Pioneer Charter School of Science II in Saugus wins coveted National Blue Ribbon School Award

  The Pioneer Charter School of Science II (PCSSII), a 7-12 charter school located in Saugus, announced that it has been named a 2022 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. Each year the coveted award recognizes top schools across the nation that are among their state’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests, and those that are among their state’s highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students. Criteria taken into consideration for the prestigious prize include student test scores, scores among traditionally underserved subgroups of students and graduation rates.

  “I applaud all the honorees for the 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award for creating vibrant, welcoming, and affirming school communities where students can learn, grow, reach their potential, and achieve their dreams,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “As our country continues to recover from the pandemic, we know that our future will only be as strong as the education we provide to all of our children. Blue Ribbon Schools have gone above and beyond to keep students healthy and safe while meeting their academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. These schools show what is possible to make an enduring, positive difference in students’ lives.”

  PCSS II Executive Director Vahit Sevinc said the Blue Ribbon designation is the result of a team effort. “Our team of students, teachers and families work extremely hard all year round, and it’s gratifying to see their commitment recognized in this way. We are proud to be accomplishing our mission to prepare our students for higher education and career success.”

  PCSS II was one of 297 schools nationally to receive the Blue Ribbon Award. This is the first time PCSS II has received this honor. For the last two years, the school was also named a top state and national school in the U.S.News and World Report annual rankings of America’s best schools.

  PCSS II is a rigorous college preparatory charter school with a mission to prepare educationally under-resourced students for today’s competitive world. PCSS II graduated 100% of its class in 2022. Graduates in 2022 and prior years have gone on to some of the most prestigious colleges in the country, including Stanford, Berkeley, Cornell, Brown, Williams, MIT and Georgetown. The PCSS community speaks 30 languages and has family ties to 40 countries. At PCSS II, 76% of the students are minority, 66% are high needs, 50% are low income, 12% are English Language Learners and 12% are students with special needs.

  For more info about the National Blue Ribbon School award, access https://www2.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/index.html.