Naples Christian Academy

On Tuesday, October 2, 2007, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spelling recognized Naples Christian Academy as a Blue Ribbon School. The U.S. Department of Education awarded 267 public & private schools nationwide the Blue Ribbon designation; sixteen of those schools are in Florida and three of those Florida schools are private schools. Only three evangelical Christian schools nationwide that are members of ACSI were granted the award. Naples Christian Academy is the first school in the greater Naples area to be recognized as a Blue Ribbon school since the program was established in 1982. This recognition is the highest award granted by the U.S. Department of Education. Click here to view the Department of Education press release.

Naples Christian Academy's faculty, staff, parents, and students all contribute to create a wonderful learning community. The Academy's curriculum and instruction as well as the commitment to academic excellence and a Christian philosophy of education are characteristics that make this school unique and known for guiding hearts, inspiring minds, and shaping lives. This award is the result of an ongoing commitment to school improvement, curricular and instructional enhancements, and academic excellence. The Academy has exceptional teachers; the work they do on a daily basis and their commitment to our students played a monumental role in the Academy's recognition as a Blue Ribbon School. The Academy also has exceptional students. Naples Christian Academy could not have even submitted an application for the award if our students were not scoring at the highest levels in the country. In order to qualify to apply to be a Blue Ribbon School, the Academy had to demonstrate that our students as a group scored in the top ten percent of the schools in the nation in reading and math as measuredby an assessment referenced against national norms (i.e., Stanford Achievement Test).

Since the Blue Ribbon Schools Program was established by the U.S. Department of Education in 1982, it has developed into a national school improvement strategy with three purposes. First, it identifies and recognizes outstanding public and private schools across the nation. Second, the program makes research-based effectiveness criteria available to all schools so they can assess themselves and plan improvements. Third, the program encourages schools, both within and among themselves, to share information about best practices based on a common understanding of criteria related to educational success.

Blue Ribbon Schools are models of both excellence and equity. To be recognized, a school must demonstrate a strong commitment to educational excellence for all students. The National Review Panel considers the following general categories in analyzing the application of each school: