GREENVILLE, SC. – Crestview Elementary has been selected as one of five South Carolina public schools to receive the prestigious National Blue Ribbon School Award.

The national No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools Program, run by the U.S. Department of Education, recognizes public and private K-12 schools that are either academically superior or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement.  National Blue Ribbon recipients are considered models of excellence that other schools can emulate.

Located in the City of Greer, Crestview serves 728 students from K-6. Since 2002, the school has experienced dramatic changes in the terms of student population it serves.  The school’s poverty index has increased from 28 per cent in 2002 to 65 per cent in 2008 and the enrollment of students who speak English as second language increased from 17 in 2003-2004 to 91 in 2008. Regardless of the changes, Crestview’s focus on student achievement remains steadfast. Crestview’s students have continued to excel academically.

One of the major reasons for Crestview’s success is its focused efforts on teacher quality, starting with a careful, deliberate recruiting and selection process involving multiple interviews with candidates who submit sample lesson plans and demonstrate lessons. The school’s Professional Development Team enhances teacher quality by providing almost weekly staff development activities. In addition to providing after-school opportunities for professional growth, the team arranges for district consultants in all core areas to conduct model lessons, observe teachers and give valuable feedback.  Working as a team, Crestview’s staff engages students by using different teaching methods to appeal to multiple interests and learning styles.  The school’s leadership is tenacious in its commitment to provide materials and means to enhance instruction.
The Blue Ribbon program was modified in 2001 so that the selection criteria would be consistent with the goals of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.  In the new system, the USDE determines how many nominees each state can submit.  The federal agency allows South Carolina to nominate five schools, and those nominees must meet one of two criteria:

• Schools that have at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds and that dramatically improve student performance to high levels on state tests.
• Schools that achieve in the top 10 percent of those in the state, regardless of their demographics.

Crestview Elementary was identified under the first criterion.  Crestview 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 2005-06 and 2006-07 school years, and also had to make AYP for the 2007-08 school year to be eligible for recognition.

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