Waterloo Elementary School Named 2018 National Blue Ribbon School

October 1st, 2018

Waterloo Elementary School was today named a 2018 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. The school is one of only seven Maryland schools to receive the nation’s Blue Ribbon award this year. Blue Ribbon Schools are recognized based on rigorous state and national standards for high achievement and significant improvement. Waterloo received a 2017-2018 Maryland Blue Ribbon School award in December.

Waterloo was recognized as an exemplary achievement gap closing school, indicating that it is among the nation’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between student groups and all students over the past five years.

Sixty percent of Waterloo students met or exceeded expectations in math and English language arts on the 2017 PARCC assessments. Student teams from Waterloo earned high honors in the Rube Goldberg and Safe Racer Engineering Challenges. Many students participate in Honors and GT Band and Strings groups and extracurricular activities including Girls on the Run and Let Me Run race preparation programs. Waterloo is a Certified Maryland Green School, with students taking a leadership role in environmental conservation efforts including tree planting and a school rain garden.

The announcement brings the total number of national Blue Ribbon Schools in the Howard County Public School System to 11. Other schools recognized in prior years include Centennial Lane, Clarksville and Manor Woods elementary schools, Burleigh Manor, Clarksville, Ellicott Mills, Folly Quarter, Hammond and Lime Kiln middle schools, and River Hill High School.

The U.S. Department of Education will formally recognize the 349 honored schools at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on November 7-8, 2018.

More information about the National Blue Ribbon Schools program is provided on the U.S. Department of Education website.