A Michigan Blue Ribbon is going to Lake Orion’s Scripps Middle School. Scripps is one of 13 schools this year, recognizing outstanding improvement strategies throughout the state.
‘The Blue Ribbon program’s selection committee chose these schools as meeting some very tough criteria in delivering quality education to their students,? State Board of Education President Kathleen Straus said. ‘All these schools, their teachers, students, parents and communities should be very proud of their accomplishment.?
Other Lake Orion schools that have been earned Blue Ribbons in the past are Pine Tree Elementary, Carpenter Elementary, Stadium Elementary and Lake Orion High School.
Established in 1982, the Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Program recognizes schools that demonstrate a strong commitment to educational excellence and significant academic improvement over five years.
Schools must complete a comprehensive framework of key criteria for school effectiveness that serves as a basis for collaborative self-assessment and planning amongst themselves and their communities.
After interested public or private schools apply for consideration, a series of peer review committees make a preliminary selection of those schools they believe warrant a site verification visit.
The review committees and site visit teams are composed of teachers and administrators from previously recognized Blue Ribbon Schools. Reports from the site visits, along with the extensive research and data provided by the schools, are considered by the selection committee.
To ensure a fair and equal selection system, elementary and secondary schools compete separately on alternative years.
Middle schools and high schools were eligible for the Blue Ribbon award this year.
Ken Gutman is SMS’s principal.