About Us

The BRSE Program is a comprehensive school self-assessment experience utilizing the Blueprint for Excellence with guidance and support from Blue Ribbon Recognized School Educators. The program assists all schools, with a special focus on low socioeconomic, culturally diverse, and low performing communities of learning in assessing the quality of their academic and instructional programs and in developing a school-wide action plan to ensure measurable student achievement. Additionally, BRSE supports effective comprehensive school reform through the development and implementation of a web-based Interactive Library of Best Practices, K-12. The BRSE Program develops and supports educational policies that improve student performance and enable comprehensive school reform. BRSE also provides a network of educators from nationally recognized Blue Ribbon Schools, as well as researchers, business leaders, philanthropists and government officials, which allows these individuals to exchange information and ideas.

The BRSE reform effort is very different from earlier reform programs because it utilizes a non-invasive, non-threatening approach to improvement, encompasses the entire learning community, gathers and shares best practices from high performing schools, and includes continuous guidance and support. The BRSE Blueprint for Excellence, designed for replication, is modeled after the United States Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools Program. The Blueprint for Excellence criteria are the result of over 20 years of research about what it takes to become a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. The Blueprint for Excellence is a positive, collaborative school reform process designed to further school improvement.

The BRSE program employs educators from nationally recognized Blue Ribbon Schools to provide guidance for the principal, school staff, parents, and community members. These educators assist the school community in identifying key academic and instructional strengths and weaknesses of their school and elicit positive motivation needed for the school community. This enables the school community to initiate and implement a school-wide action plan for improving their academic and instructional program to ensure measurable academic achievement for all students.

The BRSE Program provides each school with personalized instruction on how to complete a comprehensive self-assessment using the Blueprint for Excellence self-assessment instrument. This is followed by a site visit from the BRSE team who validates the school’s self-assessment. The results of the self-assessment and site visit are analyzed by the school’s leadership team and the BRSE team to develop an individualized action plan to meet the particular needs of the school. Additional services may be provided that include a professional development support program by our university centers and /or the Blue Ribbon team.

Schools using the BRSE design can be assured they will be assessing the quality of their school program with an in-depth support system and a solid research base.

**Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence, Inc., claims no affiliation, nor endorsement, by the United States Department of Education – Blue Ribbon Schools Program

A letter from our Founder
Fellow educators, each day we have the opportunity to share in and model excellence in education. The team here at Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence welcomes each opportunity to make a difference in a child’s education by instilling passion in educators to continue to develop and learn.

The Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence message is simple; a positive culture is the single most important make-up of a school and determinate of success. We are at a crossroads in education with budgets reducing, class sizes increasing, and with the sentiment of many communities being satisfied with mediocrity. As a result of such challenges, we are missing that drive for excellence that has been a cornerstone for our communities.

Now is the time for us to become involved and make EDUCATION the top priority in our country. I believe that this is an obligation that we must have for our children. Let’s make this moment the opportunity for us to raise the bar of educational excellence and create a design that provides exemplary opportunities for all children and all schools.

My love for children has been a driving force in my life, and I understand the importance of providing all children with the opportunity to succeed. As we all know, many students who experience poverty do not have the same opportunities as those in more affluent circumstances. I feel that it is our mission to share our knowledge with all educators to foster a positive culture and to close the gap. People across our land continue to give me hope that, together, we can find ways to improve the quality of life for all people, regardless of where they live, through the power of a quality education.

Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence creates a dynamic environment for educators to collaborate and network regarding the best practices that enable all children to achieve. Let’s join the ranks and rededicate ourselves to improving education for all children so that they can become powerful instruments in improving, not only the quality of life in our country, but indeed the whole world.

The stakes are too high for us not to succeed!

Thank you for all you do for children! We trust that you will be inspired to be the best that you can be – and carry that inspiration back to your students to enrich their lives.

Best regards,

Bart Teal

Founder, Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence

Meet our board
Bart Teal

President/Founder

Judy Warden Fields, Ed.D.

CEO

Shane Barnette, Ed. D.

Board Member

Nancy Guzman

Board Member

Scott Stewart

Board Member

Michelle Kinley

Board Member

Jim F. Chadwell, Ed. D.

Board Member

Akil Ross, Ed. D.

Board Member

Jayne Ellspermann

Board Member

Joann T. O'Connell

Board Member

STAFF

April Stansberry

Sales Director

Ty Watwood

Marketing & Technology Coordinator

Strategic Partners
As a recognized leader in the education market, we engage with organizations and companies who share our mission.  This is an opportunity to align your brand, services and solutions with BRSE, as we work together to move all schools forward. The goal of a strategic partnership is to provide educators with high-quality services, tools, and resources to improve their schools and communities as well as provide partners with a broader level of access and visibility across BRSE programming, events, and marketing channels. In partnership with leading organizations, BRSE will be able to increase the level and quality of programming to school leaders and students.

Contact judy@blueribbonschools.com for more information on how to become a BRSE Strategic Partner.
Together, we can create world-class schools for ALL students.