For immediate release:
The United States Department of Education has announced that Saint Andrew
Catholic School, Newtown, PA, has been recognized as a 2021 Blue Ribbon
School. This award recognizes the school as an outstanding example of a
prestigious American school.
Having originally been recognized as a Blue Ribbon School in 2013, Saint Andrew
Catholic School is one of a small number of schools to be recognized more than
once. Only one of 3 recognized schools in Bucks County, one of 4 Archdiocese of
Philadelphia Schools, SAS is one of 23 private/parochial schools in the United
States to be distinguished. A total of 219 elementary schools in the U.S. were
awarded Blue Ribbon status and 325 schools total received the award in 2021!
National Blue Ribbon Schools are on education’s cutting edge, pioneering
innovative educational practices from professional learning communities and
project-based learning to social and emotional learning and positive behavior
systems. Schools are nominated by the state department of education and then
complete a comprehensive application about school practices. Schools may be
nominated as Exemplary High Performing—among the top schools in a state—or
Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing—schools making the fastest progress in the
their state in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.
Saint Andrew has been recognized as an Exemplary High Performing school. The
high achievement of the students on standardized tests (TerraNovas) qualified the
school to apply for Blue Ribbon status. The financial literacy program through the
branch of the First National Bank and Trust of Newtown, Junior Achievement and
Banker of the Week program distinguished the school among other applicants.
School officials will represent Saint Andrew Catholic School at a two-day awards
ceremony in Washington, D.C., where they will hear from the Secretary of
Education and other esteemed educators, share best practices with each other and
celebrate their hard-won achievements.
The school plans to celebrate this remarkable achievement with many festivities
throughout the year.