The US Department of Education today named Blanche Pope, Nuuanu and Waikiki elementary schools 2013 National Blue Ribbon Schools, a list of public and private K-12 institutions recognized for their academic performance or improvement. 

Blanche Pope Elementary got an award for exemplary improvement, which highlights schools where at least 40 percent of the students from disadvantaged backgrounds demonstrate the most improvement in student achievement levels as measured by state or national assessments.

The other two were recognized for being among the highest-performing schools in the state for both reading and math. 

The National Blue Ribbon Schools program recognized 286 schools across the country this year, of which 236 are public. 

Photo: National Blue Ribbon School logo. (Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.)

— Alia Wong