Podcasts - National Blue Ribbon Schools

This video profile explains how Hanover High School students, educators and community members come together for an annual program focused on a different way of learning. As one student shares, “March Intensive is a week-long program where you have the chance to explore something you’re very passionate about in an intense format.” The program also […] The post Video: A Week of Learning Differently: March Intensive first appeared on National Blue Ribbon Schools. The post Video: A Week of Learning Differently: March Intensive appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

In this video profile, educators at C.W. Shipley explain how they adapted their instruction during a year of piloting a new reading curriculum. Implementing new curricula is just one example of Shipley’s long-established commitment to helping students succeed. Kindergarten teacher Heather Williams (herself a Shipley graduate) shared that the school passes on a love of […] The post Video: Embracing New Ways to Teach Reading first appeared on National Blue Ribbon Schools. The post Video: Embracing New Ways to Teach Reading appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

In this audio profile, Principal Mahri Aste explains how students helped choose a new name for their school, inspired by the community’s multi-cultural profile. Principal Aste also shares examples that have helped Mosaic Elementary welcome parents of all backgrounds into the school’s Parent Teacher Association, and identifies three instructional practices that have been key for […] The post Audio: Students, Parents and Educators: Forming a ‘Mosaic’ of Support first appeared on National Blue Ribbon Schools. The post Audio: Students, Parents and Educators: Forming a ‘Mosaic’ of Support appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

In this audio profile, Principal Ryan Ambrose explains how teachers at Checotah Intermediate Elementary School use assessments to help set individual student goals and adjust their instruction to meet all students’ needs. Principal Ambrose shares that getting to their current well-honed system took time and a willingness to keep adjusting the process – but the […] The post Audio: Using Assessments for Student Goal Setting first appeared on National Blue Ribbon Schools. The post Audio: Using Assessments for Student Goal Setting appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

In this video, hear how AcadeMir Charter School Middle provides opportunities for students to learn both in and outside of the school day. Students take four elective classes in addition to their four core classes. According to one teacher, electives are important because they are a fun way to incorporate instruction from core classes in […] The post Video: Student Engagement and Opportunities to Learn first appeared on National Blue Ribbon Schools. The post Video: Student Engagement and Opportunities to Learn appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

At Greathouse Shryock Traditional Elementary School, fifth grade students know they are ready for middle school – and they proudly demonstrate their readiness by presenting a ‘defense of learning’ to educators, in which they share learning artifacts and reflecting on their academic and personal growth as elementary students, now ready for the next stage of […] The post Video: Backpack of Success Skills: Ready for Middle School first appeared on National Blue Ribbon Schools. The post Video: Backpack of Success Skills: Ready for Middle School appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

Students at Henry Ford Early College have a unique opportunity to explore health care career pathways and earn significant college credits while still in high school. As one student remarks, “when I graduate here, I’ll have my associate degree, and I’ll have all of these transferrable credits… when you come here, you’re really going to […] The post Video: Accelerating Student Pathways Through an Early College Partnership first appeared on National Blue Ribbon Schools. The post Video: Accelerating Student Pathways Through an Early College Partnership appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

At Meeting Street Academy in Spartanburg, North Carolina, three- and four-year-old students attend a full-day kindergarten program rich in learning through play, movement, and hands-on academic activities. Family engagement is also a Meeting Street hallmark, with the school offering a wide variety of opportunities for parents, students, and school staff to build relationships and learn Read More

At Saint Andrew Catholic School, parents, teachers and community partners come together to offer students several ways to start thinking about their economic futures. The school hosts an on-campus bank, invites parents in to teach financial and career planning classes, and teachers run a stock market club to introduce students to investing. Principal Robert Sikora […] The post Audio: Financial Literacy Programs at Saint Andrew Catholic School first appeared on National Blue Ribbon Schools. The post Audio: Financial Literacy Programs at Saint Andrew Catholic School appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

Think of your favorite teacher in elementary school – and now imagine how great it would have been to have that teacher for three years instead of just one. That’s what happens at Portland Elementary School in Portland, Arkansas, where upper elementary students loop with their core academic teachers for three years. And since those […] The post Audio: Grade Looping at a Rural Elementary School first appeared on National Blue Ribbon Schools. The post Audio: Grade Looping at a Rural Elementary School appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

This audio profile shares how at John Hancock College Preparatory High School, educators engage students in rigorous academics and provide strong social-emotional support with the aim of helping them prepare for life after high school. This includes offering two Career and Technical Education options: pre-law, and pre-engineering. The programs give students a taste of what […] The post Audio: John Hancock College Preparatory High School appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

Oyster-Adams Bilingual School teaches students in grades PK-8 through a school-wide dual language model, providing classes in all subjects (as well as student activities, interventions, and parent engagement) through a mix of English and Spanish. Additionally, students have the opportunity to learn Mandarin beginning in 4th grade. A key element of the school’s success is […] The post Video: Bilingual Education in the Nation’s Capital appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

In this video profile, Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School educators, students, and partners explain how the school has implemented a robust news literacy program, designed to help students learn to thoughtfully examine the many sources of information around them. As one educator puts it, this program “is the way in which [students are] […] The post Video: Educating for Democracy: Helping Students Understand the News appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

At George Hersey Robertson Elementary School, educators and school leaders have worked hard to achieve a balance of consistent instructional practices and flexibility, allowing opportunities for teacher creativity and student choice. As one educator notes, “our writing kind of went from prescriptive one size fits all … and kind of teacher centered … and then […] The post Video: George Hersey Robertson School appeared first on National Blue Ribbon Schools.

Avon Middle School Avon Local Schools Avon, Ohio Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness. In this audio profile, Avon Middle School leaders describe their system for identifying and supporting students who may need targeted support due to experiencing housing misplacement or homelessness. Through a data-driven RTI process, educators identify students who need support and connect them with Read More

Lipscomb Elementary School Williamson County Public Schools Brentwood, Tennessee Engaging Students and Supporting Educators with a School-wide Math Plan. When Lipscomb Elementary School set out to improve their math practices, they looked for ways to engage students, support educators, and implement a long-term, school-wide math plan that would help all kids succeed. In this audio Read More

Educators at Day Creek Intermediate School realize that middle school is a unique moment in students’ academic, social and emotional lives. As Principal David Apodaca notes, “you have to respect the fact that this is a huge transition time in their lives … And if we don’t recognize that and respect that, then academic success Read More

While science fairs may be a familiar sight at many schools, The Charter School of Wilmington’s Junior Research Project makes student research central to their high school experience. The whole school gets involved, providing a rigorous research course to students as sophomores, mentoring them throughout their junior year, and teaching additional workshops to help students… Continue Reading Students Making Science

Ladera Del Norte Elementary School Farmington, New Mexico Overcoming Challenges to Close the Achievement Gap. Like many schools, educators at Ladera Del Norte Elementary school were committed to supporting the success of all students, but they needed to strategically overcome a number of challenges in their mission to close achievement gaps. In this audio profile, Read More

Lakewood Elementary School Overland Park, KS Activating Student Engagement Through Brain-based Learning. Educators at Lakewood Elementary School take pride in creating schoolwide, interdisciplinary curriculum that students find exciting and memorable. They ground their strategies in a brain-based approach, meaning that lessons are designed to activate students’ brains, and that educators help children understand how learning Read More