Denise Juneau, Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction Nominates Three Montana Schools for 2011 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award

Three Montana schools have been nominated for the 2011 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award.

Denise Juneau, Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction, announced the nominees Monday. The schools selected are Cold Springs School in Missoula, Plentywood School in Plentywood, and Russell Elementary School in Missoula.

The Blue Ribbon Schools program honors elementary and secondary schools that made significant progress in closing the achievement gap or whose students achieve at very high levels. Schools are selected by meeting either of two criteria:

1. Schools whose students, regardless of backgrounds, are in the top 10 percent of schools in the state as measured by state tests.

2. Schools with at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that close the achievement gap, improving student performance to high levels.

"We nominated these great Montana schools and communities to serve as national models based upon their success," said Juneau. "We are very proud of these schools and believe they reflect the high quality of Montana’s public school classrooms and our statewide commitment to providing every child in Montana with a quality education."

National Blue Ribbon School Awards will be announced in September of next year.

School contacts:

Webb Harrington, Principal
Cold Springs School
Telephone: (406) 542-4010
E-Mail: [email protected]

Rob Pedersen, Principal
Plentywood School
Telephone: (406) 765-1195
E-Mail: [email protected]

Cindy Christensen, Principal
Russell Elementary School
Telephone: (406) 542-4080
E-Mail: [email protected]