Two Hamilton County schools atop Signal Mountain have received national and state recognition "for their outstanding commitment to excellence in education."
Thrasher Elementary is among some 250 schools across the country selected as a No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. And neighboring Nolan Elementary is one of only six high performing schools in the state to be designated as an experimental site by the Appalachia Educational Laboratory.
Thrasher and Nolan students consistently score in the top percentile on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, the state’s standardized test given to students in grades 3-8 each spring. Both schools are also considered leaders in implementing effective teaching and learning strategies that promote high student achievement.
The national Blue Ribbon Schools program spotlights K-12 schools that are either academically superior in their states, or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement.
Thrasher, along with the other 2004 Blue Ribbon Schools, will be officially recognized during ceremonies held on Nov. 4-5 at the Washington Hilton and Towers in Washington, D.C. Thrasher is one of only two schools in Tennessee to achieve this prestigious honor twice.
As a designated Appalachia Educational Laboratory site, Nolan Elementary will be visited by teachers and other guests from across the region to study best practices in
education. With support from the U.S. Department of Education, the laboratories work as vital partners with state and local educators, community members and policymakers in
using research to tackle education reform and improvement.
Based in West Virginia, AEL has been home to one of the nation’s 10 Regional Educational Laboratories since 1966. AEL also houses the Region IV Comprehensive Center and the Eisenhower Math/Science Consortium.