Education Beyond Expectations is what the Blue Valley School District stands for. Providing all Blue Valley students with unprecedented academic success and unparalleled personal growth is at the heart of the Blue Valley School District’s mission. There are more than 20,000 students in the Blue Valley School District, and the district is committed to providing a personalized learning experience to every one of them – that’s Education Beyond Expectations.

• Grants, scholarships and awards totaling $27.8 million were reported in 2007 by Blue Valley seniors. This figure represents the funding students were offered from colleges and universities and include four-year renewals and athletic scholarships. It also includes various national and/or local scholarships, performance scholarships for art and music and military academy appointments.
• The district’s graduation rate of 98 percent is extremely high when compared with other districts nationally.
• All four Blue Valley high schools were named to Newsweek’s “1,300 Top U.S. Schools” list. Blue Valley schools accounted for four out of six Kansas schools making the list. The other non-Blue Valley schools are select schools that attract the top students from all over their district. According to Newsweek’s “What Makes a High School Great?” the list is designed to recognize schools that do the best job of preparing average students for college. A district’s success is determined by dividing the number of Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) tests taken at a school by the number of graduating seniors. The end result serves as a measurement of how committed the school is to encouraging students to take college-level courses.
• Expansion Management magazine once again named Blue Valley a “Gold Medal” school district, ranking it among the top two percent of public schools surveyed nationwide for the 12th year in a row. More than 2,800 secondary school districts were included in the magazine's annual Education Quotient study. The total score, known as the education quotient, was divided into three categories: Graduate Outcome (GO), Resource Index (RI) and Community Index (CI). Blue Valley’s total score was 98, the highest score in the state. The editor wrote a commentary piece about the Education Quotient study and his family’s experience in the Blue Valley School District. In that article, he praised and highlighted the principal of Mission Trail Elementary.
• The College Board has recognized many Blue Valley students for their exceptional achievement on the college-level Advanced Placement (AP) exams. During the 2006-07 school year, 11.7 percent more students took the Advanced Placement test, with 73 percent of students who took the AP test scoring a three or higher.
• Twenty-five Blue Valley students were named National AP Scholars – This honor is given to students who receive an average grade of at least 4 on all AP exams taken, and grades of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams.
• Two Blue Valley students were named State AP Scholars. This award is granted to the one female and one male student in each U.S. state with grades of 3 or higher on the greatest number of exams (at least three exams), and then the highest average grade (at least 3.5) on all AP exams taken.
• One hundred-fifteen Blue Valley students were named AP Scholars with Distinction – Students earning AP Scholar with Distinction must receive a grade of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams.
• Fifty-two Blue Valley students were named AP Scholars with Honor – AP Scholar with Honor is awarded to students who receive an average grade of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken and grades of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams.
• One hundred-fifteen Blue Valley students were named AP Scholars – This honor is given to students who receive grades of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams.
• Blue Valley’s 2007 graduates posted the top ACT score in the KC metro area, with a composite score of 24.1. The 2007 scores tied with those from 2005 as the highest score ever for Blue Valley. The Kansas composite score average is 21.9 and the national average is 21.2.
• Twenty-nine Blue Valley students were named National Merit finalists in 2007.
• In 2007, 12 Blue Valley schools received the Governor’s Achievement Award, which recognizes top performing schools in the state of Kansas.
• In 2007, 181 Blue Valley students were named Kansas Designated Scholars. Designations are achieved by averaging the eligible student’s GPA and ACT composite score.
• In 2006, Blue Valley was the only district in the state larger than 10,000 students to make No Child Left Behind’s Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).
• Every Blue Valley school received at least one Standard of Excellence on the 2006 Kansas State Assessments.
• Nearly every Blue Valley student scored at proficient or above in reading and math on the Kansas State Assessments. On the Kansas Math Assessment, nearly 94 percent of Blue Valley students met standards or better, and nearly 95 percent met standards or better on the Kansas Reading Assessment.
• As of 2007, more than 70 percent of Blue Valley faculty had a master’s degree or higher.
• As of 2007, the prestigious Blue Ribbon distinction from the U.S. Department of Education had been awarded 14 times to district schools for their outstanding educational programs.
• A total of 40 Blue Valley teachers have earned their National Board certification.
• The Blue Valley School District was recognized by Standard & Poor’s School Evaluation Services for narrowing the achievement gap in overall reading and math proficiency on the Kansas assessments between black and white students and between economically disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students. This recognition is given to any school district that has reduced the achievement gap by at least five percentage points.
• Blue Valley was ranked 99.38 percent efficient in the Kansas School District Efficiency Study conducted by Standard & Poor’s. The study measures how well Kansas school districts are maximizing their resources.
• Forbes’ “Best School Districts for the Buck” ranked all Johnson County public school districts, including Blue Valley, as 17th in the nation.
• The Center for Digital Education and the National School Boards Association announced that Blue Valley has been ranked in the top 10 of its 2006 Digital School Boards national survey.The survey questions and criteria centered on school boards' online presence, technology applications that allow the public to interact with school board members, access to information such as school board calendars, policies and agendas and technology advancements in the school board chambers.
• The Blue Valley School District made an impressive showing when it came to encouraging students to engage in community service. Eighteen Blue Valley schools earned the 2006 Blue Valley School of Service Award. In order to qualify, at least five percent of the student body was required to complete at least 50 hours (for elementary and middle school) or 100 hours (for high school) of community service. In addition, each honored high school qualified for one $1,000 Presidential Freedom Scholarship for an outstanding student volunteer. The scholarships were made possible with matching funds from the Johnson County Credit Union, $500 for each student.
• The Blue Valley School District was recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the 2006 Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools National Mentorship Award. This prestigious award recognizes the district for its efforts in working on and finding success in initiating, implementing and sustaining effective Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) management, while also assisting other school districts in the development and implementation of their own IAQ programs.
• Blue Valley patrons are happier than ever before with the district, according to a customer assessment administered in October 2005. This is the district's seventh assessment since 1992. The survey was conducted by an independent consultant. Of the 300 residents surveyed, 92 percent gave the district an A or B overall. The trends in rising satisfaction also were present when grading administrators (76 percent), teachers (91 percent) and the Board of Education (68 percent).
• The district offered Blue Valley residents, ages 60and older a free Golden Age Activity pass. In appreciation of their support of the Blue Valley Schools, these residents are eligible to receive free admission to school district-sponsored events.
• The Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) International awarded the Meritorious Budget Award to Blue Valley for its annual budget report. The award represents a significant achievement by the district. It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff in achieving the highest standards of school budgeting. The program helps school systems build a solid foundation in the skills of developing, analyzing and presenting a budget.
• The Government Finance Officers Association awarded the district’s comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR) a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in government accounting and financial reporting, and it represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.
• A fifth-grade teacher at Indian Valley Elementary and a Spanish teacher at Blue Valley High School received the 2007 “Kansas Horizon Award” from the Kansas State Department of Education for the 3rd Congressional District.
• Cedar Hills Elementary, Mission Trail Elementary and Overland Trail Elementary were named Schools of Excellence by the National Center for Fathering. The schools were honored through the organization's Father Involvement in Education Project for each school's Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) program.
• The district’s coordinating teacher for enrichment was appointed to the Board of Directors of Supporting Emotional Needs of Gifted (SENG).
• The principal of Blue Valley North High School was awarded the Kansas Thespians Administrator Award at the Kansas Thespian Conference. He was honored in appreciation for his support of Blue Valley North theatre and all of the arts throughout the Blue Valley School District.
• The principal at Oxford Middle School was named the recipient of the Kansas Music Educator's Association Honor Administrator Award. The award is in appreciation for her fine work and support of music education.
• An enrichment specialist at Liberty View Elementary was named one of seven 2007 Kansas Master Teachers. Established by Emporia State University in 1953, the annual Master Teacher award is presented to teachers who have served the profession long and well and who typify the qualities of earnest and conscientious teachers.
• The Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement recognizes teachers and high schools making significant strides in AP.A Blue Valley Northwest math teacher was honored by the foundation. Teachers with a minimum of five years of teaching experience in math, science or technology courses are selected for their exemplary teaching and enthusiastic dedication to students and the AP Program. One high school teacher per state is selected in recognition of his or her commitment to students and leadership in AP participation and performance.
• In June 2007, Blue Valley Northwest High School hosted the 2007 National Association of Student Councils annual conference. Close to 1,400 students and about 400 adult advisors participated in brainstorming sessions, leadership programs and the largest student run Special Olympics event ever.
• A Blue Valley Northwest senior was named a state winner of the Siemens Award for Advanced Placement for the 2006-07 school year. He was recognized by the Siemens Foundation and the College Board for his exceptional performance in AP math and science. The Siemens Awards are given annually and recognize two high school seniors from each of the 50 states. The state winners were featured in a full-page advertisement in USA Today.
• Ten Blue Valley seniors were named candidates in the 2007 Presidential Scholars Program and one Blue Valley North student was named a U.S. Presidential Scholar. Inclusion in the program is one of the highest honors bestowed upon graduating high school seniors. Scholars are selected on the basis of superior academic and artistic achievements, leadership qualities, strong character and involvement in community and school activities.