ic ▁status ▁of ▁the ▁students ▁and ▁that ▁studies ▁show ▁that ▁students ▁who ▁come ▁from ▁homes ▁with ▁higher ▁income ▁and ▁better ▁educated ▁parents ▁do ▁better ▁than ▁students ▁without ▁these ▁advantages ▁by ▁virtue ▁of ▁their ▁background s . ▁Thus , ▁the ▁award ▁is ▁usually ▁given ▁to ▁schools ▁with ▁students ▁from ▁wealth y ▁background s . ▁As ▁evidence ▁to ▁support ▁his ▁case , ▁he ▁pointed ▁to ▁the ▁distribution ▁of ▁awards ▁given ▁in ▁Pennsylvania ▁one ▁year ; ▁of ▁eight ▁schools ▁receiving ▁the ▁award , ▁only ▁one ▁was ▁in ▁a ▁district ▁whose ▁income ▁level ▁was ▁near ▁the ▁state ▁average , ▁and ▁the ▁rest ▁went ▁to ▁districts ▁with ▁above ▁average ▁income , ▁including ▁two ▁in ▁the ▁wealth iest ▁community ▁in ▁the ▁state . ▁Kirk pat rick ▁proposed ▁an ▁alternative ▁to ▁recogn izing ▁" blue ▁rib bon ▁students "; ▁he ▁wrote , ▁" Th us ▁a ▁more ▁accurate ▁indic ation ▁of ▁a ▁good ▁school ▁would ▁be ▁one ▁that ▁adjust s ▁for ▁such ▁so cio e conom ic ▁factors ▁and ▁ident ifies ▁those ▁in ▁which ▁students ▁do ▁better ▁than ▁would ▁normally ▁be ▁expected , ▁based ▁on ▁their ▁background s ." ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁program ' s ▁in ception ▁through ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁schools ▁were ▁permitted ▁to ▁nomin ate ▁themselves . ▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁nomin ations ▁are ▁handled ▁through ▁a ▁state ▁l ia ison ▁which ▁schools ▁must ▁contact ▁for ▁nom ination . ▁ ▁The ▁program ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁critic ized ▁for ▁assess ment ▁of ▁schools ▁coming ▁from ▁the ▁school ▁itself ▁rather ▁than ▁an ▁independent ▁