2023 Yorba Middle School Orange Unified School District Orange County Mark McLaughlin, Principal Enrollment: 544. Grade Levels: 6-8. School Characteristics and Replicable Practices 1:1 digital options for all our students Teachers greet students at the door and ask about their day or weekend LTEL/AVID strategies: speaking in complete sentences, using sentence frames/starters AVID organization skills: agenda checks, paper/electronic declutter day SEL: Anti-bullying & kindness lessons, wellness center accessible all day

Florida 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 Alicia Harp aliciaharp@gmail.com Participating Organizations Florida Schools to Watch Joined Schools to Watch in 2024 Schools to Watch Application 2027 Application Instructions Florida Schools to Watch (Initial Designation Year) Hidden Oaks K-8 School (2025) Plumosa School of the Arts (2026)

2023 Melva Davis Academy of Excellence Adelanto Elementary School District San Bernardino County Kathy Youskievicz, Principal Enrollment: 809. Grade Levels: 6-8. School Characteristics and Replicable Practices Classroom procedures/expectations for SEL, self-motivation, self-advocacy Relationship building and life experiences Deep collaboration among the staff Variety of electives allows students/teachers to find and follow their passion Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions for students that need extra support

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

2023 Adams Middle School Redondo Beach Unified School District Los Angeles County Tanaz Bruna, Principal Enrollment: 1,080. Grade Levels: 6-8. School Characteristics and Replicable Practices Bell schedule maximizes student interventions Back to School celebration on the first day for a strong start Student wellness center Co-taught ELA and math classes boost SWD access to general education Leadership opportunities, groups, and clubs connect kids to school

Texas 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 Dr. Joe Coleman coleman@tassp.org Participating Organizations TASSP 305 East Huntland STE 300 Austin, TX 78752 512.443.2100 ext. 8505 Fax: 512.442.3343 Website: tassp.org Joined National STW Program in 2010 Schools to Watch Application 2027 Application Instructions Texas Schools to Watch (Initial Designation Year) Acton Middle School (2017) Angleton Junior High School (2025) Ann M.Garcia-Enriquez Middle School (2024) Armando Chapa Middle School (2011) Atlanta Middle School (2020) Austin Middle School Stem Magnet (2020) B.L. Gray Junior High School (2019) Bernarda Jaime Jr. High (2024) Berry Miller Junior High School (2019) Beverly Hills Intermediate School (2014) Bill Sybert School (2022) C.W. Worthington Middle School (2025) Capt. Mark T. Voss Middle School (2022) Central Heights Middle School (2024) Chisholm Trail Middle School (2011) Chisolm Trail Middle School (2026) Chisum Middle School (2026) Clint Junior High School (2024) Coakley Middle School (2026) Cockrill Middle School (2015) Col. John Ensor Middle School (2021) Colleyville Middle School (2020) Crockett Middle School (2026) Danny Jones Middle School (2019) Decker Middle School (2017) Dolph Briscoe Middle School (2026) Earnesteen Milstead Middle School (2021) Eastlake Middle School (2026) El Campo Middle School (2025) Elliott Grant Middle School (2026) Elmer G. Bondy Intermediate School (2021) Fort Settlement Middle School (2020) Foster Middle School (2026) Freeport Intermediate School (2020) Gene Pike Middle School (2012) George A. Thompson Intermediate School (2025) Granbury Middle School (2024) Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy (2024) Haltom Middle School (2020) Harwood Junior High School (2017) Hillwood Middle School (2015) Homer J. Morris Middle School (2026) Horizon Middle School (2024) Hudson Bend Middle School (2014) Hurshel Antwine Middle School (2025) Hurst Junior High School (2019) Judson STEAM Academy (2021) Kenneth White Jr. High (2025) Liberty Hill Middle School (Intermediate) (2020) Lincoln Middle School (2023) Lone Oak Middle School (2011) Lonnie B. Keller Middle School (2015) Marshall Kendrick Middle School (2023) McMeans Junior High School (2015) Melillo Middle School (2017) Melissa Middle School (2016) Midway Middle School (2020) Montwood Middle School (2024) Morris Middle School (2022) Murphy Middle School (2014) New Boston Middle School (2024) Park View Intermediate School (2024) Parkland Pre-Engineering Middle School (2022) R. O'Hara Lanier Middle School (2021) Ricardo Estrada Middle School (2020) Rogers Middle School (2020) Sabine Middle School (2024) Salvador H. Sanchez Middle School (2023) San Jacinto Intermediate School (2022) Schimelpfenig Middle School (2019) Scoggins Middle School (2017) Scott Morgan Johnson Middle School (2016) Seven Lakes Junior High School (2016) Sharyland North Junior High School (2016) Simon Middle School (2014) Socorro Middle School (2021) South Texas ISD Prep Academy (2012) South TX Rising Scholars Academy (2024) Specialist Rafael Hernando III Middle School (2017) SSG Manuel R. Puentes Middle School (2025) Sycamore Springs Middle School (2021) Timberview Middle School (2017) Trautmann Middle School (2019) Trent Middle School (2020) Trinity Springs Middle School (2020) Valley View Early College (2019) Venus Middle School (2026) Wayside Middle School (2024) William D. Slider Middle School (2021) WoodCreek Junior High School (2026) Woodgate Intermediate School (2020)

Ruben Castro Superintendent Ruben Castro serves as Superintendent of the El Centro Elementary School District, overseeing 12 schools, including three recognized as Schools to Watch. He began his career in 1999 as an eighth-grade teacher and has since served as a curriculum coach, assistant principal, principal, State and Federal Projects Director, Associate Superintendent, and Deputy Superintendent. Ruben holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from California State University, San Bernardino, a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from San Diego State University, and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership. He is committed to meeting the unique needs of young adolescents and advancing excellence in middle-level education. < Back

2017-2018 McNair Middle School 2017-2018 SCHOOL STATISTICS Designated in 2009 Re-Designated in 2012, 2015, 2018 Community Size - Suburban School Enrollment - 730 Grade Levels - 5, 6 School Calendar - Traditional Free and Reduced Lunch 22% English Learners 4% Students With Disabilities 13% Demographics Hispanic 5.4% White 80.1% African American 3.7% Asian 4.1% Native American 0.3% Pacific Islander 0.8% Filipino 0% Two or More 5.6% Other 0% School Characteristics and Replicable Practices Academic Excellence Teachers assess ongoing data to progress monitor and utilize the tools from NWEA MAP testing to differentiate the instruction in order to create personal learning goals for all. School wide processes, including daily advisory, attendance/discipline, pod team meetings, and content PLC meetings, continuously identify students who are struggling academically and provide support structures for RTI A and B interventions. To enrich students’ academic excellence and meet the diverse needs of our learners, McNair Middle School is focused on creating quality formative assessments. • Each student conferences one-to-one with their advisory teacher to create SMART goals that address areas of focus within the Reading, Language, and Math learning strands from MAP testing. From these conversations, students share their academic goals with their families creating a culture of community focused on academics between home and school. McNair is implementing a more blended approach to learning as teachers integrate Google Classroom, one-to-one technology, and other technology tools and applications. McNair has continued supporting the differentiation of learning and closing the achievement gaps by giving access to research-based interventions that support the data such as Empowering Writers, Barton, Alphabetic Phonics, ELD and Corrective Reading. To help all our students reach their full academic potential, McNair continues to focus on implementing rigorous lesson planning, relevant research-based, data-driven instruction, and building relationships with each of our Mustangs. Teachers continue to utilize data in their instruction to focus on specific learning targets/goals for each student. Developmental Responsiveness Advisory is a dedicated class period that focuses on academic planning, team building, service learning, and character education. Advisory continues to assist students with goal-setting and smaller learning communities in order to support the whole child. McNair implements an Impact Team, which is a systematic approach to support a student who may not receive support outside of the school. The Impact Team pairs teachers and staff with students. The goal of the Impact Team relationship is to ensure every student’s academic and personal development is guided by an adult advocate. The Impact Team may eat lunch together, check grades, recognize their hobbies, or introduce new goals. Teachers and staff are continuing to explore current research in order to understand early adolescence. McNair provides targeted professional development to teachers each year on the specific academic, social, emotional, and developmental needs of early adolescents. Students are given an opportunity to have ownership and choice in their learning. Students feel respected when topics, and how to approach the learning of that topic, can be explored in many different ways. Core and encore classes allow students the opportunity to showcase their learning in a variety of learning modes and find ways to collaborate with their peers in order to better understand the given topic. Teachers are comfortable being the facilitator while letting students lead the discussion. McNair implemented student-involved conferences that provide a hybrid approach to parentteacher conferences. Students and families meet with the teacher to discuss academic and social progress. Then the student and family meet together to review his/her Google Sites student portfolio. Using Google Sites as our mode for student portfolios creates a realistic and relevant method of communication and branding. Student portfolios currently consist of a personal mission statement, grades and attendance, a personal learning plan (data sheet and goal setting), and artifacts from each content area. Together as a family they answer reflection questions of celebrations and growth areas. Flexible Seating is utilized throughout the building to meet students’ developmental needs. Students have opportunity to explore a variety of personal interests such as Fly Fishing, Archery, Odyssey of the Mind, Theatre, and many more. This gives students a sense of belonging while building relationships with teachers outside of the classroom. Creating lifelong leaders along with lifelong learners is a high priority at McNair. We create a variety of leadership roles. These leadership roles consist of Ambassadors, Principal’s Cabinet, Fire Marshals, Student Council, Pod Council and Students of the Week who lead pod meetings. To maximize our student leadership, we ensure that there is no overlap of students for each leadership role. Through our relationship with community partners, students participate in a variety of studentlearning project through advisory, leadership roles, and after-school clubs. Service Learning is a designated time when students can focus on their passion and develop soft skills while enhancing and enriching the lives of others Community connections may include guest speakers, informing students of methods to get involved in the community, and/or partnering with a community group. Social Equity Families are provided access to comprehensive services to meet their physical, social, and emotional needs. McNair has established a PBIS/RTI Committee of teacher leaders. The PBIS/RTI meets once a month to discuss building-wide initiatives and academic/learning progressions. The PBIS/RTI committee then meets with their respective team members and leads the monthly team RTI and Praise and Polish meetings. Our staff maximizes the master schedule by having ongoing interventionist available throughout the day in order to help support the child’s academics and behavior needs. With the addition of MAP data, teachers are now able to progress monitor and create specific learning goals. Our Structured Learning Classroom (SLC) is mainstreamed for encores, advisory, and runs our Green Team. Families are supported with ongoing community resources providing access to school functions, transportation, and meals. When families attend McNair, they feel the connection of community within the school. Organizational Support McNair advisory is built on the foundation of four pillars: team building, character education, academic planning, and service learning. Our R.U.N. motto has been ingrained into our culture at McNair. ‘R’ stands for Respect, ‘U’ stands for Understand We Own Our Behavior, and ‘N’ stands for Never Quit. Our PBIS Behavior Matrix system establishes student behavior expectations. By using researchbased strategies, the PBIS increases positive interactions. The PBIS leadership team meets monthly in order to answer building questions and review on a regular basis about the student success. McNair has a school-wide instructional leadership teams focusing on promoting the middle school philosophy, effective instructional practices, and educational initiatives. The purpose of the ILT team is to work collaboratively to develop and implement school wide improvement goals in order achieve the vision and mission of McNair Middle School. A multi-tiered RTI program is in place to support all students in academics and behavior. Professional Learning Communities are established by grade-level content teams. McNair has implemented one-to-one technology. Teachers have collaborated and researched best practices to ensure effective technology implementation and integration into their lesson plans. McNair has started MakerSpaces in the library. MakerSpace allows students to become creators of information (not just consumers), build critical thinking and problem solving skills, participate in selfdirected learning, foster a culture of creativity and collaboration, and allow for inquiry and exploration.

2015-2016 Crossett Middle School 2015-2016 SCHOOL STATISTICS Designated in - 2013 Re-Designated in- 2016 Community Size - Rural Community of 5,504 School Enrollment - 535 Grade Levels - 5,6,7,8 School Calendar - A/B Block Free and Reduced Lunch - 22.32% English Learners 1.87% Students With Disabilities 3.23% Demographics Hispanic 2.46% White 59.33% African American 37.13 % Asian .37% School Characteristics and Replicable Practices Academic Excellence Teachers meet in grade level teams every day to design a curriculum that includes cross-curricular, research-based project evaluations, use of interactive technology, and differentiation strategies. Professional Learning Communities meet once a week to participate in job-embedded professional development, and student achievement. CMS teachers provide guidance, connectedness, and support in the areas of academics to students through an Advisory period each day. Teachers use the co-teaching model to tailor a personalized environment for students to increase their use of higher order thinking skills. Students participate in cross-curricular project-based assessments to increase 21st Century Skills and higher order thinking. 5t h Graders not completing work must report to Intensive Care Unit to complete all assignments. Project Lead the Way was implemented in Grade 5t h-7t h to provide students opportunities to learning critic thinking and begin to explore career paths involving Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Developmental Responsiveness Classroom environments support the needs of all students. Positive rapport exists between students and teachers. Students have a voice and participate through a leadership group in making decisions that affect them. Town Hall meetings are held once every nine weeks to celebrate academic, social, and community achievements. Social Equity The school supports civility, service and citizenship. Differentiated instruction strategies are used to address various student learning styles. Students are respected and appreciated by staff and each other. An abundance of club activities and school connection opportunities are available to students. The school continually seeks to improve methods for meeting the needs of all students. Staff members have high expectation for students as evidenced by work displays and student performances CMS partners with the community to set examples of determination, perseverance, commitment, kindness, and acceptance of others through the Kindness program. Organizational Support The principal empowers staff by providing opportunities for collaborative problem-solving and decision making. Flexibility within the block schedule provides for meeting the needs of students. Families, community members and business partners are involved in many facets of the school. Teaming periods allow teachers to meet and collaborate with parents, students, and team teachers. Students are assigned to Advisory classes to meet the developmental needs of adolescents.

2018-2019 Owl Creek School 2016-2017 SCHOOL STATISTICS Designated in 2013 Re-Designated in 2016, 2019 Community Size - Suburban School Enrollment - 968 Grade Levels - Pre-K through 6th School Calendar - Continuous Calendar Free & Reduced Lunch - 65% English Learners - 25% Students with Disabilities - 20% Demographics African American - 18% Asian - 4% Caucasian - 47% Filipino - 1% Hispanic - 20% Native American - 1% Pacific Islander - 1% Other - 0% Two or More - 8% School Characteristics and Replicable Practices Academic Excellence At Owl Creek School, our mission is to SOAR by inspiring leadership, maintaining high expectations, embracing diversity, developing good character, and creating lasting relationships. Professional Learning Communities are an integral component within each team meeting weekly to plan relevant curricular activities, align and review formative assessments, and develop intervention or enrichment opportunities. 2018-2019 SCHOOL STATISTICS Designated in 2013 Re-Designated in 2016, 2019 Community Size - Suburban School Enrollment - 968 Grade Levels - Pre-K through 6th School Calendar - Continuous Learning Calendar Free & Reduced Lunch - 65% English Learners - 25% Students with Disabilities - 20% OWL CREEK SCHOOL ARKANSAS Fayetteville Public Schools 375 N. Rupple Rd. Fayetteville, AR 72762 Tel 479-718-0200 Principal - Brandon Craft https://district.fayar.net/o/ocs ***our website does not have a www. 2018-2019 School Demographics • African American - 18% • Asian - 4% • Caucasian - 47% • Filipino - 1% • Hispanic - 20% • Native American - 1% • Pacific Islander - 1% • Other - 0% • Two or More - 8% Flexible block scheduling allows teachers to individualize instruction for students and provides increased opportunities for targeted small group opportunities. Developmental Responsiveness Owl Creek's advisory classes meet daily in small group student communities to develop social skills, increase collaborative opportunities, promoting individuality, and providing individual support, accountability, and advocacy. Supporting the social and emotional growth for all students, our advisory SEL curriculum incorporates the Jesse Lewis Choose Love program, counselor based guidance lessons, and opportunities for students to express and process issues of value to them. SOARing high, the Owl Creek community pledges to Support and Encourage Others, be Outstanding Leaders, Always be Safe, and be Respectful and Responsible. Our PBIS programming provides clear expectations, positive student recognition, accountability, and individual student support. Social Equity Supporting the physical and mental health of our students, our free breakfast program offers all students the opportunity to start their day with the nutritional energy to tackle the day. The school houses a wellness clinic on site to meet the needs of our families. Owl Creek also partners with local organizations to meet the needs of students transitioning from international refugee camps. As the third most diverse school in Arkansas, we offer a World Cultures Week that provides opportunities for students, and their families, to share information about their culture and heritage. Students and families representing 40 countries from around the world share food, dance, music, and fellowship in our annual culminating activity. Organizational Support The Response to Intervention System at Owl Creek provides structured opportunities for stakeholders to meet to analyze student performance and develop support plans for students' academic and behavioral needs. This process allows teachers to strengthen relationships with students through their depth of knowledge relevant to each student. Owl Creek School has partnered with the University of Arkansas to offer programs for students such as: Bi-Literacy education in dual languages, International Student Support for World Cultures Week, Behavior Incentive Programs and teacher candidate internship opportunities. The school also partners with our neighborhood Boys and Girls Club. On average 200 students a day leave our school to attend after school programs at the club. The school provides snacks for the students and coordinates tutoring opportunities with Boys and Girls Club staff. The principal of Owl Creek School also serves on the board of directors for the club.

2023 Palm Desert Charter Middle School Desert Sands Unified School District Riverside County Deborah Dolan, Principal Enrollment: 1,350. Grade Levels: 6-8. School Characteristics and Replicable Practices Tier 1 supports include guidance lessons and SEL integration in all courses Parent engagement through Latino literacy and counselor coffee programs Strong electives including one CTE pathway Novel study-based humanities program Incoming family induction process facilitates a smooth transition

2024 National Schools To Watch Conference Featuring Lori Hayes, Jack Berckemeyer, and LaQuanta Nelson June 20 - 22, 2024, 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: 062021)