(posted December 5, 2008) 

Midland Elementary School is one of only five South Carolina schools to be nominated by the South Carolina Department of Education to compete in the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, run by the U.S. Department of Education, honors public and private K-12 schools that are either academically superior or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement.

In addition to Midland  Elementary School, other nominees are: Chukker Creek Elementary School, Aiken County School District; Carolina Elementary School, Darlington County School District; Ninety Six High School, Greenwood County District 52; and Chapin High School, School District Five of Lexington and Richland counties.

The selection criteria are consistent with the goals of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The USDE determines how many nominees each state can submit and each nominee must meet one of two criteria:

• Schools that have at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds and that show dramatic improvement in test scores to high levels in English Language Arts and mathematics.
• Schools, regardless of their demographics, that achieve in the top 10 percent of schools in the state.

Midland Elementary was in the top 10 percent – with at least 40 percent disadvantaged students – and also had dramatic improvement.  

All five nominated South Carolina schools not only met the basic criteria, but also scored higher against those criteria than other South Carolina schools.  All nominees had to have made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under NCLB for the 2006-07 and 2007-08 school years, and also will have to make AYP for the 2008-09 school year to be eligible for recognition as National Blue Ribbon schools. 

The 2009 winners will be announced next fall. The recognition ceremony will be held in Washington next November.