Columbus school is 1 of 8 in GA to receive national award for ‘extraordinary’ achievement
A Columbus school is among the eight in Georgia to receive a national award this week from the U.S. Department of Education.
St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School is a 2023 National Blue Ribbon School for exemplary high performance, defined by extraordinary academic achievement on state or national tests.
The other National Blue Ribbon School category is for exemplary performance in closing achievement gaps between student subgroups and all students.
Overall, the USDOE selected 353 schools (40 of them are private) for this recognition in 2023.
Along with St. Anne-Pacelli, the other National Blue Ribbon Schools in Georgia this year are:
Robert A. Cross Middle School in Dougherty County
St. Jude the Apostle Catholic School of Atlanta
Harris Elementary School in Gwinnett County
Westside Middle School in Whitfield County
Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in Roswell
Pharr Elementary School in Gwinnett County
Quail Run Elementary School in Houston County.
Five schools in Alabama received the award this year:
Cordova Elementary School in Walker County
Mt. Carmel Elementary School in Madison County
Creek View Elementary School in Alabaster
Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School
Skyline High School in Jackson County.
“The honorees for our 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award have set a national example for what it means to Raise the Bar in education,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a news release. “The leaders, educators, and staff at our National Blue Ribbon Schools continually inspire me with their dedication to fostering academic excellence and building positive school cultures that support students of all backgrounds to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.”
St. Anne-Pacelli president Ronie Collins said in the news release, “This recognition is a testament to our commitment to excellence in education. Our faculty, staff, students, parents, and community work together to create an environment that fosters student achievement and a love for learning.”
The test scores that helped St. Anne-Pacelli earn this award are from MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) assessment by the NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association), an Oregon-based a nonprofit organization that has assessed more than 4.5 million students in 49 foreign countries, all 50 U.S. states, and 3,400 school districts.
St. Anne-Pacelli scored in the nation’s top 10% in all subjects and grade levels, Collins told the Ledger-Enquirer. Providing supporting evidence of rigor in the curriculum also helped the school earn this award, she said.
Five other schools in Columbus have won a National Blue Ribbon: Britt David Magnet Academy (1999, 2004, 2012 and 2018), Columbus High School (2004), Edgewood Elementary School (2004), Hardaway High School (1985) and Rigdon Road Elementary School (2005).
Collins was assistant principal of Britt David the first year it won a National Blue Ribbon, then principal the second and third years.
