VENTURA : Anacapa School Gets a U.S. Blue Ribbon

Anacapa Middle School in Ventura is one of 18 schools in the state to be named a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.

The school, which was named a California Distinguished School last year, is being honored in the nationwide Blue Ribbon program because of its high academic standards and test scores, efforts to prevent students from dropping out, parent and community support and strong administrative leadership, said Norma Carolan, a state liaison for the national program.

Nationwide, 222 public and private schools received the honor, Carolan said.

“We’ve been eating cake all day,” Principal Charlotte McElroy said. “We were very pleased.”

The award was the result of hard work by many of the school’s 886 students, as well as by parents, teachers and other staff who helped fill out the detailed application form last fall, McElroy said.

U.S. Department of Education officials spent two days in April visiting the school, sitting in on classes and interviewing school employees from teachers to custodians, McElroy said.

Contributing was student performance on last spring’s California Assessment Program test, McElroy said. Compared to similar schools, Anacapa ranked in the 90th percentile or above in reading, writing, math, history and science.

Anacapa officials, along with representatives from other Blue Ribbon schools, will be honored at a ceremony in Washington next fall.

And today, students will celebrate at a schoolwide assembly, followed by ice cream parties in their classrooms, McElroy said.

“We really want the kids to know that this is their honor as much as it is ours,” McElroy said. A celebration with parents is also being planned, she said.