STEM Middle School in Dearborn Public Schools has again been named a National Blue Ribbon School.
The U.S. Department of Education released the list of 2024 National Blue Ribbon honorees on Monday, Sept. 23. Representatives from each school will receive their award during a ceremony on Nov. 7 and 8 in Washington, D.C.
The 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools awards recognizes 356 schools across the country, including 12 in Michigan. This is the sixth time since 2017 that a Dearborn Public School has been named a National Blue Ribbon School. STEM was previously honored in 2018 and is the only repeat recipient in the district and the only Michigan middle school recognized this year. Schools can only be nominated once every five years.
“It is the exceptional daily work of our staff, students, and families that drives this distinct honor and recognition by the National Blue Ribbon Schools for the second time in the last six years. Our commitment to excellence is non-negotiable, and this recognition validates our passion for putting our students first at the state and national level,” said STEM Principal Oussama Baydoun.
STEM is a magnet middle school with about 160 students in sixth through eighth grades. District students are invited to attend based on their elementary standardized test scores.
“The National Blue Ribbon Schools Award is a testament to the exceptional achievements of students and educators at each of these schools,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “The 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools are raising the bar for our nation’s students, serving as models for effective teaching and intentional collaboration in their schools and communities. As we celebrate their achievements, let us look to these schools for inspiration as we champion education as the foundation of a brighter future for every child.”
National Blue Ribbon Schools are recognized in one or both of two categories – overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. The Michigan Department of Education nominated STEM for its overall academic excellence. For the three years from 2021 to 2023, STEM saw more than 95 percent of students score as advanced or proficient on state math and English tests. Statewide, about 38 percent of students were proficient on the combined tests, according to information from MiSchoolData.org.
Each nominated school submits a comprehensive application detailing its school culture, curriculum, assessments, instructional practices, professional development, leadership, and family and community involvement.
“We are delighted to once again receive national recognition for one of our schools,” said Dearborn Schools Superintendent Glenn Maleyko. “We congratulate STEM staff, students and families for their great accomplishment and for this well-deserved recognition.”
Launched in 1982, the National Blue Ribbon Schools program has bestowed almost 10,000 awards to more than 9,000 schools.