District Awards
District Awards
Allison Barry
Oct 6 2023 12:00 AM
As part of its annual accountability reporting process, the Department identifies a small number of Schools of Recognition. These schools demonstrate high achievement and high growth and meet or exceed accountability targets. The list of recognized schools also includes those that have been identified as National Blue Ribbon Schools and National ESEA Distinguished Schools, two national award programs.
Allison Barry
May 11 2020 12:00 AM
This is the first time in MRA history that the award has been given to a secondary school.
Minuteman High School Receives Exemplary Reading Program Award
This is the first time in MRA history that the award has been given to a secondary school.
LEXINGTON, MA — Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical High School received the Exemplary Reading Program Award.The Massachusetts Reading Association honored Minuteman with the award. MRA is an organization that promotes literacy.
“This award legitimizes the work we have done over the last 10 years to make sure we take care of the needs of the students,” said Minuteman High School Principal George Clement. “We recognized a need and stuck with it. It’s all been worthwhile.”
For the first time in MRA history this award is being given to a secondary school. The previous recipients of this honor have been elementary schools.
Minuteman was selected in a competitive process that involved 12 nominated schools from across the state.
According to the MRA, the five objectives of this award program are:
- To improve literacy in our society;
- To recognize schools that demonstrate excellence in reading and literacy programs;
- To encourage the development and refinement of exemplary reading/language arts programs;
- To report to the public noteworthy efforts to improve reading/language arts, and;
- To disseminate specific information about high-quality programs so that other professionals can use it to improve their own instructional efforts.”
“We were very impressed with Minuteman,” said MRA Vice President-Elect Patricia Kelley.
She specifically mentioned the media center situated at the hub of the school, the integration of reading skills in the school’s career and technical programs as well as in its academic programs, the outstanding reading program for freshmen, the multi-tiered system of support for the reading program throughout the school, and the allocation of financial resources to the reading program.
“There is a lot of commitment from everyone at Minuteman,” Kelley said. “Literacy is being integrated across the curriculum. We understood the value in that.”
Clement, who was formerly a reading coach at Minuteman, said that this accolade is “a nice complement” to the National Blue Ribbon School Award that Minuteman received in 2018.
“We closed performance gaps,” he said. “The reading program had a lot to do with helping all students and promoting rigor.”
Clement said Minuteman’s reading program is scientifically-based and has widespread support among faculty and staff.
He emphasized the success of the school’s reading program is a reflection of the faculty’s dedication. “They are driven to do the most that they can for the students.”
Allison Barry
Oct 8 2018 3:58 PM
Minuteman is one of only three schools in Massachusetts - and the sole vocational high school - to earn this prestigious award.
- Mon, Oct 8, 2018; By: Judy Bass
LEXINGTON – Minuteman High School has been named a 2018 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. The announcement of all 349 public and private school honorees was made on October 1, 2018 by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.
Abington High School and Swampscott High School are the other Massachusetts schools that earned this recognition. Minuteman is the sole vocational high school in the state to be accorded this award.
“This is an incredible recognition of the work of my staff and administrators,” said Minuteman Superintendent Dr. Edward A. Bouquillon. “I hope this accolade causes parents to take notice of Minuteman and how our model of learning and teaching can give their children a real advantage in high school, in college and in their careers.”
According to a U.S. Department of Education press release, National Blue Ribbon Schools earn that designation by excelling in one of two performance categories - either as Exemplary High Performing Schools or Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools, “which are among their state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students over the past five years.”
All three National Blue Ribbon Schools from Massachusetts including Minuteman were cited for being Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools.
Secretary DeVos lauded the award-winning schools in a video message, saying, “I'm pleased to celebrate with you as your school is named a National Blue Ribbon School. We recognize and honor your important work in preparing students for successful careers and meaningful lives. Congratulations on your students' accomplishments and for your extraordinary commitment to meeting their unique needs.”
An awards ceremony for all of this year’s National Blue Ribbon Schools will be held at the Omni Shoreham in Washington, D.C., on November 7 and 8, 2018.
Since the inception of the National Blue Ribbon School awards in 1982, more than 8,800 schools have been honored.
Minuteman has previously been acknowledged for academic excellence and for significantly closing achievement gaps. Just a few months ago, on April 5, 2018, Minuteman was named a Massachusetts Commendation School by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for being outstanding in those two categories. Governor Charles D. Baker presented Dr. Bouquillon with a plaque honoring the school at a State House ceremony.
Minuteman is nine months away from moving into a new $145M facility that has been designed to support a robust college and career academy model. The academy model was adopted by staff and administration to create smaller “schools within a school” thereby promoting more personalized learning founded upon close relationships between students and teachers. The Minuteman college and career academy model integrates rigorous academics with relevant technical programming in occupational areas providing individual economic opportunity. The new facility will accommodate project-based learning across disciplines, requiring students to learn how to work on a diverse team, solve problems and think critically. These are essential 21st-Century skills that students practice and apply in a variety of school-based and work-based environments.
As an accredited member of the New England Association of Schools & Colleges (NEASC), Minuteman inspires all students to attain their full potential, accelerate their learning, and become purposeful citizens in the global community.
- Visit the National Blue Ribbon Page