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National Honor
RGMS earns 'Schools to Watch' Redesignation
JACKSON TWP., PA (Feb. 24, 2014)- First recognized three years ago for its outstanding academic performance, Ryan Gloyer Middle School has been re-designated one of the nation’s “Schools to Watch,” a recognition program developed by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform.
Launched in 1999, “Schools to Watch” began as a national program to identify middle-grades schools across the country that were meeting or exceeding 37 criteria developed by the National Forum, including academic excellence, outstanding organizational structure and development responsiveness. The Forum developed a web site (www.schoolstowatch.org) that features online tours of schools, as well as detailed information about the selection criteria used in the recognition program.
“We are extremely excited to earn this distinction for a second time,” said Dr. Tracy Vitale, Seneca Valley Superintendent of Schools. “We are proud of the teachers, staff and students who have worked so hard over the years to make Seneca Valley Middle School an example of educational excellence. ‘Schools to Watch’ recognizes those schools that deepen students’ knowledge and use a variety of methods to assess and monitor the progress of their learning; Seneca Valley Middle School exemplifies all of these qualities, plus so much more.”
There are now 19 states across the country, which have trained Schools to Watch State Teams, with more than 340 schools recognized.
“We are pleased that our Schools to Watch program has shown that schools can meet high academic expectations while preserving a commitment of healthy development and equity for all students,” said Dr. Deborah Kasak, National Forum Executive Director. “These Schools to Watch are indeed special; they make education so exciting that students and teachers don’t want to miss a day. These schools have proven that it is possible to overcome barriers to achieving excellence, and any middle-level school in any state can truly learn from their examples,” Kasak said.
The National Forum sponsors the Schools to Watch program along with the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE/formerly NMSA), the National Association for Elementary School Principals, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, Learning Forward, ASCD, and State Schools to Watch affiliates.
The National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform is an alliance of 65 educators, researchers, national associations, and officers of professional organizations and foundations dedicated to improving education in the middle grades.