Dive Brief:

• The 2014 National Blue Ribbon School winners, which include 290 public schools and 50 private schools, will be honored today at a luncheon hosted by Education Secretary Arne Duncan in Washington.
• The awards have been granted for the past 32 years to schools with proven academic excellence or progress closing achievement gaps.
• In addition to the 340 schools recognized at the lunch, eight principals will be honored with the Terrel H. Bell Award, which goes to school leaders who push students to excellence even in adverse situations.  

Dive Insight:

"These great schools are fulfilling the promise of American education - that all students, no matter their zip code, can flourish when schools provide safe, creative, and challenging learning environments,” Duncan says in a news release for the event. “National Blue Ribbon Schools are models of consistent excellence and a resource for other schools and districts. We celebrate them for their tireless effort and boundless creativity in reaching and teaching every student.”