Westmere Elementary School was named to a prestigious list of schools for its scholastic achievements.
On Friday, Sept. 12, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings named Westmere a 2008 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School, according to school officials.
We are thrilled to have been recognized with this honor, said Principal Deborah Drumm. `This award is truly a symbol of our community and of all the hard work that our dedicated staff members, students and parents put in together each and every day to make our school a successful place.`
She added that the application process was extensive, and if not for the teamwork of the school’s staff, they never would have been able to apply.
`We are a collaborative team. We make decisions about students collaboratively; we make decisions about the curriculum corroboratively,` she added.
The award honors schools for closing the achievement gap and helping students achieve at high levels, according to a written statement provided by the district.
Westmere is one of 20 schools throughout the state and 320 schools in the country to be recognized with this designation.
`The No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools that are either academically superior or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement to high levels,` according to the program’s Web site.
The winners will be honored at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., Oct. 20-21, according to the Web site.
`These Blue Ribbon Schools are an example of what teachers and students can achieve,` U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings said in a written statement. `Now our challenge is to help other schools follow their lead by continuing to measure progress through No Child Left Behind, and by using the knowledge we’ve gained to replicate effective strategies and help every student improve.`
Schools are eligible for the honor if they make `adequate yearly progress` in reading, language arts and mathematics for at least two years. Students must also score in the top 10 percent on New York state standardized tests.
In the 2006-2007 school year, 85 percent of Westmere students scored a level three or four on proficiency exams, indicating they met or exceeded state standards for `reading, writing, listening and speaking,` according to school officials.
Westmere also has 96 percent of its students meet or exceed state standards in math for grades three through five, 98 percent in grade four science, and 100 percent in grade five social studies.
`This is a tremendous honor for Westmere Elementary School and for the Guilderland Central School District,` said Superintendent of Schools John McGuire. `Westmere Elementary is one of our most diverse learning communities but is also one of our most cohesive and successful. The dedication, commitment, and teamwork displayed by all members of the Westmere community are exemplary and should be commended.`
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