SCMS Family, As you know our school was selected for a site visit by the National Forum for Middle Grades Education in January. This was an amazing honor in and of itself. I am extremely honored to tell you that Spencer County Middle School has been named one of only five 2018 Kentucky Schools to Watch, and will be recognized in Washington D.C. this June. It is because of our hard working students, supportive parents, and committed staff, that this is possible. On behalf of SCMS, THANK YOU for allowing us to be successful! Attached you will find the official press release: Spencer County Middle School was recently designated a Kentucky School to Watch (STW). Currently 11 Kentucky middle grades schools have earned this distinction over the past three years with schools as far east as Boyd County and as far west as Graves County. Schools to Watch is a national recognition and school improvement program for middle grades schools developed by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform. Kentucky is one of 18 states that have implemented the program in partnership with The National Forum. In June, representatives of Spencer County Middle School will receive their award at the National Forum’s annual conference in Washington, DC. While at the conference representatives of the school will be scheduled for a visit with the Kentucky representative for their district and the school will be asked to conduct a presentation for conference attendees on one of the specific programs or practices that contributed to the school’s success. While at the conference, they will have the opportunity to network with and learn from the other national Schools to Watch and to hear nationally recognized speakers. The school was selected as a School to Watch for its academic excellence, responsiveness to the needs and interests of young adolescents, and commitment to helping all students achieve at high levels. Spencer County Middle School has strong leadership, teachers who work together to improve curriculum and instruction, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Fran Salyers, co-director of the Kentucky Schools to Watch program, commented “The staff has focused on building caring, nurturing relationships with students and providing each student with a safe learning environment. Our STW visit team was very impressed with all aspects of the school and are excited to name them a Kentucky School to Watch.” Spencer County Middle School Principal Matt Mercer said, “Being selected as a KY Middle Schools to Watch recipient is a tremendous accomplishment for our school. Although awards and recognitions aren’t the most important things to us, they do justify what we do and how we go about doing it. Our vision is for Spencer County Middle School to gain and maintain elite educational status in Kentucky. Over the past four years we’ve been: Distinguished three times, top 25 out of 330 middle schools, and named one of five Kentucky Schools to Watch. Our schools success is a testament to the single greatest group of teachers I’ve ever came in contact with and the best students in the state of Kentucky.” Selection of schools is based on a 37 piece rubric developed by the National Forum. Schools that appear to meet the criteria are then visited by a team of trained reviewers who observe classrooms; interview administrators, teachers, students, and parents; and look at achievement data, suspension rates, quality of lessons, and student work. Schools are recognized for a three-year period, and at the end of three years must repeat the process and show growth in order to be re-designated. "The Schools to Watch program has shown that schools can meet high academic expectations while preserving a commitment to healthy development and equity for all students," said Dr. Ericka Uskali, National Forum executive director. "The 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," Uskali said. Launched in 1999, Schools to Watch began as a national program to identify middle-grades schools across the country that were meeting or exceeding the 37 criteria developed by the National Forum. The National Forum web site (http://www.schoolstowatch.org) features profiles of the designated schools, as well as detailed information about the selection criteria used in the recognition program. Currently, there are around 425 Schools to Watch in 17 states. In 2002, the Forum began working with states to replicate the Schools to Watch program as a way to introduce the Forum's criteria for high-performance and to identify middle grades schools that meet or exceed that criteria. Kentucky joined the program in 2003 and the state program is coordinated through the Kentucky Middle School Association. More information is available on the Kentucky website, www.kmsaonline.com/schools-to-watch.html. Kentucky Schools to Watch contact: Fran Salyers, 859-608-2368[email protected] or [email protected] National Forum Schools to Watch contact: Ericka Uskali, 217-469-6299[email protected] Current Kentucky Schools to Watch Adairville School (Logan County) Auburn School (Logan County) Boyd County Middle School (Boyd County) Chandlers School (Logan County) Garrard Middle School (Garrard County) Mayfield Middle School (Graves County) Mt. Washington Middle School (Bullitt County) Olmstead School (Logan County) Rowan County Middle School (Rowan County) Spencer County Middle School (Spencer County) Union County Middle School (Union County)
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