Blythewood Middle Re-Designated as a 2017 Schools to Watch...

BLYTHEWOOD MIDDLE RE-DESIGNATED AS A 2017 SCHOOLS TO WATCH

Through the Schools to Watch program, the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform recognizes middle schools continuously moving forward in the areas of academic excellence, developmental responsiveness, social equity and organizational structure. Schools must submit applications which are then reviewed by a team of trained middle level educators across the state. The reading team makes the determination if a school moves forward with the next step of hosting a visit. The visiting team determines whether the school has met the criteria to be named a School to Watch. The South Carolina Schools to Watch program is proud to announce 11 schools designated as Schools to Watch for 2017. School to Watch designations are held for three years, and then schools must reapply to become re-designated.

Blythewood Middle School in Richland School District Two was one of two schools first designated in 2008 and earned re-designation for the third time this year. Blythewood Middle will receive an award at the general session at the South Carolina Association for Middle Level Education conference on March 4, 2017. In addition, Blythewood Middle will send a team to Washington, D.C. in June where they will meet with their area legislative representatives and receive their national award at the National Forum’s Schools to Watch conference.

The National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform is an alliance of 65 educators, researchers, national associations and officers of professional organizations and foundations dedicated to improving education in the middle grades. Its website – www.schoolstowatch.org – features detailed information about the selection criteria used in the recognition program. South Carolina’s STW program is sponsored by the South Carolina Association for Middle Level Education, South Carolina Department of Education, South Carolina Association of School Administrators-Middle Level Principals, and the Middle Grades Initiative.