Dana Hills High School

Created by the United States Secretary of Education in 1982, the purpose of the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is to identify and honor America's outstanding public and private schools, while encouraging other schools and communities to took to them for ideas and inspiration. In the first year of the program, 42 states and the District of Columbia participated. Since then, every state in the nation, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Department of Defense Dependent Schools have joined the ranks.

This year, 437 public and private secondary schools were nominated for this honor. A total of 173 schools were selected for site visits. Ultimately, 166 schools, representing 33 states, were named 1997-98 National Blue Ribbon Schools. It is significant to note that only 4 schools in Orange County and 27 in the entire state were selected as National Blue Ribbon Schools. Capistrano Unified School District is part of a small group of very prestigious and proud school districts in the United States.

During its 15-year history, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has honored over 3,700 schools. To receive recognition, a school must first be nominated by its Chief State School Officer or the Council for American Private Education and then pass a rigorous screening, plus a two-day visit.

Each school is evaluated on outcome measures and conditions of effective schooling, such as leadership, teaching environment, parent and community support, and organizational vitality. The schools selected for national recognition are striving to offer more challenging curricula and engaging instruction, to help teachers prepare to teach to higher standards, to involve parents in new and meaningful ways, and to foster school-community partnerships to meet the varied needs of our children and youth.

Here in Capistrano Unified School District, the staff, students and parents of Dana Hills High School spent hundreds of hours preparing documentation to complete the National Blue Ribbons Schools Nomination Packet. This experience was invaluable as it provided this out- standing school with the opportunity to reflect and recognize the exemplary programs it offers and the immeasurable impact it has on the lives of high school students.