MCPS won the 2010 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, a prestigious honor recognizing excellence in a variety of organizations, superintendent Jerry Weast announced Nov. 23.

The award is the highest presidential honor an American organization can receive, Weast said. The Baldrige foundation evaluates school systems based on their innovation, improvement and leadership techniques.

“Receiving the award is a wonderful accomplishment that shows a lot of hard work in many different areas,” principal Alan Goodwin said. “It will add a lot of recognition to the county, and it is worthy of celebration.”

MCPS is the sixth public school district to receive the award since the award’s origin in 1999.

“It is through your efforts that we continue to see our students perform at high levels, even amid dramatic shifts in our demographics and an unprecedented economic downturn,” Weast wrote in a letter to MCPS employees.  “You have embraced a culture of continuous improvement, high expectations and professional accountability in a way that is unlike any other school district in the nation.”

Evaluators from the Baldrige foundation visited 33 schools in the county during October to assess the quality of education, communication between administration and staff and implementation of the county curriculum.

MCPS was one of seven organizations, including small businesses and health care companies, to receive the award this year. President Obama will present the awards in a ceremony in Washington, D.C., next year.