Chapin Middle School honored nationally as a School to Watch®

The National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform has named Chapin Middle School as one of its Schools to Watch® for the 2016-17 school year. The Schools to Watch® initiative was launched in 1999 by the National Forum and it identifies schools across the United States that are well on their way to meeting the Forum’s criteria for high performance.

“We are truly honored to receive the designation of being a South Carolina School to Watch®,” said Chapin Middle School principal Anna Miller. “I am so happy for everyone involved in our school, district and community because this award is a testament to the dedication, support and excellence that surrounds us every day. We consistently practice the art of reflection and continuous improvement. I also believe that this prestigious recognition will make us an even better and stronger school for our students, our district and our community.”

The criteria of being selected as a School to Watch® is based on four domains: Academic Excellence, Developmental Responsiveness, Social Equity and Organizational Structures and Processes. Forum members believe that high-performing middle-grade schools are academically excellent, developmentally responsive and socially equitable. To achieve this level of performance, high-performing schools establish norms, structures, and organizational arrangements to support and sustain their trajectory toward excellence. They have a sense of purpose that drives every facet of practice and decision-making.

“We are pleased to announce Chapin Middle School as one of South Carolina’s very own Schools to Watch®,” said Ericka Uskali, Executive Director of The National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Forum. “Since its instillation in 1999, the National Forum has searched far and wide across the United States for middle-grade schools that concentrate on academic excellence, developmental responsiveness and social equity. Chapin Middle School has exemplified high performance and truly represents what a School to Watch® is all about.”

District Five Superintendent Dr. Stephen Hefner was excited to hear the news about Chapin Middle School and offered his thoughts saying, “Becoming a School to Watch® is a significant honor for Chapin Middle School. It means that middle schools across America will be using Chapin Middle as an example of excellence. I know that Chapin Middle will represent District Five and South Carolina very well. My congratulations to Principal Miller, the Chapin Middle teachers, staff, students and parents.”