White Pine Middle School is one of two middle schools in Michigan to attain the School to Watch® designation a third time in a row. This is a testament to the enduring focus of the staff and district on best practices for middle level adolescents.

Schools to Watch® is a national initiative launched in 1999 by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform. The National Forum is an alliance of more than 60 educators, researchers, and officers of national associations and foundations dedicated to improving schools for young adolescents across the country. In 2002, the forum launched its Schools to Watch® State program.  Michigan joined in 2006, which is also the year White Pine Middle School earned its first designation.

Through the Schools to Watch® initiative, the National Forum identifies schools across the United States that are well on their way to meeting the Forum’s criteria for high performance. There are 3 things true of high-performing middle-grades schools:

·         They are academically excellent—these schools challenge all students to use their minds well.

·         They are developmentally responsive—these schools are sensitive to the unique developmental challenges of early adolescence.

·         They are socially equitable—these schools are democratic and fair, providing every student with high-quality teachers, resources, and supports.

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.

The designation process involved an extensive survey of the programs, a detailed application and a site visit by a team of middle school educators. These educators visited classrooms, spoke with staff, students and parents in order to evaluate White Pine Middle School.

White Pine Middle School is proud of its continued pursuit of excellence in middle school education and will continue to improve its programs to meet the unique needs of our students.

If you would like more information about the National Forum or Michigan Schools to Watch, it can be found through the following links:

http://michiganschoolstowatch.org/

http://middlegradesforum.org/