Ramona Elementary School - El Paso, TX

Ramona Elementary School is one of 55 campuses in the Ysleta Independent School District, located about a mile from the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas. Ramona's achievements are a testament to its pledge to put students first, as well as its high expectations and focus on teamwork. Despite challenging academic and socioeconomic factors, Ramona won a 2007 National Blue Ribbon School award that highlighted its dual-language success, and the school has routinely maintained exceptional student performance in all academic areas that often exceed state standards.

Ramona's focus on science achievement inspired its Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) dream in 2014, when the school saw huge gains in student performance across the board - Approaches Grade Level scores climbed from 77% to 100%; Meets Grade Level scores rose from 37% to 70%; and Masters Grade Level scores skyrocketed from 0 to 40%! The school's STEM initiative consists of teacher-created challenges based on standards, embedded with career connections and 21st-century skills. In addition, its Project-Based Learning, Makerspaces, and specific STEM structures allow all subpopulations to experience success, and families enthusiastically participate in STEM nights, literacy/math and physical education monthly activities.

In 2016, Ramona also became Ysleta ISS's first elementary school to be adopted as a "College Bound School" by El Paso Community College, with the goal of establishing a college-going culture among its youngest students. As a result, Ramona's numerous accomplishments have generated local and statewide attention and prompted a visit from the Texas Education Commissioner.