McKinley Elementary School in Ham Lake, and the school it feeds directly into, Roosevelt Middle School in Blaine, were each honored.
“Really, it was about telling our story, and McKinley Elementary and the culture that’s been created here.” said Principal Mike Koenig. He said a cross-disciplinary team of students, staff, and others helped put the school’s application together based on scores from the 2019-2020 school year, which ended with everyone in a distance-learning model because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our staff are set up in collaborative teams by department,” said Roosevelt Assistant Principal Tim Sukalski. “We work very hard at looking at student improvement and achievement and to what we can to keep students who may not be getting it right away.”
“As a classroom teacher for more than 20 years and as a parent, I am committed to providing a world-class education to all Minnesota students, and that starts with our teachers and school staff who ensure our students are safe, healthy, and learning,” said Governor Tim Walz. “I am so proud of these six Blue Ribbon awardees—the hard work and dedication of these school communities reminds us that the future is bright for Minnesota’s students.”
“Congratulations to our Blue Ribbon schools! The educators, staff, leaders and families in these schools exemplify student-centered communities and I am thankful they are being acknowledged for their important work,” said Minnesota Education Commissioner Dr. Heather Mueller. “As we navigate the third school year impacted by COVID-19, it is more important than ever to ensure that we are meeting the academic, social-emotional and mental health needs of our students, staff and families.”
The coveted National Blue Ribbon Schools award affirms the hard work of educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content. Schools are honored in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores, student group scores and graduation rates:
- Exemplary High-Performing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.
- Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students.
The other recognized schools from Minnesota are:
- Barnesville Elementary, Barnesville Public School District
- Minnetonka West Middle School, Minnetonka Public School District
- St. Croix Preparatory Middle School, St. Croix Preparatory Academy (Charter School)
- Twin Lakes Elementary, Elk River Public School District
Now in its 39th year, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed recognition on more than 9,000 schools.
