2011 Maryland Blue Ribbon Schools
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Bel Air Elementary – Allegany County
In spite of over 41% of its students participating in Free and Reduced Meals, Bel Air is a high achiever with 97% of students proficient and above in both math and reading. Parents donate over 1300 hours annually. Bel Air is a 2008 School of Distinction and has been recognized by its Chamber of Commerce, the County Commissioners, and the Board of Education. Its students have won prestigious awards such as the Carson Scholarship and the Young Poets Writing Competition. The school is proud of its many corporate partnerships and is a PDS School with Frostburg State University. Teacher attendance is exemplary at 97% and they have won awards such as Teacher of the Year finalists. Staff members also participate with students in numerous service programs and encourage colleagues through staff spirit awards.
Mt. Washington Elementary – Baltimore City
With 45% of its students on Free and Reduced Meals, the school has MSA proficiency and advanced scores of 91% in math and 92% in reading and advanced scores have risen over the years from 19% to 40% in reading and from 29% to 36% in math. The school partners with Johns Hopkins and is the only one in Maryland that provides its Center for Talented Youth Online Math during the school day as part of regular math instruction. Fifty of its highest achieving students are enrolled in this program and Mt. Washington will be featured on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360. Parents provide a great deal including instructional lessons along with fundraising efforts such as one which built an outdoor classroom with an amphitheater. Mt. Washington is also the 2010 Baltimore Basketball League Elementary School Champion. Future plans include an expansion to include grades 6 through 8.
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
Lime Kiln Middle School – Howard County
Lime Kiln, a high achieving school, excels with over 94% of its students proficient and above in math and 96% proficient and above in reading. It is a designated Green School by the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education and won the Maryland Junior Envirothon Competition for five out of six years. With a special grant, it was also able to build a Learning Legacy Trail on school grounds. Lime Kiln is proud of its award-winning teachers including the Agnes Meyer Teacher of the Year for 2009 and the 2010 Maryland Art Education Teacher of the Year. Lime Kiln's student debate teams have received numerous awards. The school also established a successful peer buddy program with the adjoining Cedar Lane School which serves profoundly disabled students.
Oklahoma Road Middle School – Carroll County
At Oklahoma Road Middle, a Maryland Green School, 91% of the students are proficient and above in math and 96% are proficient and above in reading. In fact, 67% of the student body earned Honor Roll status. Student participation in after-school programs is exceptional. Students are officers in the Carroll County Student Government Association and are also service oriented, sponsoring numerous programs such as the Harvest for the Hungry Food Drive, the American Red Cross Blood Drive, and "Bundles for Babies." a drive for the Carroll Hospital Center. Teachers are highly qualified with five having received National Board Certification. One third of the staff participates in a Teacher – Student Mentoring program funded through a grant from the Carroll Education Foundation.
HIGH SCHOOLS
Severna Park High School - Anne Arundel County
With over 99% of its students proficient and above in math and over 95% in English, Severna Park High is one of Maryland's top high schools. Over 63% of its students are on Honor Roll and 91% of the graduating seniors have taken at least one AP or Honors course as well as the exams. Seven seniors won "Scholarships for Scholars" last year and fifteen students were Commended for National Merit Awards with one National Semi-Finalist. The school is also dedicated to the arts and known for its 21 years producing an all-student "Rock N' Roll Revival,"which plays to sellout audiences. Athletics is also important and there are 450 athletes participating in fall and spring sports and 300 in winter sports. The school touts 83 State Championships in its 51 year history. Severna Park High also has an award winning newspaper and yearbook.
Towson High School Public Law and Policy – Baltimore County
Towson High School ranked 334 in Newsweek's 2010 list of "America's Best High Schools." Its students are over 98 percent proficient in math and 99 percent proficient in English. 17 percent of the seniors rank in the top five percent in the state of Maryland and over 76 percent of Towson High's students take the SAT. This past year, over nine million dollars in grants and scholarships were awarded to Towson's graduating seniors. Towson had seven Merit finalists and 26 National Commended Students in addition to three National Achievement Scholarship Finalists, one National Hispanic Recognition Scholar, 38 Maryland Distinguished Scholars in Academic and Visual Arts, and 68 seniors who were Advanced Placement Scholars. In music, students are members of the All-County Honors Band and art students have been recognized at the state and national levels. Towson High employs eight National Board Certified Teachers.