Carl Sandburg Junior High School
 A U.S. Department of Education
Blue Ribbon School
1999-2000
Carl Sandburg Junior High School earned the prestigious Blue Ribbon designation from the U.S. Department of Education for the 1999-2000 school year.
What is a Blue Ribbon school?
Since 1982, the U.S. Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon program has been spotlighting schools from around the country that excel in school leadership, teaching, curriculum, student achievement, and parental involvement. The Blue Ribbon designation has become the most prestigious education award in the country—a trademark of excellence and a symbol of quality recognized by everyone from parents to policymakers.
What sets Blue Ribbon schools apart?
Among the characteristics that help a school earn Blue Ribbon designation are:
- A clear vision and shared sense of mission
- A challenging, up-to-date curriculum
- Policies and practices which ensure a safe campus conducive to learning
- Family involvement
- A commitment to help all students achieve high standards.
How was Carl Sandburg nominated?
The nomination process demands a stringent self-assessment. Preparing the Blue Ribbon nomination was a massive effort that took several months of data collection and organization. Every aspect of the school’s operation—from academic performance and curriculum to parent involvement and school spirit—was extensively documented, resulting in multiple binders packed with details about Sandburg. A comprehensive application was carefully evaluated by a review team in Washington, D.C., then a site reviewer was assigned to visit the school. The site reviewer made a report and recommendation to the Secretary of Education, who made the final determination.
Why did Sandburg earn the award?
The Blue Ribbon award recognized Carl Sandburg Junior High School for its excellence in teaching, curriculum, student achievement, parent involvement and community support. Each student in Carl Sandburg’s attendance area has access to resources that provide a learning environment designed for success. Sandburg students are engaged learners who use technology, teachers, cooperative groups, clubs, sports, leadership councils, quality tools, peer mediation, and problem-solving throughout their day.
What did the site reviewer say about Sandburg?
The reviewer talked with administrators, teachers, students, parents, and members of the office and support staff teams. Among the reviewer’s comments were these:
- Observation of classes in writing, mathematics, and science revealed a level of instruction found in few junior high schools. A wide variety of instructional strategies—including cooperative learning, small group instruction, peer tutoring, teacher-student conferencing, and independent learning—provide a multi-level program.
- The staff is warm and friendly, and the students are polite and respectful. Teachers and administrators model the cultural expectations. These expectations are mirrored in the behavior of the students. One only has to spend a short time at the school to feel the energy and vitality and witness the enthusiasm of the faculty as they work as a unit to educate their students.
- There is a management style that fosters professionalism. While totally involved in every aspect of the school, the principal allows all stakeholders the opportunity to have an active role in curriculum development, formulation of policies and procedures, and the everyday operation of the school.
- The statements of students, parents, and teachers reinforced the feeling of commitment, order, and friendliness that exists in the school. One parent summed up the attitude of many parents when she said, “Carl Sandburg is a community, not just a school.”
- Over the last five years, Carl Sandburg students scored above the 80th percentile and the national average on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, and scored in the top 15 percent across the state in the Illinois Goal Assessment Program while demonstrating a significant increase in student achievement.
Carl Sandburg Junior High School is one of seven District 15 schools to have received the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon designation over the past several years.
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