Several Connecticut schools and one Suffolk County school are among those called exemplary by the U.S. Department of Education Tuesday.
In Connecticut, Amity Regional High School in Woodbridge, Portland Middle School and Wamogo Regional High School in Litchfield were chosen as 2014 National Blue Ribbon Schools.
On Long Island, East Moriches Elementary School received the honor.
The national program also honored Jefferson Science Magnet School in Norwalk for progress in closing its achievement gap.
71 percent of the school’s students come from black or Hispanic families and 68 percent of them qualify for free or reduced priced meals based on their family incomes. Jefferson Science Magnet School’s application for the honor says the school exceeded state performance targets for the 2013-2014 school year, with a minimal performance gap for African American, Hispanic and low income students.
The Norwalk school’s application says their science theme is evident from hydroponics and fish in the hallways, as well as outdoor edible gardens and weather stations, and that students learn from off-site experiences like coastal Long Island Sound expeditions and visits to Norwalk’s Maritime Aquarium.
