Become a member of the National Forum. Available to all Schools to Watch and potential STWs. 2023 Schools to Watch New Schools to Watch Share the Press Release Arkansas Alma Middle School Indiana Plainfield Community Middle School Thomas Jefferson Middle School North Carolina Smithfield Middle School New York Cuba-Rushford Middle School Marlboro Middle School Wantagh Middle School Pennsylvania Chartiers Valley Middle School Deer Lakes Middle School Wendover Middle School South Carolina Blue Ridge Middle School Carolina Springs Middle School Leavelle McCampbell Middle School North Central Middle School Texas Lincoln Middle School Marshall Kendrick Middle School Salvador H. Sanchez Middle School Virginia Brambleton Middle School Willard Middle School California Adams Middle School Alpha: Cornerstone Academy Preparatory Alta Loma Junior High School Amino Florence-Firestone Middle School Bernice Harrell Chipman Junior High Coalinga Middle School College Preparatory Middle School Don Juan Avila Middle School E.O. Green Jr. High School East Avenue Middle School El Rancho Charter School Ellen Fletcher Middle School Hollencrest Middle School Hosler Middle School ICEF Vista Middle Academy James Workman Middle School Jefferson Middle School Kolb Middle School March Middle School Melva Davis Academy of Excellence Nellie Coffman Middle School Oxford Preparatory Academy - Saddleback Valley Oxford Preparatory Academy - South Orange County Palm Desert Charter Middle Pleasant View West School Portola Middle School Prairie Vista Middle School Riverview School Robert C. Fisler School Shoreline Middle School The STEAM Academy @ Burke Thomas Law Reed School Vineyard Junior High School Vista View Middle School William Mendenhall Middle School Yorba Middle School Redesignating Schools to Watch Arkansas Cabot Middle School North - R5 Greenbrier Middle School - R2 Holt Middle School - R2 J.O. Kelly Middle School - R4 Woodland Junior High School - R2 C olorado Centennial Middle School - R2 Corwin International Magnet School - R3 Westview Middle School - R2 Georgia Lee Middle School - R3 Upson-Lee Middle School - R6 Illinois Century Junior High - R1 Evergreen Academy Middle School - R4 Hadley Junior High - R1 Libby Elementary and Middle School - R4 Little Village Academy - R4 London Middle School - R4 Westmont Junior High - R1 Indiana Ben Franklin Middle School - R1 IPS Center for Inquiry 84 - R1 Northridge Middle School - R2 Rochester Middle School - R3 Tri-West Middle School - R5 Kentucky Mayfield Middle School - R2 Olmstead School - R6 North Carolina Carmel Middle School - R6 Harold E. Winkler Middle School - R1 Hendersonville Middle School - R4 Jay M. Robinson Middle School - R6 Piedmont Open IB Middle School - R4 Rogers-Herr Middle School - R5 West Pine Middle School - R5 New Jersey Belhaven Middle School - R3 Black River Middle School - R4 Byram Middle School - R1 Randolph Middle School - R1 New York A.D. Oliver Middle School - R1 Carrie Palmer Weber Middle School - R4 Cosgrove Middle School - R2 Garden City Middle School - R4 Island Trees Memorial Middle School - R1 Jonas E. Salk Middle School - R1 Memorial Junior High School - R2 Plainedge Middle School - R1 Ohio Bellbrook Middle School - R3 George G. Dodge Intermediate School - R1 Pennsylv ania Boyce Middle School - R5 Fort Couch Middle School - R5 Garnet Valley Middle Sch ool - R2 Northley Middle School - R3 Ryan Gloyer Middle School - R4 Schuylkill Valley Middle School - R3 Springton Lake Middle School - R2 California Alondra Middle School - R3 Alta Sierra Intermediate School - R5 Alvarado Intermediate School - R6 Arlie F. Hutchinson Middle School - R1 Carmenita Middle School - R3 Chaparral Middle School - R2 Clifton Middle School - R2 Creekview Ranch School K-8 - R1 Dartmouth Middle School - R4 El Segundo Middle School - R1 Elizabeth Pinkerton Middle School - R3 General Grant Middle School - R1 Hall Middle School - R1 Haskell STEM Academy - R2 Hawthorne Middle School - R2 Heber School - R3 Huron Middle School - R2 John F. Kennedy Middle School - R6 Kastner Intermediate School - R5 La Canada Middle School (7-12) - R3 La Paz Intermediate School - R4 Landmark Middle School - R2 Leona Jackson Middle School - R3 Los Alisos STEM Magnet Middle School - R1 Louis D. Armstrong Middle School - R5 Mountain View Middle School (Beaumont) - R1 Rancho Milpitas Middle School - R6 Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate School - R2 Ray Wiltsey Middle School - R1 Ross Academy of Creative and Media Arts - R2 San Gorgonio Middle School - R2 Silverado Middle School - R6 South Pointe Middle School - R2 Sunnymead Middle School - R2 Suzanne Middle School - R2 Tetzlaff Accelerated Learning Academy - R3 Thomas Hart Middle School - R1 Torch Middle School - R3 Twin Rivers Charter School - R1 Vista Verde Middle School - R4 Washington Academic Middle School - R4 South Carolina Batesburg-Leesville Middle School - R1 Beck International Academy - R1 Blythewood Middle School - R5 Campobello Gramling School - R3 Castle Heights Middle School - R4 Chapin Middle - R2 Crayton Middle School - R2 H.E. McCracken Middle School - R2 League Academy for Communication Arts - R4 Mid-Carolina Middle School - R2 Muller Road Middle - R1 Palmetto Middle School - R5 Riverside Middle School - R1 Sevier Middle School - R1 Texas Atlanta Middle School - R1 Beverly Hills Intermediate School - R3 Colleyville Middle School - R1 Ft. Settlement Middle School - R1 Haltom Middle School - R1 Harwood Junior High School - R2 Lone Oak Middle School - R4 Melillo Middle School - R2 Ricardo Estrada Middle School - R1 Roberts Middle School - R1 Rogers Middle School - R1 Sharyland North Junior High School - R2 Utah Kearns Junior High - R4 Milford High School - R1 Virgi nia Eagle Ridgle Middle School - R5 Elizabeth Davis Middle School - R1 Elkton Middle School - R2 Farmwell Station Middle School - R5 Harper Park Middle School - R4 Hidden Valley Middle School - R4 J. Lupton Simpson Middle School - R2 Midlothian Middle School - R2 Montevideo Middle School - R2 River Bend Middle School - R4 St. Clare-Walker Middle School - R4 Sterling Middle School - R3 Tomahawk Creek Middle School - R2 Become a STW Mission The mission of the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform is to unite key stakeholders to speak with a common voice to leverage research, policy, leadership, and replicable practices to drive middle grades reform. Vision In order to prepare students to be lifelong learners ready for college, career, and citizenship, the National Forum seeks to make every middle-grades school academically excellent, responsive to the developmental needs and interests of young adolescents, and socially equitable. Membership The National Forum Membership is open to individuals and individuals approved by an organization. Three membership levels are offered with benefits, responsibilities and annual dues for each level. Join Today! Frequently asked questions What types of membership are available? There are three types of membership: • Advocating Member (Individual) : $39 • Contributing Member (Individual) : $69 • Institutional Member (School) : $99/year or $275/3-years What is the renewal schedule for Memberships? Membership renewals occur on the date of the initial enrollment. For Institutional Memberships, schools have the option of selecting a one-year ($99) or a three-year ($275) Institutional Membership. What is Institutional Membership in the National Forum? Institutional Membership with the Forum is a whole-school designation available to schools that believe in and support the mission and vision of the Forum and that include one or more of the following grades – 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. Why must a school have one or more of the following grades – 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 to apply for Institutional Membership? Grades 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 comprise the middle grades, and the vast majority of young adolescents (those students aged 10-15) are in these grades. Since the middle grades and young adolescents are the foci of the Forum’s work, it made sense that the Forum should limit (at least initially) Institutional Membership to those schools with one or more of the middle grades. Can schools that are not Schools to Watch be granted Institutional Membership? Yes, but they must believe in and support the Mission and Vision of the Forum and include one or more of the following grades – 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. Can schools that are not eligible to be designated as Schools to Watch be granted Institutional Membership? Yes, but they must believe in and support the Mission and Vision of the Forum and include one or more of the following grades – 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. How is the Forum’s Institutional Membership different from its other memberships? Institutional Membership differs in several ways from currently existing memberships (Contributing Memberships and Advocating Memberships): • First, Institutional Membership is a whole-school membership while the Forum’s two other memberships are for individuals only. • Second, the Institutional Membership targets schools that believe in the Forum’s Mission and Vision and have one or more of the following grades – 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9; Contributing and Advocating Memberships are for individuals who may or may not be in a School to Watch but who wish to be more active and involved in the Forum’s effort to “accelerate middle grades reform”. • Third, the Institutional Membership category provides the Forum with a mechanism to engage and communicate with a broader constituency of middle-level practitioners (nationally and internationally) than do the existing membership classifications. What are the benefits of being an Institutional Member? The benefits of being an Institutional Member include: • The personal satisfaction of supporting the Forum in its efforts to speak with a common voice to leverage research, policy, leadership, and replicable practices to drive middle grades reform (being part of a “movement”) • Opportunities to give back to the profession (paying it forward) • Periodic reports on Forum projects to accelerate middle-grades reform • Special rates for Forum-sponsored activities • Access to all Forum publications, reports, and white papers • Access to a national network of middle-level schools that shares a common philosophy, mission, and vision. Is it possible for one person to have both a Contributing Membership and an Institutional Membership? Technically no, since Institutional Membership is available only to an eligible school and not to an individual. That being said, a person could be both a Contributing Member and a member of a school with an Institutional Membership. Must a School to Watch become an Institutional Member? Not at this time, but given the benefits of membership it is highly recommended that every School to Watch be an Institutional Member of the Forum. Can other than public schools be Institutional Members? Yes, as long as they believe in and support the Mission and Vision of the Forum and that include one or more of the following grades – 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. Can an organization other than a school (e.g., philanthropic organization and state organization) have an Institutional Membership? No. Institutional Memberships are only for schools that believe in and support the Mission and Vision of the Forum and include one or more of the following grades – 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. Become a member today! Join

2023 Oxford Preparatory Academy - South Orange County Oxford Prep SOC Orange County Kerry Velez, Principal Enrollment: 870. Grade Levels: TK-8. School Characteristics and Replicable Practices MTSS addresses students’ individual academic, behavioral, social-emotional needs Champion profile defines student skills/competencies to cultivate Parent ambassador program supports parent leadership, education, voice Weekly professional learning planning on data, assessment, pacing, vertical planning Data-informed, six-week intervention program support literacy and math skills

2021 Schools To Watch Virtual Conference Featuring Dr. Anthony Muhammad June 22-24 & 29-30, 2021 VIRTUAL SCHOOLS TO WATCH AWARD CELEBRATIONS You are invited to watch the first-ever virtual Schools to Watch Award Celebrations ! Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, New York North Carolina, Virginia California (2020 Schools) California (2021 Schools) Georgia, Indiana Texas Colorado, Utah, Arkansas, Illinois Pennsylvania, South Carolina

North Carolina Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Florida | Georgia | Illinois | Indiana | Kentucky | Michigan | Missouri New Jersey | New York | North Carolina | Ohio | Oregon | Pennsylvania | South Carolina | Texas | Utah | Virginia State Director Darryl Conner Dawseyd.conner@cms.k12.nc.us Participating Organizations North Carolina Association for Middle-Level Education (NCMLE) PO Box 29750, Charlotte, NC 28299 Phone: 910.235.3761 Email: info@ncmle.org State Website: www.ncmle.org Joined National STW Program in 2002 Schools to Watch Application 2027 Application Instructions North Carolina Schools to Watch Albemarle Road Middle School (2021) Alexander Graham Middle School (2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2024) Apple Valley Middle School (2009, 2012, 2105, 2018, 2021) Ashe County Middle School (2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2021, 2024) C.W. Stanford Middle School (2014) Cane River Middle School (2025) Carmel Middle School (2005, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2020, 2023) Carrington Middle School (2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2022, 2025) Chowan Middle School (2010, 2013, 2016, 2021) Crestdale Middle School (2009, 2012, 2105, 2018, 2021) East Lincioln Middle School (2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2022) East Yancey Middle School (2005, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2020, 2024) Ellerbe Middle School (2017) Flat Rock Middle School (2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019) Hamlet Middle School (2013, 2016, 2019) Harold E. Winkler Middle School (2020, 2023) Hendersonville Middle School (2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2023) J.M Fries Middle School (2021) Jay M. Robinson Middle School (2005, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2020, 2023) John Griffin Middle School (2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2022, 2025) Lakewood Montessori School (2015, 2018, 2021) Lowe's Grove Middle School (2019, 2022) McGee's Crossroads Middle School (2011) Midway Middle School (2019, 2022) Mint Hill Middle School (2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2021) Montford Northstar Academy (2024) Mt. Airy Middle School (2014, 2017, 2020) New Century International Middle School (2025) New Century Middle School (2025) Newton-Conover STEM Middle School (2017) North Lincoln Middle School (0, 2015, 2018, 2021) Northview Middle School (2015, 2018, 2021) Piedmont Open IB Middle School (2011, 2014, 2017, 2020, 2023) Reid Ross Classical School (2004) Rockingham County Middle School (2018, 2021, 2024) Rockingham Middle School Richmond County (2020) Rogers-Herr Middle School (2008, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2020, 2023) Rugby Middle School (2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2024) School for Creative Studies (2020) Selma Middle School (2024) Seventy-First Classical Middle School (2025) Sherwood Githens Middle School (2017, 2020) Smithfield Middle School (2023) South Charlotte Middle School (2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2022, 2025) Thomas Jefferson Middle School (2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2020) West Alexander Middle School (2019, 2022) West Pine Middle School (02020, 2023) William Lenoir Middle School (2010) School Profiles Coming Soon

2023 Coalinga Middle School Coalinga-Huron Unified School District Fresno County Steven Martinez, Principal Enrollment: 697. Grade Levels: 6-8. School Characteristics and Replicable Practices Advisory period Spreadsheet to track grades/assignments Teachers who want to run lunch sessions Upkeep of the spreadsheet Constant communication with students and teachers

2017 National Schools To Watch Conference Featuring David DeSanctis And Joe Fatheree June 21-24, 2017 View conference photos

Cathy Tomon President Cathy is principal of Bridges School, a 6-12 alternative school in Carteret County, North Carolina. She was the Executive Director of the North Carolina Association for Middle-Level Education and past President as well as the NC State Schools to Watch Director for 15 years. She is currently a board member of the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Level Education. Cathy is a member of the Board of Directors for the Administration Division of NCAE (North Carolina Association of Educators) and is in her 7thyear as a member of the Penn State College of Education Board of Directors. In her community, she is a member of the Newport Planning Board and is Vice President of her homeowners' association. Dr. Tomon received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from Penn State University, a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from East Carolina University and her Doctoral Degree in Administration and Supervision also from East Carolina University. < Back

2018-2019 Elmwood Middle School 2018-2019 SCHOOL STATISTICS Designated in 2019 Community Size - Suburban School Enrollment - 850 Grade Levels - 6-8 School Calendar - traditional Free & Reduced Lunch - 48% English Learners - 22% Students with Disabilities - 13% Demographics African American - 3% Asian - 2% Caucasian - 49% Filipino - 0% Hispanic - 43% Native American - 3% Pacific Islander - 2% Other - 0% Two or More - 0% School Characteristics and Replicable Practices Academic Excellence At Elmwood Middle School, all students are expected to meet high academic standards. Teachers spend time determining priority standards and coming to a collective agreement on the interpretation of the standard. Clear learning targets, clear expectations of proficiency, and targeted common formative assessments have been beneficial for collaboration among teachers when planning interventions for students who have not yet reached proficiency. Teachers make connections across the disciplines to reinforce important concepts and to assist students to think critically and apply what they have learned to solve real-world problems. Cooperative learning is visible in many classrooms as several teachers have been through the Kagan training Developmental Responsiveness We have divided all of our students into small advisories within their house teams, which meet daily for 30 minutes. This time of the day is used to provide our students with character education skills to aid in social development, house building skills, study and organizational skills, goal setting skills, as well as academic support and enrichment. Encore teachers make the curriculum varied with activities that provide enrichment in the fine arts, physical education, music, STEM learning, and computer literacy. The special education staff at Elmwood provides a continuum of services for the resource students and the self-contained students. Some student needs are met in the regular classroom using indirect services, where the regular education teachers provide instruction, using needs specific modifications, under the guidance of a special education teacher. To promote family and parental involvement at school, Elmwood offers a variety of programs and activities that foster the alliance between home and school. These include our Friday Fun Night, our Parent/Teacher Conferences, our Open House nights, our annual Career Day event, and our annual Field Day event. Social Equity At Elmwood, failure is not an option, and every student is expected to learn and produce proficient work. Teachers provide students multiple opportunities to display proficiency. Students have one to one access to Chromebooks in all of their core classes. They use Chromebooks to access supplemental resources, collaborate with classmates, and work through inquiry based learning and research. Through our partnership with our local public library, students are given ecard accounts that give them access to all of the public library's electronic resources. Students with disabilities are enrolled in classes that provide the least restrictive environment possible. Students in self-contained classes are enrolled in regular fine arts classes, such as choir and art, and PE classes. The media center has a world languages section with fiction and nonfiction books in Spanish and Marshallese. Spanish and Marshallese speakers make up the largest percentage of our ELL students. Each student at Elmwood is valued and respected. Students are placed in small advisory classes with a 1 to 18 teacher student ratio. They meet multiple times a week throughout the year and utilize that time for team building activities and developing rapport between teachers and students. Organizational Support Our practice of shared leadership across the building helps ensure that we work every day to fulfill our mission statement and provide the best possible environment for student success. As a Professional Learning Community, we have embraced the belief that "all" means "all" and that learning cannot be optional for students. Content specific collaborative teams meet weekly to determine essential learning outcomes, create assessments for those outcomes, and analyze data to identify which students need additional time and support to reach proficiency, as well as which students are ready to extend their learning. As a leadership team, we are intentional about modeling for our staff the characteristics of continuous learning, experimentation, and reflection on a daily basis. We continually read about and expose ourselves to new ideas, then share with each other what we are learning. At Elmwood, we work hard to develop relationships with all the members of our larger educational system. We work very closely with our feeder schools to host events that invite families of future raiders into the building to begin learning about our culture.

2023 National Schools To Watch Conference Featuring Erin Gruwell, Dwayne Reed, and Monica Washington June 22 - 24 2023, Washington, D.C. IT WAS SO GREAT TO SEE YOU! Thanks for joining the National Forum and your fellow Schools to Watch in D.C.! Photobooth Pictures (Passcode: 0623)

John Dowd Business Partner John Dowd is the Director of Community Engagement at CORE Construction in Arizona. < Back

2013 National Schools To Watch Conference Featuring Debbie Silver & Jeremy Voss June 27-29, 2013 View conference photos

Latest News All Posts Search nationalforum7 Jan 17 2 min Dedicated Education Leader to Spearhead Arizona Schools to Watch Program View Official Press Release In an exciting move aimed at enhancing the quality of middle-level education in Arizona, Dr. Robert... 77 views 0 comments 1 like. Post not marked as liked 1 Matthew R. Stover Nov 6, 2023 4 min The Easiest & Best Discounts for Educators Everyone knows we don’t teach for the money … but a little bit extra here and there should help! Teachers continue to spend money out of... 83 views 0 comments Post not marked as liked Katie Sandberg Apr 5, 2023 4 min Q&A with Dr. Monica Washington Monica shared some thoughts with us on teaching, learning, and life as an educator. What made you decide to become a teacher? I always... 37 views 0 comments Post not marked as liked We Need Your Support Today! Donate