Four Iowa Schools Named National Blue Ribbon Schools Including Winterset Middle School

Four Iowa schools have been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2019. The award honors schools for overall academic performance or for progress in closing achievement gaps among subgroups of students. 

The four schools are: 

• Dayton Elementary School, Southeast Webster Grand Community School District 
• Delwood Elementary School, Delwood Community School District 
• Fredericksburg Elementary School, Sumner-Fredericksburg Community School District 
• Winterset Middle School, Winterset Community School District 

“We congratulate Iowa’s Blue Ribbon Schools for their achievements and look forward to learning from them as our state’s education system works to make sure all students are engaged in their learning and prepared for success after high school,” Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise said. 

More than 9,000 schools nationwide have received the National Blue Ribbon Schools award, which is now in its 37th year. The award recognizes schools in one of two performance categories based on all student scores, student subgroup scores and graduation rates: 

• Exemplary High Performing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests. 
• Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students. 

The U.S. Department of Education will celebrate 362 National Blue Ribbon Schools, including Iowa’s, at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on November 14 and 15.