Unalaska, AK – This month, the Alaska commissioner of education nominated Unalaska City School for the U.S. Department of Education's Blue Ribbon Award. The program recognizes exceptional schools, as well as schools with a high rate of success with disadvantaged students.

The state is able to nominate three schools out of the more than one hundred that operate in the state. Chugach Optional School and Houston High School also received nominations.

The Blue Ribbon Program looks at annual yearly progress - or AYP - under no child left behind. But that's not the only metric that the Department of Education uses, says principal Glenn Cole.

"We have a long, very extensive application process that we go through. We need to do a narrative of our vision, our community, our community and school strengths, our curriculum, what our instruction looks like, professional development, leadership, and so forth," says Cole.

The Blue Ribbon Awards will be announced next September.