BRISTOL – An assistant principal at Mount Hope High School received a $25,000 Milken Educator Award Tuesday morning for his work improving student performance at the school that serves Bristol and Warren children.

Jaime Crowley was honored in a surprise ceremony that was attended by Gov. Donald L. Carcieri and Deborah A. Gist, the state education commissioner.

“Jaime Crowley is recognized as a results-driven leader who has earned the respect and admiration of teachers, students and administrators,” Carcieri said during the ceremony at the school. “In just two years as assistant principal at Mt. Hope High School, he has had a tremendous impact on student performance and retention of students who are most at risk for dropping out.”

The R.I. Department of Education said Crowley, a Newport resident, began his teaching career at Mount Hope 12 years ago as a French teacher and chair of the world-languages department. He became assistant principal two years ago.

He holds both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Boston College, as well as a secondary-school teaching certification from the University of Rhode Island.

Crowley is known taking “that extra step to help students – raising money to buy a prom dress for a student in need, arranging in-school tutoring for a student in danger of dropping out,” Gist said. “He has made the school-improvement team at Mt. Hope one of the strongest in the state.”

This year, about 50 educators nationwide are expected to receive a Milken Award, which recognizes teaching excellence. Since the award was established by the Milken Foundation in 1990, there have been 68 Rhode Island Milken Award winners. The award comes with an unrestricted $25,000 prize.