Page High School officials will be honored for their accomplishments November 30 at a White House awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. A local ceremony will be held at the school on December 1.

"High Schools like Page ensure our children receive an education second to none," Gordon said. "At a time when our economy and workforce are going through such dynamic changes, it’s vital schools teach our children the skills they need to succeed.

"Teachers at Page High School use innovative strategies and techniques in the classroom that get positive results. Their students learn communication, problem-solving and technology skills needed to succeed in a global, information-based economy."

Since 1996, the U.S. Department of Education’s New American High Schools initiative has showcased and supported outstanding high schools committed to extensive reform efforts that raise academic standards and achieve excellent results.

"On average, these schools have achieved higher SAT scores, higher graduation rates, lower dropout rates and higher post-secondary attendance rates than most other high schools," Gordon said.

Page High School was opened in 1976 after two smaller high schools were consolidated. In 1992 a school improvement team was formed to address inadequacies found at the school. The team put together an overall plan for improvement and then implemented it with great results.

Test scores improved dramatically, as did the number of students taking higher-level courses. In fact, the percentage of students attending post-secondary institutions has increased from 60 percent to more than 85 percent.

"We believe the whole effort of raising the expectations of our students have given them a really higher level of learning," said Joe Yeager, who has been the principal at Fred J. Page High School since 1992. "We have a great group of teachers and kids here.

"And the support from the community has been phenomenal. The focus and commitment from everyone involved have made our school one of the best in the nation," he added.