What is Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn Schools: Schools to Watch?  The PMSA Don Eichhorn award that has been transformed into the Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn Schools:  Schools to Watch program.  It is a partnership between Pennsylvania Middle School Association, Pennsylvania Department of Education, Duquesne University, Lehigh University and Gettysburg College.   Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn Schools: Schools to Watch is the state affiliate of the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform’s National Schools to Watch program.  As a “State to Watch”, Pennsylvania recreated the National Schools to Watch program to address its unique context.

 

What is the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform?  The “National Forum” is an alliance of over 60 educators, national associations, and officers of professional associations and foundations committed to promoting the academic performance and healthy development of young adolescents.  The National Forum, which developed the original Schools to Watch criteria, serves Pennsylvania as a source of inspiration and expertise.  Additionally, the National Forum convenes at the annual national Schools to Watch conference (June, Washington D.C.).  This conference is open to both Schools to Watch and those that aspire to become Schools to Watch.

 

What does it mean to be a Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn School?  The Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn Schools: Schools to Watch program seeks to recognize a small number of diverse, high-performing, growth-oriented middle grades schools to demonstrate what all middle grades schools are capable of achieving. 

 

Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn Schools are schools that demonstrate:

Æ Academic Excellence.  These schools challenge all students to use their minds

Æ well.

Æ Developmental Responsiveness. These schools are sensitive to the unique developmental challenges of early adolescence.

Æ Social Equity.  These schools are democratic and fair, providing every student with high-quality teachers, resources, and supports.

Æ Organizational Structures and Processes.  High-performing schools establish norms, structures, and organizational arrangements to support and sustain their trajectory toward excellence.

 

A Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn School is a school that is conscientiously striving to meet fully the nationally endorsed criteria for high-performing middle schools, one that has made marked progress in meeting all of the criteria, including measurable gains in the academic achievement of all students over time.

 

How is Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn Schools: Schools to Watch different than other recognition programs?  Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn Schools: Schools to Watch is designed especially for the middle grades.  Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn Schools: Schools to Watch is both a recognition and a capacity building program.  Designations are earned based on achievement across the areas of academic excellence, developmental responsiveness, social equity and school organization.  While Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn Schools: Schools to Watch is not a grant, the designation is associated with a number of benefits.

 

When are Applications due?  All 2006-07 application materials must be postmarked by Wednesday, November 1, 2006.

 

Why should our school apply to be a Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn School?  The foundation of the Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn