A Phoenix school in the Paradise Valley Unified School District has earned National Blue Ribbon Schools honors.

The U.S. Department of Education recognized 353 schools for 2023, including Fireside Elementary School, located at 3725 E. Lone Cactus Drive, in Phoenix. The recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups on assessments.

Other Arizona schools to earn the distinction are Neely Traditional Academy in Gilbert, and Senita Valley Elementary School and Sunrise Drive Elementary School in Tucson.

“The honorees for our 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award have set a national example for what it means to raise the bar in education,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona shared in a press release. “The leaders, educators, and staff at our National Blue Ribbon Schools continually inspire me with their dedication to fostering academic excellence and building positive school cultures that support students of all backgrounds to thrive academically, socially and emotionally.”

With its 40th cohort, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed approximately 10,000 awards to more than 9,700 schools. The National Blue Ribbon School award affirms and validates the hard work of students, educators, families and communities in striving for – and attaining – exemplary achievement.

National Blue Ribbon Schools represent the full diversity of American schools and serve students of every background. 

The Department recognizes all schools in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores, subgroup student scores and graduation rates:

• Exemplary High-Performing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.
• Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing Schools are among their state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students. Nominated schools also complete an extensive narrative application describing their school culture and philosophy, curriculum, assessments, instructional practices, professional development, leadership structures, and parent and community involvement.

Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year. The Department invites nominations for the National Blue Ribbon Schools award from the top education official in all states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education.

Private schools are nominated by the Council for American Private Education.