Forest Hills celebrates National Blue Ribbon honor – Eden Prairie Local News

Report on Forest Hills Elementary School’s Achievement in Educational Excellence and Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

Forest Hills Elementary School was designated a 2025 National Blue Ribbon School by the Minnesota Department of Education. This recognition highlights the institution’s significant contributions toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). The award acknowledges the school’s success in providing high-quality, equitable education and fostering an inclusive learning environment.

Alignment with SDG 4: Quality Education

The National Blue Ribbon School Award directly reflects the principles of SDG 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all. Forest Hills Elementary was recognized for its performance in two key areas that align with this goal:

• Exemplary High Performing School: This distinction confirms the school’s success in achieving high academic standards, contributing to SDG Target 4.1, which focuses on ensuring all children complete free, equitable, and quality primary education leading to effective learning outcomes.
• Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing School: This award demonstrates the school’s commitment to SDG Target 4.5, which seeks to eliminate disparities in education and ensure equal access for all students, including those in vulnerable situations.

The school’s achievement marks the second Blue Ribbon distinction for Eden Prairie Schools in three years, indicating a sustained district-wide commitment to upholding the standards of Quality Education.

Addressing SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

The “Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing” award is a direct testament to the school’s efforts in advancing SDG 10. By making significant progress in closing performance gaps between student subgroups and the school-wide average, Forest Hills Elementary actively works to reduce inequalities within its community. This achievement underscores the school’s role in promoting social inclusion and ensuring that educational opportunities are not determined by a student’s background.

Fostering SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The “Blue Ribbon Bash” celebration ceremony showcased a strong multi-stakeholder partnership, a core component of SDG 17. The event brought together a diverse group of stakeholders committed to supporting quality education.

Key Stakeholders in Attendance or Recognition:

1. School Leadership: Superintendent Josh Swanson, Principal Joel Knorr, and Assistant Superintendent Felicia Thames.
2. Educators and Students: Teachers Jessica Cozza and Amber Amundson, and students Omar Warsame and Helen Walker.
3. Local and State Government: State Sen. Steve Cwodzinski, State Rep. Alex Falconer, and Eden Prairie Mayor Ron Case.
4. State and National Officials: Minnesota Education Commissioner Willie Jett, U.S. Rep. Kelly Morrison, and a representative from the office of U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
5. Educational Governance: Members of the Eden Prairie School Board.

This collaborative support from various levels of government and community leadership demonstrates a robust partnership dedicated to strengthening educational institutions, which is essential for achieving sustainable development objectives.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 4: Quality Education

   • The entire article is centered on educational excellence, which is the core of SDG 4. The recognition of Forest Hills Elementary School with the National Blue Ribbon School Award directly addresses the goal to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education.” The article highlights the school’s success in two key areas: high academic performance and closing achievement gaps, both of which are fundamental aspects of quality education. The celebration and commendation from community leaders underscore the importance placed on achieving high educational standards.

What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 4.1: Ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.

   • This target is directly relevant as the article focuses on an elementary school, which provides primary education. The school’s award for being an “Exemplary High Performing” (HP) School, meaning it is “among the highest academically performing in their state,” demonstrates a commitment to and achievement of “quality primary education” and “effective learning outcomes.” The “outstanding student achievement” mentioned is a clear reflection of progress towards this target.

2. Target 4.5: Eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education… for the vulnerable.

   • This target is addressed through the school’s recognition as an “Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing” (GAP) School. The article specifies that this award is for schools that have “made significant progress toward closing gaps in school performance between subgroups of students and the schoolwide average.” This directly aligns with the goal of ensuring equal access and eliminating disparities in educational outcomes among different student groups, which is the essence of Target 4.5.

3. Target 4.a: Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all.

   • The article implies this target by describing the school’s environment as one where “a committed community supports the success of students and creates vibrant and innovative learning and teaching cultures.” This points to the existence of an “effective learning environment” that fosters success for all students, which is a key component of Target 4.a.

Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Implied Indicator for Target 4.1: (Related to Indicator 4.1.1) – Measurement of student proficiency levels.

   • The article does not state a specific indicator number, but it heavily implies the use of metrics to measure student learning outcomes. The award for being an “Exemplary High Performing” school is based on being “among the highest academically performing in their state.” This status can only be determined by measuring and comparing student achievement data, which is the function of Indicator 4.1.1 (Proportion of children achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in reading and mathematics).

2. Implied Indicator for Target 4.5: (Related to Indicator 4.5.1) – Measurement of performance gaps between student groups.

   • The article’s reference to the “Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing” award implies the use of indicators to track educational equity. The award recognizes “significant progress toward closing gaps in school performance between subgroups of students.” To measure such progress, a school must use metrics that compare the performance of various subgroups against the school-wide average. This concept is the basis of Indicator 4.5.1 (Parity indices), which is used to measure disparities between different student groups.

Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: eplocalnews.org