[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 15796-15797]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                RECOGNIZING MERLE SIDENER GIFTED ACADEMY

  Mr. DONNELLY. Mr. President, I also applaud Merle Sidener Gifted 
Academy of Indianapolis, IN for being recognized as a 2014 National 
Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.
  Established in 1982, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has 
recognized over 7,000 public and non-public schools that demonstrate a 
vision of educational excellence for all students, regardless of their 
social or economic background. Since its inception, this program has 
offered the opportunity for schools in every State to gain recognition 
for educational accomplishments in closing the achievement gaps among 
student groups.
  Recognition as a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department 
of Education is based on a school either being measured as an Exemplary 
High Performing School, where schools are among the State's highest 
scorers in English and mathematics, or as an Exemplary Achievement Gap 
Closing School, where schools with at least 40 percent of their student 
body coming from disadvantaged backgrounds have reduced the achievement 
gap in English and mathematics within the last 5 years. Merle Sidener 
Gifted Academy has made great strides in the area of improved 
proficiency in both English and mathematics.
  Merle Sidener Gifted Academy has a rigorous academic curriculum, and 
students are provided a different approach to learning through the 
incorporation of technology. Students are given the opportunity of 
choice in their academic development--whether they want to learn a 
foreign language, learn how to play chess, or even take up karate. This 
approach helps keep the learning process not only fresh but exciting. 
In addition, the students at Merle Sidener Gifted Academy are taught to 
be aware of, not only their surroundings, but of global issues that 
affect people from different cultures.
  I would like to acknowledge Principal Tennille Wallace of Merle 
Sidener

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Gifted Academy, the entire staff, and the student body. It undoubtedly 
took hard work and dedication to achieve this prestigious award.
  On behalf of the citizens of Indiana, I congratulate Merle Sidener 
Gifted Academy, and I wish the staff and students continued success in 
the future.

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