Richland Elementary has received the highest honor an educational institution can earn by being named one of eight schools in Missouri as a 2018 National Blue Ribbon School.
"This award takes four consecutive years of academic accomplishment at an extremely high level and very few school buildings ever accomplish this prestigious level," Richland Superintendent Frank Killian said. "Richland School Board and I are very proud of our elementary staff, students and community."
Richland Elementary Principal Cara Merritt and all teachers involved with assessments will join 349 of the top public and private schools across the country for recognition during the annual ceremony Nov. 7-8, in Washington, D.C.
In order to achieve the exemplary status, Richland Elementary had to prove to be one of the highest performing schools in America based on overall academic assessments. The school proved they were closing the achievement gaps among student subgroups.
Richland Elementary has scored 100 percent on their APR (Annual Performance Report) for several consecutive years as well as seen increases in attendance rates, Killian said, which he credits to the technology and allowing kids to explore for wanting to be at school.
Richland Elementary has been a 1:1 school for the last five years, meaning each student has their own computer or device. Preschool through first grade utilize iPads while other grades use Chromebooks.
"Richland has also implemented makerspace areas which allows kids to be creative and utilize their imagination as well as robotics," Killian added. "These programs along with every student having their own computer allows our kids to learn beyond the four walls of their classroom."
Merritt said she can't credit one specific program or approach which led to the elementary's schools success.
"One of the most important contributing factors is the level of dedication our teachers exhibit," she said. "Each day they work as a team to understand and meet the needs of each student. Staff members take a personal interest in our students' lives and work to develop positive relationships."
The honor affirms the hard work of educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content, according to a press release issued by the Education Department.
Killian also praised Richland Elementary's forward thinking, outside the box educators who allow students to utilize technology and lead from behind, pushing students "toward the stars."
"Our staff believes students can learn more from talking, asking questions and exploring instead of sitting and listening," he said.
Merritt added the "outside the box thinking" her teachers utilize helps reach all students in the classroom.
"There is no one program that fits every child's learning needs," she said. "Our community and school board have been very supportive in allowing us to have access to a multitude of both paid and free resources.
"We also have after-school tutoring in which the teachers determine which students need to attend. This is not intended or viewed as a punishment, but as an opportunity to help develop skills."
Richland Elementary was also honored as one of eight Gold Star Schools earlier this year for scoring in the top 15th percentile on the MAP test.
Part of the criteria, aligned with the Blue Ribbon program, is also for the district's graduation rate to be among the state's top 15 percent.
With Richland High School's achievement of the National Blue Ribbon two years ago, the Richland R-1 School District is the only district in Missouri to be a National Blue Ribbon School District.
"National Blue Ribbon program has been around since 1982 and we are the only district to ever accomplish this," Killian said.
To be recognized as a National Blue Ribbon school, Killian added it takes four consecutive years of being one of the top eight achieving school buildings in the state.
"A district does not earn the Blue Ribbon, but each building within a district can earn a Blue Ribbon," he said. "There are 2,500 school buildings in Missouri, so to achieve a National Blue Ribbon is extremely hard because if a school falls in any certain area then your four years starts over."
Merrit said she could not stress enough the role of teachers when earning this type of achievement.
"Regardless of the program or initiative, great teachers are what make the difference," she said. "Our teachers want to succeed, our kids want to succeed, and we do all we can to support them on their journey to success."