Pleasant Hill Named Blue Ribbon School by U.S. Department of Education

Pleasant Hill Elementary School has been identified as a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education for its high achievement on state tests and its incremental improvement over the last three years.  The award recognizes schools whose students achieve in the top 10 percent of their state or those who show dramatic improvement while having at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Some 250 schools were selected for the award nationwide.  Of those, 15 are from Illinois.  “These schools are outstanding examples of how all students can achieve to higher standards,” Margaret Spellings, Secretary of Education, said in a press release.

In addition to the award, Pleasant Hill is one of 25 award winners selected to make a presentation at the November awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.  The presentation, titled “The impact of an on-site Curriculum Specialist on Student Achievement”, will detail the involvement of the school’s curriculum leader in the development and implementation of improvement goals.  Presenters will be Dr. Margo Sorrick, Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services; Mark Kohlmann, Pleasant Hill Principal; and Ann Piccione, Curriculum Leader at Pleasant Hill.

Pleasant Hill Principal Mark Kohlmann attributes his school’s success to his dedicated teachers and staff.  He specifically pointed to his school improvement team and its analysis of test data to determine individual students who need extra support and areas of the curriculum that need greater emphasis.  The practice of using data and school teams to develop improvement goals is common across the district. 

Representatives from the U.S. Department of Education will visit Pleasant Hill on October 6 to present the award during an all school assembly.