Nine New Jersey schools named 2022 National Blue Ribbon winners.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona recognized 297 National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2022, including nine in New Jersey.

The recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.

“I applaud all the honorees for the 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award for creating vibrant, welcoming, and affirming school communities where students can learn, grow, reach their potential, and achieve their dreams,” said Cardona. “As our country continues to recover from the pandemic, we know that our future will only be as strong as the education we provide to all of our children.”

“Blue Ribbon Schools have gone above and beyond to keep students healthy and safe while meeting their academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs,” said Cardona. “These schools show what is possible to make an enduring, positive difference in students’ lives.”

The nine New Jersey schools that received the award this year are: Center Grove School in Randolph Township; Cliffside Park School 4 in Cliffside Park; Edgar Middle School in Metuchen; Frank Defino Central Elementary School in Marlboro Township; Glendora Elementary School in the Glendora section of Gloucester Township; Redwood Elementary School West in West Orange; Stony Brook Elementary School in Pennington, a part of the Hopewell Valley Regional School District; Upper School in Englewood Cliffs; and William J. McGinn Elementary School a part of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Public School District.

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.

Entering its 40th year, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed approximately 10,000 awards to more than 9,000 schools.

The Education Department recognizes all schools in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores, subgroup student 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.

Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year by the top education official in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education.

Private schools are nominated by the Council for American Private Education.

The program represents the full diversity of American schools: public schools including charter schools, magnet/choice schools, Title I schools, and non-public schools including parochial and independent schools.