What's
New with the Forum
March 2008
Florida Selected for 2008 Middle-Grades Reform Program
Pinehurst, NC – In its continuing effort to replicate the programs and practices of
outstanding middle grades, the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform has
selected Florida to implement its acclaimed "Schools to Watch" program.
Florida was chosen after a competitive selection process in which the state team
demonstrated the capacity, commitment, and vision to partner with the Forum to establish
the program. Florida will now work with the Forum to select "Schools to Watch" at the
middle level.
Read the rest of the press release here.
Exceptional Middle-Grades 'Schools to Watch' Announced in Sixteen States
Champaign-Urbana, IL – Forty-seven exemplary middle-grades schools in Arkansas, California,
Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio,
Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia have been named “Schools to Watch” as
part of a recognition program developed by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades
Reform. Having established partnerships with education leaders in these states, the Forum today
announced the names of schools in each state that meet its strict criteria.
Read the rest of the press release here.
Feburary 2008
2008 Schools to Watch Conference
Click here to download the sign up form
December 2007
Contributions to support the work of the National Forum can now be made through Network for Good.
As a not-for-profit, the scope of the Forum's work can be enhanced through tax deductible contributions. Three primary goals guide our work for making high performing middle grades schools the norm across this country:
- Advancing middle grades education through advocacy initiatives
- Improving school and classroom practice through our Schools to
- Watch state initiative
- Promoting research efforts
Please click on Network for Good to donate directly to the National Forum. Thank you for your support
June 2007
Middle grades improvement to be introduced in the US House of Representatives!
Rep. Grijalva takes the leadership in calling for attention and intervention at the middle grades. Middle grades educators can help advance the cause by contacting your representative about the needs of the middle grades. Click here to find out more and for the National Forum's Schools to Watch Talking Points.
April 2007
NCLB Reauthorization Recommendations to
Improve Middle Level Education
Informing policymakers is a key strategy for accelerating middle grades reform. Four actions are currently underway. First, to reinforce our collective voice, the Forum has joined forces with our organizational partners to submit NCLB recommendations. This unified voice and accompanying actions elevates and adds value. *The NCLB reauthorization* process has moved quickly over the last 6 weeks, so the Forum also submitted a revised and updated version of our policy recommendations to the HELP Committee prior to the end of March.
NCLB Reauthorization Recommendations to
Improve Middle Level Education
Letter to Edward M. Kennedy
Feburary 2007
2007 National Schools to Watch Annual Conference
June 21–23— Washington, DC
Join us for this exceptional event and download the brochure here!
The National Forum has set June 21-23, 2007 for the 3rd annual Schools to Watch Conference. Make plans to be in DC for this premiere event where high performing middle grades schools and leaders learn and grow. The Schools to Watch program is a significant force in middle-grades reform. It identifies and shows schools how they might learn to achieve academic success through best practices for all young adolescents. Schools to Watch exemplify the National Forum’s vision and serve as resources for other schools. Download the Date Saver brochure and share with others.
New Jersey & Oregon Selected for 2007 Middle Grades Reform Program
Pinehurst, NC – In its continuing effort to replicate the programs and practices of
outstanding middle grades schools, the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades
Reform has selected two additional states to implement its acclaimed “Schools to Watch” program.
The states of New Jersey and Oregon were chosen after a competitive selection process
in which teams from each state demonstrated the capacity, commitment, and vision to
partner with the Forum to establish the program. Each state will now work with the
Forum to select "Schools to Watch" at the middle level.
October 2006
New-Century Vision for Middle Grades Education in California
California uses the National Forum's Vision and Schools to Watch criteria to "launch a new-century vision for middle grades education in California." The STW initiative in CA is beginning its 5th year of identifying schools and building collaborative networks. Its advocacy impact will help schools across the state attain high performance.
September 2006
Forum Receives Department of Education Grant
The Forum - working alongside four Comprehensive School Reform models -
will be utilizing the $3 million, 3 year U.S. Department of Education
grant to develop a Mathematics Improvement Toolkit focusing on the needs
of students with disabilities, limited English proficient students and
students in rural areas. Read the news release.
August 2006
PALMS Information Brochure
A recent report by the Education Commission of the States1 reveals that, among those of eligible age, only 15% of the Latino population earns a postsecondary degree, and an astounding 48% have less than a high school credential. The PALMS (Postsecondary Access for Latino Middle-grades Students) project was created in response to this crisis in educational attainment.
You can learn more about PALMS by viewing their information brochure.
The American Youth Policy Forum
Schools to Watch Highlighted at Congressional Briefing
Nearly 100 federal policy makers, association leaders and congressional aides attended the AYPF on June 23, 2006 in the Rayburn House Office Building in DC to learn about successful practices in the middle grades. The session: MIDDLE GRADES REFORM: Breaking Ranks in the Middle and Schools to Watch featured NASSP’s Breaking Ranks in the Middle which focuses on strategies and recommendations to create developmentally appropriate and academically rigorous middle schools. To assist middle schools in reaching this goal, the National Forum's state Schools to Watch program, a state-sponsored self-evaluation and improvement program, was highlighted.
Schools to Watch operates in 14 states and through June of 2006, 87 schools have been identified as STW.
PRESENTERS:
John Nori, Director, Instructional Leadership Resources, National Association of Secondary School Principals
Linda Hopping, Co-Chair, Georgia Lighthouse Schools to Watch
Irv Howard, Program Director, California Schools to Watch
Click here to see highlights from the AYPF Presentation.
National Forum Members and 2006 Schools to Watch take the message of middle grades to federal policymakers
Over 50 visits to congressional and senate offices were completed on June 22, 2006 as part of the Forum's Schools to Watch Conference where the schools were recognized for their exceptional accomplishments. Click here to read the policy document
Two other middle grades policy documents were released in 2006. See Success in the Middle: A Policymaker's Guide to Achieving Quality Middle Level Education from the National Middle School Association and the NASSP Policy Recommendations for Middle Level Reform by the National Association of Secondary School Principals.
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