500 Texas schools. The Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools. The schools are selected based on one of two criteria:

• schools that dramatically improve student performance to high levels on state tests;
• schools whose students achieve in the top 10 percent of their state on state tests.

The winning Texas schools were recommended by an intra–agency committee at the Texas Education Agency that examined student achievement statistics for the more than 8,000 public school and charter campuses in the state. The schools selected have demonstrated success in closing the achievement gap and each school has an economically disadvantaged population of 40 percent or greater. Schools that receive the award serve as models of best practices for schools across the state.

After being identified by the state, the schools competed in a rigorous application process through the U.S. Department of Education.

Schools that receive the prestigious award will be recognized at the Blue Ribbon Schools conference in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 15-16 where each recipient will receive a plaque and a flag signifying their status as a Blue Ribbon School.
 

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The Southeast Texas P-16 Council is focusing on a program that will maximize our outreach to schools in Hardin, Jefferson and Orange Counties. We are “taking the dialogue to the schools” with Roundtables that are meant to deepen the discussion and sharing on subjects of importance to schools. The Roundtables are planned for 2 hours, but the timing and length are very flexible. The discussion can be held during the middle of the day, at breakfast or at 3 p.m. for instance.

The schools will choose the topics. We have compiled a list of 20 topics as suggestions (each includes suggested dialogue leaders – from a list of experts that we are still enlisting). The schools have the final say on the agenda for the discussion.

Want more information on how your school or school system can join the dialogue? The topics, and a letter that we have sent to the superintendents is here. If you are a subject matter expert that we have not yet had the time to contact, you can call us at 409-880-7639. We would love to have you join on one of the topics on the list, or on a topic of your own.

If you would like to set up one of the dialogues for your school, please contact Steve Buser at 409-880-7639 or email to sbuser@setxP16.org.