Bismarck, N.D. (AP) Two North Dakota schools have earned national recognition from the U.S. Department of Education for gains in academic achievement.
North Dakota's blue ribbon schools are Manvel Elementary School in Manvel and Sweetwater Elementary School in Devils Lake.
The public schools selected for the honor are nominated by the chief school officer in each state and private schools are nominated by the Council for American Private Education.
The federal agency on Tuesday recognized 287 public and 50 private schools across the country. The award recognizes schools where students are achieving very high learning standards or are making notable improvements to close the achievement gap.