Since the Blue Ribbon Schools Program was established by the Secretary of Education in 1982, it has developed into a national school improvement strategy.
Many states now have related programs.
Today, the Blue Ribbon Schools Program serves three purposes. First, it identifies and recognizes outstanding public and private schools across the nation. Second, the Program makes research-based effectiveness criteria available to all schools so that they can access themselves and plan improvements. Third, the Program encourages schools, both within and among themselves, to share the information about best practices based on a common understanding of criteria related to educational success. Blue Ribbon Schools are models of both excellence and equity.