Vol, 7, No. 10: March 10, 2008		Get SEAchange by email

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3. Middle Schools of Excellence

Elizabeth Burmaster, state superintendent of public instruction, and Thomas Beattie, executive director for the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators (AWSA), awarded Wisconsin"s first Middle School of Excellence awards to four schools.

The winners were chosen from among 90 Exemplary Middle Schools identified last year through academic achievement criteria.

Templeton Middle School, in the Hamilton School District, won in the large school category. Medford Middle School and Principal Al Leonard won the medium category. Bloomer Middle School took the small school award, and Colby Middle School was recognized for exemplary performance among middle schools with high poverty rates.

Applications were judged by a panel including middle school principals and a representative from the Department of Public Instruction. They examined the schools' efforts and accomplishments in the areas of collaborative leadership and professional learning communities; personalization and the school environment; and curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Schools were invited to apply for a Middle School of Excellence award by being within the top 10 percent of all schools in reading and mathematics achievement on the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examinations, having significant gains in reading or mathematics scores during the past year, or having high growth in reading or mathematics achievement in schools of high poverty.

"These four middle schools have embraced our New Wisconsin Promise: to ensure a quality education for every child," Burmaster said. "The success they create in middle school builds on the foundation for future success in high school and beyond."

"Middle school is a transitional time that can challenge parents and teachers. The leaders in these schools have established successful learning communities that nurture their students," Beattie said. "The 2008 Middle Schools of Excellence are models for other schools to look to for strategies that support students and their academic achievement."

More information is available in a DPI news release.

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Last updated on 3/10/2008