For Whittier Elementary, receiving a 2024 National Blue Ribbon Award is more than an accomplishment, it’s a recognition of the culmination of the school staff’s decades-long focus on fostering student growth, excellence and community.
Westerville City School District
The U.S. Department of Education considers notable assessment results, student subgroup performance and graduation rates data when choosing National Blue Ribbon Award winners from the nominations submitted by state education departments.
As stated on the Ohio Department of Education webpage, “All National Blue Ribbon Schools share some core elements. They are led by leaders who articulate a clear vision of instructional excellence and uphold high standards. They showcase effective teaching methods and offer robust professional development for their staff.”
In 2024, the National Blue Ribbon Award was bestowed upon 356 schools nationwide by the U.S. Department of Education, including 14 in Ohio, highlighting schools that excel in academic performance or make strides in closing gaps in achievement among students.
Whittier Elementary, the only central Ohio public school to attain the award in 2024, was nominated by Ohio Department of Education Director, Stephen Dackin.
Westerville City School District
“I always like to say, in this business, we don’t do things for the recognition but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t feel really good when you get it,” says Andrew “AJ” Hoffman, principal at Whittier Elementary. “I was just super excited for our staff, our students and our families to be recognized for the awesome work that they put in for a very, very long time in making sure that students grow, and are given a really great educational experience when they come here.”
The guiding principles of Whittier Elementary include student growth, excellence and community. These are instilled in the heartbeat of the student body and staff through several initiatives such as SOAR, which stands for; safe, own it, always kind and respectful.
Teachers give SOAR cards out to students when they exemplify one of the four acronyms, and the entire student body receives a collective reward such as a 30-second dance party, or even voting on Hoffman’s hairstyle for the day.
“It explicitly teaches the students what the behaviors are that we are hoping to have them demonstrate for success around here, but then it also is a collective,” Hoffman says. “All of us are working together towards the same goal. We highlight the individuals when they bring the SOAR cards in and we recognize that with them intrinsically.”
Westerville City School District
Student growth — social, emotional, and academic — is facilitated by Whittier Elementary through high-quality Tier 1 instruction and a multi-tiered system of support, which Hoffman says is achieved through data analysis conducted by teams of teachers, who then make instructional adjustments based on what they see.
“It’s a lot of really hard work by our staff, but also partnerships with our families, and not the least of which, is our students as well,” Hoffman says. “They work really hard to focus on their own growth through the facilitation of their learning, through our staff.”
Westerville Superintendent, Angie Hamberg, takes pride in the culture of acceptance within the district itself. Whittier specifically, has worked to foster diversity and inclusion, another hallmark of the award.
“Making everybody feel welcome, I think, is really important,” says Hamberg. “That needs to happen before the kids are able to be successful in the classroom.”
Westerville City School District
The award also highlights schools that focus on collaboration among families, communities and educators, something Whittier emphasizes as crucial to the overall success of both their students and teachers.
The school communicates with families as much as possible, letting them know the language that is being used in the classroom, as well as asking the parents to do the same for them. This ensures a seamless learning experience for students, providing them with tools to thrive socially and academically, whether that’s with their peers, or at home with their family.
“We’re really lucky that we have wonderful partnerships with our families and our community as a whole,” says Hoffman.
Kate Shields is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
