Four Bay State schools make cut for 2012 National Blue Ribbon School award

By Melissa M. Werthmann, Globe Correspondent

Four Bay State Schools made the cut for the 2012 National Blue Ribbon School award.

US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan awarded 269 schools with the 2012 National Blue Ribbon award based on their academic achievement, officials said in a statement.

The program uses two categories to honor schools. “Exemplary High Performing” is used to identify a state’s highest performing schools. “Exemplary Improving” is used for schools that have at least 40 percent of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and show improving scores in state or national tests, officials said.

City on a Hill Charter Public School in Roxbury and Westwood High School were named “Exemplary High Performing” schools.

Hull High School and Boston’s Fenway High School were named “Exemplary Improving” schools.

Duncan made the announcement at Arlington Traditional Elementary School in Arlington, Va.

The Department of Education will honor the 219 public schools and 50 private schools at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 12 and 13, officials said in a press release.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools program has honored nearly 7,000 schools across the nation since its founding 30 years ago, officials said.