Greeneville High School has been named a 2008 No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon School, the U.S. Department of Education announced on Tuesday.

GHS was one of 320 schools across the nation that were announced as winners by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings.

The No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools award distinguishes and honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools for helping students achieve at very high levels and for making significant progress in closing the achievement gap, according to a press release from the program.

Greeneville Director of Schools Dr. Lyle Ailshie noted that GHS is the only high school in Tennessee to receive the honor.

"We are extremely proud of the school, its administration, its staff, and its students," Ailshie said Tuesday afternoon.

GHS was among 55 public high schools across the nation that were named winners.

The other Tennessee winners were:

* John P. Freeman Optional School in Memphis;

* Lawrenceburg Public Elementary School;

* Mountain City Elementary School;

* Northwest Elementary School in Mason; and

* Walnut Grove Elementary School in Savannah.

For the past 26 years, the No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools program has honored more than 5,800 of America's most successful schools, including Greeneville's EastView Elementary School in 2004.

"These Blue Ribbon Schools are an example of what teachers and students can achieve," Spellings said in the press release.

"Now our challenge is to help other schools follow their lead by continuing to measure progress through No Child Left Behind, and by using the knowledge we've gained to replicate effective strategies and help every student improve."

The schools are selected based on one of two criteria:

* schools with at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that dramatically improve student performance to high levels on state tests; and

* schools whose students, regardless of background, achieve in the top 10 percent of their state on state tests or, in the case of private schools, in the top 10 percent of the nation on nationally-normed tests.

GHS falls into the second of those two categories, Ailshie said.

"I am extremely proud of all of our schools, and I am especially proud that our high school and its wonderful faculty and staff are getting the recognition they deserve," Ailshie said.

Under No Child Left Behind, schools must make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in reading (language arts) and mathematics. Each state -- not the federal government -- sets its own academic standards and benchmark goals, according to the press release.

A total of 413 schools nationwide may be nominated. This number is determined based on the number of K-12 students and the number of schools in each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

The Chief State School Officer (CSSO) nominates public schools, and the Council for American Private Education (CAPE) submits private schools' nominations.

The schools are invited by Secretary Spellings to submit an application for possible recognition as a No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon School.

This year's winners will be honored at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 20-21.