Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of Education announced the 2016 President’s Education Awards Program (PEAP) recipients, honoring nearly 3 million students from more than 30,000 public, private and military schools from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands.
Each year K-12 students from across the country are eligible to receive individual recognition from the President and the U.S. Secretary of Education for their educational excellence and academic growth in the classroom. The award includes a congratulatory letter and certificate signed by the current President, Secretary and school principal.
“I want to congratulate each and every one of the students and encourage them to continue to strive to do their very best, said U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. “Your hard work and dedication is what helped you to achieve this recognition. So stay focused and remember that a good education is an important key to your future success and to helping you achieve your goals in life.”
The program has two categories that honor students graduating from elementary, middle or high schools:
The President’s Award for Educational Excellence - This award recognizes academic success in the classroom. To be eligible, students must meet a few requirements, including grade point average or school-set criteria and choice of state tests or teacher recommendations.
The President’s Award for Educational Achievement - This award recognizes students that show outstanding educational growth, improvement, commitment or intellectual development in their academic subjects but do not meet the criteria for the Educational Excellence Award. Its purpose is to encourage and reward students who give their best effort, often in the face of special obstacles. Criteria for this award is developed at each school.
The school’s principal is the final authority on which students receive awards and determines the number of qualifying students based on eligibility and selection requirements. There is no limit on the number of awards, as long as students meet the criteria for each award.
Since 1983, PEAP has provided individual recognition from the President and the U.S. Secretary of Education, in partnership with the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the National Association of Secondary School Principals.
Here is list of 2016 PEAP participating schools by state/territory.