Leti Menchaca Advocacy Chair Leti brings with her 31 years of experience in education that ranges from elementary as a teacher for 10 years to administration at middle and high school for a total of 17 years. She also spent 4 years in the curriculum and instruction department. Her last assignment (10 years) prior to joining TASSP, was as the Principal at Trautmann Middle School. During her tenure there the campus was ranked as a top performing middle school in Texas consecutively beginning the 2016 through the 2020 school year. Trautmann was also named on the Texas Honor Roll list in 2017-2020 by Educational Results Partnership. Designated as an A campus by the Texas Education Agency in those years with rating assignments. In 2019 Trautmann received the distinguished honor of becoming a Designated Schools to Watch Campus and recognized by the National Forum for Schools Watch in Washington DC that summer. In 2017 Ms. Menchaca was also recognized as one of TASSPs State Finalist for Principal of the Year representing Region 1. Leti retired from education and joined TASSP in September 2021 and now serves as the Associate Executive Director for middle level services, and corporate partnerships and as the Texas State Director for the National Forum. < Back

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

Become a National Schools to Watch. Schools to Watch ® The National Forum established criteria that are the basis for the Schools to Watch Program ®. The program focuses on school improvement efforts characterized by a continuous trajectory toward success. The Schools to Watch program has state directors in 20 states: Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Florida | Georgia | Illinois | Indiana | Kentucky | Michigan | New Jersey | New York | North Carolina | Ohio | Oregon | Pennsylvania | South Carolina | Texas | Utah | Virginia Use the links above to access your state's application. If your state is NOT listed above , please use the National Schools to Watch Application . 2026 STW Applications You can download your state's application instructions through the links above. Applications are normally due in the Fall, but you can contact your State Director (through the links above) for specific due dates for each state. Steps to becoming designated as a Schools to Watch 1. Download your state's application instructions through the links above (coming soon). 2. Request access and complete the Schools to Watch Self-Study & Rating Rubric . 3. Download the FREE Schools to Watch Toolkit . As an alternative, you may contact your State Director . If your state does not currently have a State Director, please download the National Schools to Watch Application . If you are interested in becoming a State Director (or know someone who might be interested), please contact us . Not quite ready to become a Schools to Watch? Use the Schools to Watch Self-Study & Rating Rubric for school improvement. The rubric is available to share with your administration and faculty if you should want to use it as a school improvement tool without applying for recognition at this time. The National Forum offers a FREE Schools to Watch Toolkit to guide you through the Schools to Watch Self-Study & Rating Rubric and the STW application process. You can also join us in Washington, D.C., Jun e 25-27, 2026, for the National STW Conference , and learn about the process from those who have done it before! Advancing excellence in the middle grades Our Mission Apply Applications are normally due in the Fall, but you can contact your State Director for specific due dates for each state. Applications for 2024 are coming soon! Celebrate All Schools to Watch are honored at the National STW Conference in June in Washington, D.C.

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Michigan Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Florida | Georgia | Illinois | Indiana | Kentucky | Michigan | New Jersey New York | North Carolina | Ohio | Oregon | Pennsylvania | South Carolina | Texas | Utah | Virginia State Director Kathryn Brown kbrown@excellenceined.org Participating Organizations Joined National STW Program in 2005 Schools to Watch Application 2026 Application Instructions Michigan Schools to Watch Boyd W. Arthurs Middle School (2012) Chatfield School (2016) Clague Middle School (2020) Discovery Middle School (2018, 2021) E.F. Rittmueller Middle School (2006) East Middle School (2018, 2021) Grant Middle School (2019) Marshall Greene Middle School (2006, 2020) Mt. Morris Middle School (2014, 2021) Oakview Middle School (2022) Reese Middle School (2021) Richfield Public School Academy - Middle School (2021, 2020) Slauson Middle School (2020, 2022) Tappan Middle School (2021, 2025) White Pine Middle School (2020, 2025, 2022) Whitehall Middle School (2020) School Profiles Coming Soon

Pennsylvania Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Florida | Georgia | Illinois | Indiana | Kentucky | Michigan | New Jersey New York | North Carolina | Ohio | Oregon | Pennsylvania | South Carolina | Texas | Utah | Virginia State Director Bruce Vosburgh brucevosburgh@gmail.com Participating Organizations Pennsylvania Association for Middle Level Education 1905 Lenape Unionville Road Kennett Square, PA 19348 Email: bvosbur@comcast.net Website: www.pamle.org Joined National STW Program in 2006 Schools to Watch Application 2026 Application Instructions ! Widget Didn’t Load Check your internet and refresh this page. If that doesn’t work, contact us. School Profiles Coming Soon

2023 Portola Middle School Orange Unified School District Orange County Jeffery Morgan, Principal Enrollment: 595. Grade Levels: 6-8. School Characteristics and Replicable Practices AVID best practices school wide Verizon Innovative Learning School Portola PREP Days for college-and-career readiness 1-to-1 device implementation with built-in LTE/WIFI and instructional coach Knowing their stories: Building relationships with our students

Become a member of the National Forum. Available to all Schools to Watch and potential STWs. Forum Membership Membership Levels Become a member 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

Cathy Perry Executive Director Cathy has worked for nonprofit organizations for over 30 years. She is the Executive Director of the California League of Middle Schools, and became the ED of the National Forum in 2022. < Back

2023 E.O. Green Jr. High School Hueneme Elementary School District Ventura County Irma Melgoza-Vasquez, Principal Enrollment: 1,066. Grade Levels: 6-8. School Characteristics and Replicable Practices Nine-year Spanish-English dual language immersion student cohorts (K-8) Social-emotional program helps students discuss emotions, social interactions, choices Teacher-provided instructional support for students below grade level CTE pathways align with local high school SEL advisory period embedded into all students’ schedules

2023 Vineyard Junior High School Alta Loma School District San Bernardino County Sandy Rose, Principal Enrollment: 642. Grade Levels: 7-8. School Characteristics and Replicable Practices Gold PBIS award: positive school culture Ongoing kindness and culture campaigns build positive connections MTSS to meet students’ individual academic, behavioral, SEL needs 1:1 technology, Google Classroom, i-Ready, English 3D, LANGUAGE! Live, more Instruction: differentiation, hands-on, thinking maps, writing across the curriculum

2023 Oxford Preparatory Academy - Saddleback Valley Oxford Prep SOC Orange County Adam Wright, Principal Enrollment: 680. Grade Levels: TK-8. School Characteristics and Replicable Practices Champion profile defines student skills/competencies to cultivate Asset-based approach to learning: multiple intelligences of all students Data-informed, six-week intervention program supports literacy and math skills Thinking maps foundation for a school-wide writing program Scholar Academy for SWD supports access to general education curriculum