▁School ▁Offic ers ▁( including ▁Washington , ▁DC , ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Def ense ▁Education ▁Activity , ▁the ▁Bureau ▁of ▁Indian ▁Education ) ▁and ▁the ▁Council ▁for ▁American ▁Private ▁Education ▁nomin ate ▁el ig ible ▁schools ▁for ▁the ▁annual ▁award . ▁El ig ible ▁schools ▁must ▁demonstrate ▁high ▁or ▁strongly ▁impro ving ▁student ▁scores ▁on ▁state ▁or ▁nation ally ▁norm ed ▁assess ments ▁in ▁the ▁last ▁year ▁tested ; ▁schools ▁must ▁also ▁make ▁Ann ual ▁Year ly ▁Progress ▁in ▁accord ance ▁with ▁No ▁Child ▁Left ▁Be hind . ▁ ▁N omin ated ▁schools ▁submit ▁applications ▁describing ▁school ▁operations ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁assess ments ▁and ▁assess ment ▁data , ▁instruction al ▁methods , ▁curr ic ula , ▁professional ▁development , ▁leadership , ▁and ▁community ▁and ▁family ▁invol vement . ▁A ▁total ▁of ▁ 4 2 0 ▁schools ▁may ▁be ▁nominated ▁in ▁any ▁year ; ▁state ▁quot as ▁are ▁determined ▁by ▁numbers ▁of ▁students ▁and ▁schools . ▁ ▁The ▁Blue ▁Rib bon ▁award ▁is ▁considered ▁the ▁highest ▁honor ▁an ▁American ▁school ▁can ▁achieve . ▁A ▁school ' s ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Blue ▁Rib bon ▁School s ▁logo ▁is ▁restricted . ▁ ▁Crit ic ism ▁David ▁W . ▁Kirk pat rick , ▁the ▁Senior ▁Education ▁Fellow ▁at ▁the ▁US ▁Fre edom ▁Foundation , ▁noted ▁in ▁an ▁editor ial ▁titled , ▁" A ward ing ▁Blue ▁Rib b ons : ▁Rec ogn izing ▁School s ▁or ▁Stud ents ?" ▁that ▁criteria ▁for ▁the ▁awards ▁do ▁not ▁take ▁into ▁account ▁the ▁so cio e conom