Schools using Core Knowledge have been honored for their commitment to excellence and to closing the achievement gap. We are honored to have these schools as part of our growing community.
August 2019
Congratulations to Zach Elementary School (Fort Collins, CO) and Parker Core Knowledge Charter School (Parker, CO) for being two of the top-performing schools on the 2019 Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) test. We are so proud of your success!
These are Colorado’s top-performing schools on this year’s CMAS tests
May 2019
Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy, in Alexandria, Virginia, receives 2019 Excellence Award.
The Virginia Index of Performance (VIP) program recognizes schools and divisions that exceed state and federal accountability standards and achieve excellence goals established by the Governor and the Board of Education. Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy was one of 270 schools in the state to be recognized.
March 2019
Dr. E.D. Hirsch, Jr. Receives Lifetime Achievement Award at 2019 Colorado Charter Schools Conference
As president of the Colorado League of Charter Schools, I am excited to announce that the Lifetime Achievement Award at our 26th Annual Conference, on March 1, 2019, will be presented to Dr. E.D. Hirsch, Jr., or Don as he is called by his many admirers. We are honored to confer this award on Dr. Hirsch, who follows last year’s first recipient, the Honorable Keith King. During Don’s visit to our two-day Conference, we will also take time to elicit his perspective on current education issues.
Dr. Hirsch is the Founder of the Core Knowledge Foundation. In 1983, Hirsch began advocating for the concept of “cultural literacy” in the same year that A Nation at Risk was published. Over the past 30 years, he has made an immeasurable contribution of scholarship, advocacy and stewardship to the Core Knowledge Foundation’s activities and to American education as a whole. His ideas have proliferated nationally and globally with a deep resonance in the Colorado charter school sector.
Don is a remarkably ‘liberal’ thought leader in the best senses of the word – inquisitive, open-minded, magnanimous and intellectually astute. Before becoming the animating force behind Core Knowledge, he was a highly regarded literary critic and professor of English at the University of Virginia. He celebrated his 90th birthday in March 2018. I believe that it is no exaggeration to say that Dr. Hirsch is a national education treasure and we will be fortunate to have him join Colorado’s annual state convening.
Benjamin J. Lindquist
President
Colorado League of Charter Schools
September 2018
The U.S. Department of Education announced the National Blue Ribbon Schools, recognized for overall academic excellence or closing achievement gaps. The 2018 Blue Ribbon winners included four schools helping students build strong foundations of knowledge through the Core Knowledge Sequence.
- Snowy Range Academy, WY (Core Knowledge School of Distinction)
- Zach Elementary School, CO
- Paramount School of Excellence, IN
- Broadmoor Elementary School, NM
August 2018
Seniors at Liberty Common School in Fort Collins, Colorado, broke the state SAT record. The impressive numbers earned top ranking in the state, a clear 25 points ahead of second-place. Read more about this remarkable accomplishment here.
September 2017
The U.S. Department of Education announced the National Blue Ribbon Schools, recognized for overall academic excellence or closing achievement gaps. The 2017 Blue Ribbon winners included three schools helping students build strong foundations of knowledge through the Core Knowledge Sequence.
- Peach Hill Academy, CA (Core Knowledge School of Distinction)
- Icahn Charter School 5, NY
- Washington Elementary School, MN
September 2016
The U.S. Department of Education announced the National Blue Ribbon Schools, recognized for overall academic excellence or closing achievement gaps. The 2016 Blue Ribbon winners included six schools helping students build strong foundations of knowledge through the Core Knowledge Sequence and (at some sites) the Core Knowledge Language Arts curriculum.
Of those six, Center City PCS (Congress Heights Campus) in Washington, DC was noted as an Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing School. Five other Core Knowledge Blue Ribbon winners were distinguished as Exemplary High Performing Schools:
- Ft. Caspar Academy Casper, WY
- Icahn Charter 4 Bronx, NY
- Newark Charter School Newark, DE
- Parker Core Knowledge School Parker, CO
- Rocklin Academy at Turnstone Rocklin, CA
A lively profile of Icahn Charter 4 is featured in the Fall 2016 issue of EducationNext. Jeff Litt, Core Knowledge pioneer and now superintendent of Icahn’s network of seven charter schools, sums up the significance of a content-rich curriculum:
For children to be successful as adults, they need a baseline of knowledge so they’ll be able to communicate, understand a story in the New York Times, to someday write an article for the New York Times! People talk about critical thinking. You cannot think critically if you don’t have something to think about; knowledge matters. Jefferey Litt, Superintendent of Ichan Charter Schools, Bronx, New York
May 2016
Bryant Elementary School received a California Gold Ribbon award for innovation and excellence. After nearly closing its doors five years ago due to low test scores and enrollment, Lari Nelson became principal and the school adopted Core Knowledge. Today, Bryant Elementary is one of the top schools in the Riverside area. The school has reached such a high level of acclaim that parents from other cities are wanting to send their children to Bryant. Principal Nelson said, “We’ve created this pathway where kids love to come to school and they’re thriving.”
Read the Press Enterprise’s article to learn more about the Gold Ribbon award and Bryant Elementary.
April 2016
Peach Hill Academy was one of three schools chosen from the Moorpark area to receive the California Gold Ribbon. California also commended Peach Hill’s use of the Core Knowledge curriculum, which they have been using since 2001. Peach Hill’s principal Vicky Yasenchock noted that “education’s moving so fast nowadays that there are so many things that can be left out,” which is why she appreciates how the Core Knowledge curriculum “clearly defines” what students are expected to know before they can advance to the next grade level.
Read the Moorpark Acorn’s article about the event.
2015
Kinard Core Knowledge Middle School, High Peaks Elementary School, and Icahn Charter School 2 were named 2015 National Blue Ribbon Schools. The U.S. Department of Education recognizes Blue Ribbon Schools based on overall academic excellence or progress toward closing achievement gaps.
2013
George Washington Academy, which uses the Core Knowledge Sequence, was named the Utah Public Charter School Association’s 2013 Charter School of the Year. GWA is a high-performing, kindergarten through eighth-grade school in St. George, Utah, with about 1,000 students. Read more about this award.