33 California schools awarded 2023 National Blue Ribbon honor

Four schools in Hacienda La Puente Unified, with 16,000 students in Los Angeles, received a National Blue Ribbon Award, the most this year from any California school district. The U.S. Department of Education announced the 353 public and private school winners nationwide, including 33 in California, on Tuesday (see pages 2 to 5 for California recipients).

A National Blue Ribbon is the most prestigious national school recognition. It is awarded to the highest performing schools as measured by state and national standardized tests and to schools most successful in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students. Nominated schools must describe their school culture and philosophy, curriculum, instructional practices, and parent and community involvement.

The four Hacienda La Puente recipients — about one-eighth of the district’s 31 schools — include two elementary schools, a middle school, and Glen A. Wilson High, one of four high schools in a district that spans City of Industry, La Puente, and the unincorporated Los Angeles County areas of Hacienda Heights and Valinda. It is the second Blue Ribbon award for Wedgeworth Elementary, which has a Mandarin dual language immersion program, and for Los Molinos Elementary, which received the state 2023 Civic Learning Award.

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