Hokulani, Kahala and Nuuanu elementary schools again were named National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education in recognition of their academic excellence.

The three Honolulu schools were among 297 school winners nationwide for 2022 announced Friday by Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.

It is Kahala’s second time being named a Blue Ribbon school, Hokulani’s third time and Nuuanu’s fourth time. Nuuanu has won the honor more times than any other Hawaii school.

The Blue Ribbon program honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools based on academic performance and progress in closing achievement gaps among subgroups of students. An awards ceremony will be held in November in Washington, D.C.

“I applaud all the honorees for the 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award for creating vibrant, welcoming, and affirming school communities where students can learn, grow, reach their potential, and achieve their dreams,” Cardona said in a news release.

“As our country continues to recover from the pandemic, we know that our future will only be as strong as the education we provide to all of our children,” Cardona continued. “Blue Ribbon Schools have gone above and beyond to keep students healthy and safe while meeting their academic, social, emotional and mental health needs. These schools show what is possible to make an enduring, positive difference in students’ lives.”

State schools Superintendent Keith Hayashi said in a separate statement, “We are so proud to have Hokulani, Kahala and Nuuanu represent our Hawaii public schools with a strong commitment to rigorous learning and a well-rounded education that prepares our students for successful futures. Congratulations to the students, teachers, staff and families for their collective efforts on this prestigious achievement.”

Sixty-three of Hawaii’s 400-plus public and private schools have been named Blue Ribbon schools since the awards began in 1983, according to the program’s website. Winners are eligible again after five years.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has given approximately 10,000 awards to more than 9,000 schools, the best of the nation’s 130,000-plus public and private K-12 schools.

To become a National Blue Ribbon School, schools must meet one of two performance award criteria: Exemplary High-Performing Schools are among their state’s highest- performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests. Exemplary Achievement Gap-Closing Schools are among their state’s highest-performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students.

Hokulani, Kahala and Nuuanu were named Exemplary High Performing schools, ranking in the top 15% of Hawaii schools in achievement in English and math, the state Department of Education said.

>> Hokulani Elementary student performance exceeded statewide averages in English language arts by over 12 percentage points and in math by nearly 30 percentage points. A Blue Ribbon school also in 2005 and 2012, Hokulani “aligns its mission and vision of raising effective problem-solvers who are curious and engaged in learning, with intentional planning and impact monitoring,” the Hawaii DOE news release said. The school provides personalized support for students and seeks to balance academics with such offerings as social-emotional learning, coding, art, Spanish, Hawaiiana and more, the release said.

>> Kahala Elementary students surpassed statewide averages in English language arts by 0.3 percentage point and in math by over 5 percentage points. The school, a Blue Ribbon awardee in 2005, serves a student population that is 20% English language learners and 30% from economically disadvantaged families. Kahala “focuses on educating leaders, innovators, artists and community contributors by instilling a passion for learning through a variety of educational experiences,” including theater, gardening and environmental programs, the DOE release said.

>> Nuuanu Elementary students exceeded statewide averages in English language arts by nearly 12 percentage points and in math by over 14 percentage points. A Blue Ribbon awardee in 1986, 2006 and 2013, Nuuanu “offers specialized learning experiences such as performing arts, technology, social-emotional learning, as well as a variety of extracurricular activities established through partnerships with community organizations,” the release said. The school’s veteran teachers, with an average of 16 years’ experience, and highly active parent organization are key to the school’s success, the DOE said.