PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Two Philadelphia schools and four archdiocese schools have been singled out for national recognition as members of the U.S. Department of Education's annual Blue Ribbon Schools Program.
In the city, the Girard Academic Music Program in South Philadelphia and the Penn Alexander School in University City are among 13 schools in Pennsylvania and 325 nationwide that U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona recognized on Tuesday.
The four Archdiocese schools that made the list: St. Andrew’s in Newtown, St. Norbert’s in Paoli, St. Ignatius of Antioch in Yardley and Saint Mary Elementary School in Philadelphia.
The honor goes to schools that score high on standardized tests, or have performed well while closing achievement gaps among subgroups of students.
The other Pennsylvania schools named to the list:
• Everett Area High School, Everett Area School District
• Kiski Area South Primary School, Kiski Area School District
• Hershey Primary Elementary School, Derry Township School District
• Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School, Hollidaysburg Area School District
• Cambria Heights Senior High School, Cambria Heights School District
• Tinicum Elementary School, Palisades School District
• Saint Mary Elementary School, Archdiocese of Philadelphia
• Fort LeBoeuf Senior High School, Fort LeBoeuf School District