2014-2015 Criteria 

Purpose

The aim of U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) is to inspire 

schools, districts and Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) to strive for 21st century

excellence, by highlighting exemplary practices and resources that all can employ. To that end, 

the award recognizes schools, districts, and IHEs that:

1) Reduce environmental impact and costs;

2) Improve the health and wellness of schools, students, and staff; and

3) Provide environmental education, which teaches many disciplines, and is especially good 

at effectively incorporating STEM, civic skills, and green career pathways. 

Combined achievement in ALL three of these areas, collectively known as Pillars, serves as the 

basis for recognition. Each Pillar is divided into Elements, which provide further guidance on 

each of the three main areas. ED-GRS aligns with the Department’s cross-cutting goals for 

education, including improving student, staff, and facility performance and increasing efficiency

at the federal, state, and local levels. At the postsecondary level, these Pillars help to support the 

goals of reduced college costs, increased completion rates, higher rates of employment, and 

robust civic skills among graduates. The recognition award is part of a U.S. Department of 

Education (ED) effort to identify and communicate practices that result in improved student 

engagement, academic achievement, graduation rates, and workforce preparedness, and reinforce 

federal efforts to increase energy independence and economic security. 

Encouraging resource efficient schools, districts, and IHEs allows administrators to dedicate 

more resources to instruction rather than operational costs. Healthy schools and wellness 

practices ensure that all students learn in an environment conducive to achieving their full 

potential, free of the health disparities that can aggravate achievement gaps. Sustainability

education helps all students engage in hands-on learning, hone critical thinking skills, learn many 

disciplines and develop a solid foundation in STEM subjects. It motivates postsecondary

students in many disciplines, and especially those underserved in STEM subjects, to persist and 

graduate with sought after degrees and robust civic skills.

Scope

ED-GRS began in the 2011-2012 school year, recognizing 78 Pre-K-12 schools at the inaugural 

ED-GRS ceremony in June 2012. In the 2012-2013 school year, ED recognized 68 Pre-K-12 

schools and 14 high-performing districts under the pilot District Sustainability Award. In the 

2013-2014 school year, ED recognized 48 Pre-K-12 schools and 9 districts. In the 2014-2015

school year, in addition to schools and districts, ED may honor up to 25 IHEs nationwide.1 

Eligibility

The Secretary of Education invites Chief State School Officers (CSSOs) and State Higher 

Education Executive Officers (SHEEOs) from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto 

 

1 The Department is not bound by the approximation of schools to be recognized in these criteria.
Rico, and the Virgin Islands, as well as the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA)

and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) (“Nominating Authorities”) to nominate schools, 

districts, and IHEs that they have determined as meeting the criteria. For all award categories, 

authorities are strongly encouraged to work with other state agencies, non-profit partners, and 

associations to ensure appropriate expertise and outreach to eligible candidates. For 

postsecondary nominees, State Selection Committees should include input from the governor’s 

office, postsecondary offices, and/or associations of higher education, as appropriate. 

The authorities must confirm that the nominees meet the minimum requirements established by

ED under the Program Requirements section of this document. They must also describe any 

other criteria used to select the schools, districts, and IHEs as nominees. The authorities may

wish to use, develop, or refine existing green, healthy, and sustainability recognition programs, 

certifications or ratings, and/or run a competition within their jurisdictions in order to identify

nominees to the Department, but they are not required to do so. 

ED-Green Ribbon Schools and District Sustainability Awardees. Each authority is permitted as 

many as five Pre-K-12 school or district nominations. If a state or comparable authority wishes 

to nominate more than two schools or districts, at least one must serve at least 40 percent of 

students from a disadvantaged background.2If an authority wishes to make a fifth Pre-K-12 

nomination, it must be a private school. For a private school to be nominated, at least one public 

school or district must be nominated. No more than one of the five nominees in this Pre-K-12 

category may be a private school. A school or district may be selected as an honoree only once. 

Authorities are encouraged to consider a school or district’s academic achievement, success in 

closing achievement gaps, and diversity when selecting school nominees. Free standing early

learning institutions are eligible in this category.

Postsecondary Sustainability Award. In addition to a total of five school and district nominees, 

each state may nominate one IHE3for exemplary achievement in all three Pillars. For this 

award, State Selection Committees are particularly encouraged to document how the nominees’

sustainability work has reduced college costs, increased completion rates, led to higher rates of 

employment, and ensured robust civic skills among graduates and to make an appropriate effort 

to consider diverse types of institutions. Like a school or district, an IHE may be selected as an 

honoree only once. While ED is not bound to selecting particular numbers of honorees, the final 

national cohort will be reflective of the full range of types of IHEs, including two- and four-year 

institutions and public and private institutions.

Program Requirements

 

2 A student from a “disadvantaged background” is defined for this program by the CSSO of each state. The 

definition must include students who are eligible for free and reduced-price school meals and may include students 

with disabilities and students who are limited English proficient, migrant, or receiving services under Title I of the 

Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Nominating Authorities must indicate the definition used and the percent 

disadvantaged for each school nominated.

3

An IHE is defined in Section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act as public and private non-profit institutions. 
State education authorities, including both CSSOs and SHEEOs, working with governor’s 

offices, higher education officials, and other partners, as appropriate in each state, must submit

an evaluation of school, district and postsecondary nominees under the Pillars and Elements, 

listed below. They are encouraged to use a variety of widely accepted sustainability standards, 

certifications, ratings, and programs, some listed in the Framework for Evaluation of Schools. 

Nominating authorities, district officials, and principals (where applicable) must certify

compliance with all applicable civil rights, health, environment, and safety statutory and 

regulatory requirements. 

Nominating Authorities are encouraged to engage the collaboration of state health, 

environmental, and safety authorities; non-profit experts in these areas; and federal agency field 

offices with appropriate technical expertise. In addition to providing valuable subject matter 

expertise, these partners can make the task of recruiting applicants and selecting nominees to the 

Department less cumbersome. For their postsecondary nominees, state selection consortia may

include input from governor’s offices, higher education offices, and/or associations of higher 

education, as appropriate in each state.

 

Once schools, districts, and IHEs are selected by Nominating Authorities and presented, ED, 

assisted by other federal agencies, will conduct final review to ensure that schools, districts, and

IHEs: 1) are performing in all three Pillars and every Element; 2) comply with all applicable 

federal civil rights, student aid and federal, state, local, and tribal health, , safety and 

environmental statutory and regulatory requirements; 3) meet high college- and career-ready 

academic standards; and 4) in the case of IHEs, pay particular attention to documenting reduced 

college costs, increased completion rates, higher rates of employment, and robust civic skills 

among graduates.

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This federal review will determine the national honorees, which will be announced annually on 

Earth Day. Authorities must, at a minimum, include documentation of high performance in all 

Pillars and Elements, as well as the health, safety, and environmental statutory and regulatory

compliance of nominated schools, districts, and IHEs, as applicable in each case. They are 

encouraged, but not required, to conduct on-site verification of compliance matters where these 

are applicable.

Review Criteria Used by the Authorities to Select Nominees:

Each authority is invited to nominate up to five schools or school districts and a single IHE that

they assess to be the highest performing in their jurisdiction, based on the authorities’ evaluation 

of applicants’ achievement in all Pillars and every Element. Authorities should take into account 

demographic and geographic diversity and success in closing achievement gaps in their 

selections, as ED will do the same in the federal review, aiming for a diverse cohort, 

representative of the full spectrum of schools, school districts and IHEs across the nation. 

 

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For more on college and career-ready standards, see: 

http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/publication_pg4.html
ED-Green Ribbon Schools Pillars and Elements

I. Reduced Environmental Impact and Costs

 Reduced or eliminated greenhouse gas emissions, using an energy audit or emissions 

inventory and reduction plan, cost-effective energy efficiency improvements, 

conservation measures, and/or on-site renewable energy and/or purchase of green power;

 Improved water quality, efficiency, and conservation; 

 Reduced solid and hazardous waste production through increased recycling, reduced 

consumption, and improved management, reduction, or elimination of hazardous waste; 

and 

 Expanded use of alternative transportation, through active promotion of locally-available, 

energy-efficient options and implementation of alternative transportation supportive

projects and policies.

II. Improved Health and Wellness

 An integrated school environmental health program based on an operations and facilitywide environmental management system that considers student, visitor, and staff health 

and safety in all practices related to design, construction, renovation, operations, and 

maintenance of schools and grounds; and

 High standards of coordinated school health, including social and psychological services, 

nutrition, fitness, and quantity of quality outdoor time for both students and staff. 

III. Effective Environmental and Sustainability Education

 Interdisciplinary learning about the key relationships between dynamic environmental, 

energy, and human systems;

 Use of the environment and sustainability to develop STEM content knowledge and 

thinking skills to prepare graduates for the 21st century technology-driven economy; and

 Development of civic engagement knowledge and skills and students’ application of such 

knowledge and skills to address sustainability and environmental issues in their 

community.

Technical Assistance 

ED-GRS provides technical assistance to schools, districts, IHEs, associations, and states, 

including: 1) a portal of resources and webinars for green schools; 2) a Framework and sample

application for evaluation of nominees; and 3) ongoing communications among State Selection 

Committees, non-profits, and federal agencies to facilitate the dissemination of best practices.

Notification, Recognition Ceremony, and Benefits

Honored schools, school districts, and IHEs are announced each year on Earth Day and are 

recognized at an annual ceremony held in Washington, D.C. in July. The recognition award

conveys no ED funding to states, districts, schools, or IHEs.

Statutory Authorities
ED is responsible for administering U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools. EDGRS is authorized by Section 5411(b)(5) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (20 

U.S.C. § 7243(b)(5)) and Department of Education Organization Act, 20 U.S.C. 3402 (2) and 

(3).