Blue Ribbon Eligibility
The program requires schools to meet either of two assessment criteria.
It recognizes schools that have at least 40 percent of their students
from disadvantaged backgrounds that dramatically improve student performance
in accordance with state assessment systems; and it rewards schools
that score in the top 10 percent on state assessments.
Of the schools submitted by each state, at least one-third must meet
the first criterion of having 40 percent of the students from disadvantaged
backgrounds. The program allows both elementary and secondary schools
to be recognized in the same year.