HFA has been nominated by the Tennessee Department of Education for the national Blue Ribbon Award. It recognizes exceptional student achievement, exemplary teaching practices, and strong school leadership. Below is an article about the nomination/award:
Hume-Fogg nominated for 2011 Blue Ribbon award
Another Nashville school is in the running for a national Blue Ribbon award through the U.S. Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon Schools Program. Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet High School has been nominated for the award, as it ranked in the top 10 percent of highest performing schools in the state category.
Principal Paul Fleming said the honor is a tribute to the faculty, staff and students. “We’re very fortunate to have such a hard-working group of students,” Fleming said. “They really buy into the ideal of working hard in the classroom. When you couple that with a strong faculty like we have here, it really helps us accomplish good things.”
Fleming said that because the announcement came during the holiday break, he had not been able to announce it to the students.
“We’re planning to announce it to them,” Fleming said, “but we just haven’t had a chance yet.”
Fleming also added that the school board would recognize Hume-Fogg during its regular meeting next Tuesday.
If Hume-Fogg is selected, it would mark the third consecutive year for a Davidson County school to receive the national honor. Last year, Overbrook School took home the distinction, while in 2009, Rose Park Math/Science Middle Magnet School claimed national recognition.
“These schools have taken Tennessee’s increased expectations and tougher benchmarks and used them as motivation to engage classrooms, improve student achievement and provide high-quality education,” Education Commissioner Bruce Opie said. “We are very proud of these schools and believe that they represent our statewide commitment to prepare every Tennessee student for future success.”
Schools are eligible for Blue Ribbon recognition if they meet either one of two criteria:
- High performing schools: Schools that are ranked among the state’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments in both reading (English language arts) and mathematics or that score at the highest performance level on tests referenced by national norms in at least the most recent year tested.
- Improving schools: Schools with at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that have reduced the achievement gap by improving student performance to high levels in reading (English language arts) and mathematics on state assessments or tests referenced by national norms in at least the most recent year tested
Hume-Fogg joins five other Tennessee schools in the newest class of potential recipients for the 2011 award. Page High School in Williamson County was also nominated as a high-performing school and is the only other local school up for the honor. Nominated schools are invited by the U.S. Secretary of Education to complete the award application and will be reviewed by a federal assessment panel to determine national winners.
Winning schools will be selected in September and honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. with a plaque and flag signifying their accomplishment.
The honor would also mark another high distinction for Hume-Fogg, as the school was named to Newsweek Magazine’s America’s Best High School list for 2010, ranking at No. 32 in the top 100.
Chris Brooks
Staff Writer |
