Superintendent Arntzen Celebrates Montana’s 2023 National Blue Ribbon School Awardees

• Brian O'Leary
• September 19 2023

HELENA—Superintendent Elsie Arntzen congratulates Anderson School, Amsterdam Elementary School, and Deer Park School as Montana’s 2023 National Blue Ribbon School awardees. Anderson Elementary is located in Bozeman, MT, Amsterdam Elementary School is located in Manhattan, MT, and Deer Park is located in Columbia Falls, MT.

Anderson, Amsterdam, and Deer Park were designated as Blue Ribbon Schools based on overall academic excellence and efforts to achieve high levels of student success. Students from all three schools received high proficiency ranks in both math and reading statewide assessment scores during the 2021-2022 school year (two school years ago):

• Reading proficiency:
  • Anderson School: 75.8%
  • Amsterdam Elementary: 76.7%
  • Deer Park School: 71.3%
  • Montana’s overall: 46.2%
• Math proficiency:
  • Anderson School: 66.7%
  • Amsterdam Elementary: 67.5%
  • Deer Park School: 62.5%
  • Montana’s overall: 36.5%

“These three schools have made us all Montana proud,” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “The academic achievement of the students reflects support from parents and families and the great leadership of their superintendents, principals, and teachers. Join me in congratulating these schools that have focused on getting back to the basics while putting Montana students first!”

The National Blue Ribbon School designation is a highly prestigious recognition from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) that only a few Montana schools earn each year. This morning, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona announced 353 schools across the country that earned this recognition, which is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student groups on assessments. The DOE recognizes two performance categories:

• 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.

Photographs and descriptions of the 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools are available here.