BATON ROUGE - The U.S. Department of Education has recognized six public schools in the state as recipients of the 2015 Blue Ribbon Schools award, including two schools from East Baton Rouge Parish.

The Blue Ribbon Schools program honors schools that are either high-performing or have closed established achievement gaps, especially for minority or disadvantaged schools.

"We want to congratulate these schools and districts for earning this distinguished honor, proving again our students are as smart and capable as any in America," said State Superintendent John White. "The outstanding efforts of the students, faculty, and administration at these schools demonstrate the high level of academic achievement that can be accomplished with hard work, determination, and a shared desire to succeed."

The State Department of Education said Baton Rouge Magnet High School received the honor of Exemplary High-Performing School based on the school's stellar faculty and an emphasis on achievement in the visual and performing arts.

LSU Laboratory School was honored for exceeding the state average on the LEAP and iLEAP tests. The school was the first International Baccalaureate Diploma Program in the state with juniors and seniors choosing to complete the Diploma Program or individual IB courses along with other college-prep classes, according to the Department of Education.

St. James Episcopal Day School, also in Baton Rouge, received the Blue Ribbon honor as well. The downtown school says they focused their award application on small group interaction and the increased level of individual instruction that it allows when working with students. The school last received the recognition back in 2009.

A fourth Baton Rouge school, St. Aloysius Catholic School, made the list of awardees.

The other schools that received the recognition are:

• Benjamin Franklin High School, New Orleans
• Martin Petitjean Elementary School, Rayne
• Pointe-Aux-Chenes Elementary School, Montegut
• St. Paul's School, Covington
• South Crowley Elementary School, Crowley

The schools are scheduled to be honored on Nov. 9-10 during an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. Each will receive an engraved plaque and flag signifying its status as a 2015 Blue Ribbon School. You can learn more about the program on the U.S. Department of Education website.