Union County Vo-Tech wins Blue Ribbon School Award

This information was provided courtesy of the New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes public and non-public elementary, middle, and high schools where students consistently achieve at very high levels or where student performance has improved significantly.  State departments of education nominate schools for the prestigious awards annually. 

This year, 17 New Jersey schools (three public elementary schools, eight parochial schools and the six county vocational-technical high schools) received the Blue Ribbon honor.

According to the USED website, the program “sets a standard of excellence for all schools striving for the highest level of achievement…(and is) part of a larger U. S. Department of Education effort to identify and disseminate knowledge about best school leadership and teaching practices.”

“We congratulate the six county vocational-technical high schools honored with the National Blue Ribbon designation for 2012,” said Dr. Philip Guenther, President of the New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools and Superintendent of Atlantic County Institute of Technology.

“This well-deserved recognition of outstanding student achievement demonstrates that 21st century career and technical education is far more challenging and rigorous than many people assume, providing excellent opportunities for all types of students to succeed,” Dr. Guenther said.

Union County Vocational-Technical High School offers two-year shared-time programs along with full-time four-year programs to approximately 1,000 students from throughout Union County.  The school offers five “career cluster” programs in automotive sciences, service industries, communications, health careers and building trades, a new, four-year academy of design, and 11 self-contained, small group programs for shared-time special education students.  In 2011-12, full-time UCTech students scored 100% proficient or advanced proficient in both sections the New Jersey High School Proficiency Assessment.

The 2012 Blue Ribbon Schools will be honored at a ceremony in Washington, DC, in November.

Here is a link to the USED news release:  http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-secretary-education-arne-duncan-recognizes-269-schools-2012-national-blue-rib