Blueprint for Excellence: Summit Hill Elementary School Earns Blue Ribbon of Excellence Distinction
Summit Hill Elementary School’s mission statement is, “We strive to help and excel in all we do by being proactive, accountable, and willing to lead.” Under the leadership of Principal Dr. Lorrie Bearden, the school now has a responsibility to put that mission into action as a 2024 Blue Ribbon School of Excellence (BRSE).
As a Blue Ribbon school, Summit Hill will serve as a role model for other schools. Dr. Bearden says she does not take the responsibility lightly.
“The opportunity that we have in elementary school to grow a love of learning [and] having that partnership between school and parents is so important in elementary school,” Dr. Bearden proclaimed. “That’s Summit Hill. That community connection. That realization that we don’t do this alone. This is not just a teacher thing. This is a community thing.”
BRSE is a non-profit that has served schools nationwide since 2001. The BRSE team is comprised of “nationally recognized educators who work to identify a school’s key academic and instructional strengths and weaknesses,” according to its website. Assessors spent two days at Summit Hill, after an application process. The assessors used a “one-of-a-kind” survey to evaluate students and staff at Summit Hill. The process also included focus groups with teachers, in addition to students and their families. The school was assessed in nine performance categories:
- Student Focus and Support
- School Organization and Cultures
- Challenging Standards and Curriculum
- Active Teaching and Learning
- Technology Integration
- Professional Community
- Leadership and Educational Vitality
- School, Family, and Community Partnerships
- Indicators of Success
The BRSE team ultimately deemed Summit Hill proficient in all nine categories, on the school’s first attempt. Dr. Bearden says the milestone is a testament to the school’s collective push for higher educational standards.
“We don’t want our kids to just be proficient,” Dr. Bearden remarked. “We want them to be exemplary. That’s why I’ve invested so much into making Summit Hill successful [and] the opportunity to instill the love of learning. It’s huge in elementary. We have to capture that.”
Dr. Bearden explained the results of BRSE’s assessment were beneficial inside and outside of the classroom. She and Summit Hill’s teachers learned the students wanted to learn a foreign language. They also discovered they needed to focus more on teaching the importance of respect.
“I would encourage schools to go through this,” said Dr. Bearden. “Just having that objective look.”