FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Four MIDDLE SCHOOLS RECOGNIZED AS “Don Eichhorn Schools: Schools to Watch” for the 1st time and eight SCHOOLS RE-DESIGNATED

ANNOUNCED IN PENNSYLVANIA
Mechanicsburg, PA - Twelve exemplary Middle Grades Schools in Pennsylvania have been recognized as PA Don Eichhorn Schools: “Schools to Watch” (PA STW) as part of a recognition program developed by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform. In partnership with the Pennsylvania Association for Middle Level Education (PAMLE), and the Horace Mann Service Corporation, PA STW has been recognizing schools since 2006-07. The Pennsylvania “Schools to Watch” leadership team has announced that the following schools have met the strict STW criteria and have been recognized:

New Schools

• Black Rock Middle School, Lower Merion SD, Villanova, PA
• Central Cambria Middle School, Central Cambria SD, Ebensburg, PA
• Jefferson Middle School, Mt. Lebanon SD, Pittsburgh, PA
• Shaler Area Middle School, Shaler Area SD, Glenshaw, PA 

Re-designated for the 1st time. These schools were originally recognized in 2022-23.

• Deer Lakes Middle School, Deer Lakes SD, Cheswick, PA 
• Wendover Middle School, Hempfield Area SD, Greensburg, PA

Re-designated for the 3rd time – This school was first recognized in 2016-17. 

• Springton Lake Middle School, Rose Tree Media SD, Media PA

Re-designated for the 4th time. These schools were originally recognized in 2013-14. 

• Northley Middle School, Penn-Delco SD, Aston, PA 
• Schuylkill Valley Middle School, Schuylkill Valley SD, Leesport, PA

Re-designated for the 5th time. This school was originally recognized in 2010-11.

• Ryan Gloyer Middle School, Seneca Valley SD, Harmony, PA

Re-designated for the 6th time – These schools were originally recognized in 2007-08.

• Boyce Middle School, Upper St Clair SD, Upper St. Clair, PA
• Fort Couch Middle School, Upper St Clair SD, Pittsburgh, PA

These 12 schools join 39 other Pennsylvania middle-grades schools previously recognized and still active in the STW process. Since our beginning in 2006-07 we have recognized 66 schools across Pennsylvania. Schools opt out of the STW program for multiple reasons. These twelve schools will be recognized at the Pennsylvania Association for Middle Level Educations State Conference on February 21, 22 & 23, 2026, at the Crowne Plaza in King of Prussia. Each of these schools will have a local celebration in either May or June of 2026 in their school. They will also be recognized nationally with all the other recognized STW schools across the country in Washington DC at the National Forum’s National Schools to Watch Conference on June 25-27, 2026.

PA STW state leaders selected each school for its Academic Excellence, Developmental Responsiveness, Social Equity, and Organizational Structures and Processes. These schools demonstrate strong leadership, collaborative teaching practices focused on improving curriculum and instruction, and a commitment to assessment and accountability that drives continuous improvement.

Bruce Vosburgh, PA State STW Director, shared:
“We congratulate these schools for being places that do great things for all their students. These schools demonstrate that high-performing middle grades schools prioritize academic growth and achievement. They also understand the importance of meeting the needs of every student and ensuring access to a challenging, high-quality education. These schools have shown that it is possible to overcome barriers to excellence, and middle-level schools in any state can learn from their examples.”

The Schools to Watch selection process begins with a written application in which schools demonstrate how they meet the criteria established by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform. Schools that appear to meet these criteria receive a visit from a state team, which observes classrooms, interviews administrators, teachers, students, and parents, and examines achievement data, suspension rates, lesson quality, and student work.

Schools receive recognition for a three-year period. At the end of that term, they must re-apply to maintain their STW designation. To be re-designated, schools must show progress on the goals and considerations identified during their previous site visit. Unlike the Blue Ribbon recognition program, Schools to Watch requires schools not only to highlight strengths but also to demonstrate ongoing efforts toward continuous improvement—hence the three-year re-designation cycle. The re-designation process is based on the school’s demonstrated growth since its last STW recognition.

Launched in 1999, Schools to Watch began as a national program to identify middle-grades schools across the country that were meeting or exceeding 37 researched based criteria developed by the National Forum. The Forum developed a website https://www.middlegradesforum.org/ that features online tours of schools, as well as detailed information about the selection criteria used in the recognition program. There are now 20 states across the country, which have trained Schools to Watch State Teams, with more than 700 schools recognized across the country.

The National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform began as an alliance of 65 educators, researchers, national associations, and officers of professional organizations and foundations dedicated to improving education in the middle grades.

Information about the STW program can be found on the website of the National Forum as well as on the PAMLE website.

https://www.pamle.org/Schools-to-Watch

https://www.middlegradesforum.org/

Contact person:

Bruce Vosburgh, Director, PA STW
bvosbur@comcast.net