**2014 -**  **2015 Criteria**

**Purpose** The aim of U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools ( ED - GRS ) is to inspire schools, districts and In stitutions of Higher Education ( IHEs ) to strive for 21 st century excellence, b y 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 m any disciplines, and is especiall y good at effectivel y incorporating STEM, civic skills, and green career pathways. Combined achievement in ALL three of these areas, collectivel y known as Pillars, serves as the basis for recognition. Each Pillar is divi ded 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 employ ment, 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 env ironment 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 de velop a solid foundation in STEM subjects. It motivates postsecondary students in many

disciplines, and especiall y those underserved in STEM subjects, to persist and graduate with sought after degrees and robust civic skills. **Scope** ED - GRS began in the 20 11
- 2012 school year , recognizing 78 Pre - K - 12 schools at the inaugural ED - GRS ceremony

in June 2012. In the 2012
- 2013 school ye ar, ED recognized 68 Pre - K - 12 schools and 14 high
- performing districts under the pilot District Sustainability Award. In the 201 3
- 2014 school year, ED recognized 48 P re - K - 12 schools and 9 districts. Inthe 2014
- 2015 school ye ar, in addition to schools and districts, ED may honor up to 25 IH Es nationwide. 1 **Eligibility** The Secretary

of Education invites Chief State School Officer s (CSSO s ) 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 Virg in Islands , as well as the Department of Def ense Education Activity

(DoDEA) and the B ureau of Indian Education (BIE) (“Nominating Authorities”) to nominate schools , districts , and IHEs that they have determined as meeting the criteria. For all award categ ories, authorities are strongl y 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
. T he authorities must confirm that the nominees meet the minimum requirements established by ED under the Program Requirements section of th is document. They must also describe an y 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 jurisdiction s in order to identify nominees to the Department , but they are not required to do so
. ED
- Green Ribbon School s and District Sustainability Awardees
. Each authority is permitted as many as five P re - K - 12 school or district nominations. If a state or comparable authority wishes to nominate more than two school s or district s , at least one must serve at least 40 percent of students from a disadvantaged background. 2 If an auth ority wishes to make a f

ifth 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 onl y 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 instituti ons are eligible in this category
. Postsecondary Sustainability Award
. Inaddition to a total of five school and district nominees, e ach state may

nominate one IHE 3 for exemplary achievement in all three Pillars. For this award, State Selection Committe es are particularly encouraged to document how the nominees’ sustainability

work has reduced college co sts, increased completion rates, led to higher rates of employ ment , and ensured robust civic skills among graduates and to make an appropriate effort to consider diverse typ es of institutions
. Li ke a school or district, an IHE may be selected as an honoree onl y once. While ED is not bound to selecting particular numbers of honorees, the final national cohort will be reflective of the full range of ty pes of IHEs , including two
- and four
- year institutions and public and private institutions. **Program Requirements**
2 A student from a “disadvantaged background” is define d 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 s ervices 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 pub lic and private non
- profit institutions.S tate e ducation a uthorities , 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, list ed below. They

are encouraged to use a variety of widel y accepted sustainability standards, certifications, ratings , and programs , some listed in the Framework for E valuation 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 nom inees, state selection consortia may include input from governor’s offices , higher education offices, and /or ass ociations of higher education , as appropriate in each state . O nce 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 IH Es : 1) are performing in all three Pillars and every Element ; 2) c ompl y 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 c ollege
- 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 emplo ym ent, and robust civic skills among graduates
. 4 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 regu latory compliance of nominated schools , districts , and IH Es , 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 S**  **elect Nominees :**  E ach authority is invited to nominate up to five sch ools or school district s 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 Pillar s 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.

4 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 s ys tem that considers student, visitor , an d 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 ps yc hological services, nutrition, fitness, an d quantity of quality outdoor time for both students and staff. **III. E ffective**  **Environmental and Sustainability Education**   Interdisciplinary

learning about the key

relationships between dyn amic environmental, energy , and human s ys tems ;  Use of the environm ent and sustainability to develop STEM content knowledge and thinking skills to prepare graduates for the 21st century technology
- driven econom y ; and  D evelopment of civic engagement knowledge and skills and students ’ application of such knowledge and skil ls to address sustainability and environmental issues in their community
. **Technical Assistance** ED - GRS provide s technical assistance to schools , districts, IHEs , associations , and states , including: 1) a portal of r esources and webinars for green schools ; 2) a Framework an d sample application for evaluation of nominees ; and 3 ) ongoing communications among State S election C ommittees , 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
. T he recognition award conv ey s no ED funding to states, districts, schools, or IHEs . **Statutory Authorities**ED is responsible for administering U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools
. ED GRS is authorized by

Sec tion 5411(b)(5) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Ac t (20 U.S.C. § 7243(b)(5)) and Department of Education Organization Act, 20 U.S.C. 3402 (2) and (3)
.