Leechburg's David Leech Elementary among state's 13 National Blue Ribbon Schools
A Leechburg Area elementary school is celebrating earning a prestigious national distinction.
David Leech Elementary School has been named a 2023 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.
The district announced the news Tuesday on its official Facebook page.
The school is one of 13 recognized in Pennsylvania.
Superintendent Tiffany Nix said Tuesday she was “over the moon” to learn of the news and expressed excitement for her students and staff.
“Dr. Keibler and his staff have made great strides in making the changes necessary in our curriculum to write and deliver a state-of-the-art education,” Nix said. “Every student can succeed, and our staff makes sure that they do succeed.”
The school is led by Principal David Keibler of Allegheny Township. Keibler was hired in 2016. He formerly served as principal in the South Butler School District and was a teacher at Freeport Area School District.
Keibler highlighted several specific intervention programs such as Enhanced Core Reading Instruction in grades K-2, What I Need in K-6, the Multi-Tiered System of Support and a schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports initiative to ensure the school is supporting the social, emotional and academic learning of all students.
“David Leech Elementary School embraces the learning of all stakeholders, no matter what role you serve in the district,” Keibler said. “Not only do we strive to provide a rigorous curriculum to ensure students are learning the PA Core Standards, but our teachers must also enhance their understanding of how children learn.”
Full-day kindergarten was implemented in 2018, increasing the time to impact young learners, Keibler said.
In addition, staff professional development and a tweaking of the hiring process with a pillars of success model were implemented.
The past five years ushered in data monitoring at the national level to recognize what educational research says about the best practices in elementary grades. It resulted in a rethinking of how to best teach students in grades K-2 to read.
“Professional development has offered a more profound curriculum knowledge, changing our teaching. The culture of the building has changed into a community of learners, increasing the interventions teachers have available to meet the diverse needs of our students,” Keibler said. “Books and series no longer guide instruction.”
The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has recognized great private and public American schools since 1982.
The award program, in its 40th year, honors high-performing schools and schools that are making great strides in closing achievement gaps between students for overall performance in the fields of athletics, the arts and academics.
Boyce Middle School in the Upper St. Clair School District and West Allegheny High School in the West Allegheny School District were the other Pittsburgh-area schools to earn the distinction.
A total of 363 schools in the nation were named, and only 13 public schools were nominated in Pennsylvania.
“We can’t thank our parents enough for having the faith and trust in our team to make a difference in the lives of their children,” Nix said. “This Blue Ribbon award acknowledges the work being done day-in and day-out, in and out of our classrooms. It’s truly an honor.”
David Leech serves nearly 300 students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade from West Leechburg, Gilpin and Leechburg.
The average class size is kept at or below 20 students.
School board President Anthony Shea praised the work of every employee at David Leech.
“This distinguished award is a testament to the hard work of the teachers, support staff and students. The folks at David Leech Elementary have a lot to be proud of,” Shea said.
See the full list of 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools here.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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