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The National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform
in collaboration with the
Virginia Middle School Association
and the
Virginia Department of Education...

invites your school to demonstrate its progress in becoming a high-performing middle level school by applying for this prestigious recognition.

Schools that apply for Virginia Schools to Watch must include grade seven plus at least one other, and be fully accredited by the Virginia Department of Education.

Schools must also be members of VMSA and retain VMSA membership throughout their tenure with Schools to Watch.

Follow directions for all aspects of the application. Both data and narrative materials are needed as well as signatures as stated.

Call 703-361-3515 or 703-906-7154 or e-mail Karen Poindexter at vmsaed@comcast.net if you have any questions.

The application process has several parts:

1. Download the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform STW chart. This .pdf file lists criteria for each aspect of a STW, provides "look fors" a school should possess in meeting the criteria, followed by a column a school can use to find evidence of each criteria is accomplished at the school.
2. Download the STW criteria. This Word file expands the four areas of STW criteria in a manner a school can copy and use as discussion points in the development of the STW application. The limit is no more than three pages of narrative for each of the 4 sets of criteria.
3. Download the Schools to Watch narrative application. The first part of the application includes the school's name and address along with directions on completing a narrative describing how your school is making its way toward becoming a high-performance middle grades school. This portion of the application also requires a school to include basic school characteristics, any special recognition the school has received and the DOE School Report Card data.(*See note above regarding SOL information.)
4. The second part of the application seeks data on the school's students and faculty and requests for references for the school. Data Information primarily SOL can be submitted after November 1 deadline.
5. Download the Schools to Watch Signature Page. The last part of the application provides a sheet for signatures of the principal, the superintendent and members of the team involved in production of the STW application.
Please return one hard copy with signature page, one copy on CD, and one electronic version (email to vmsaed@comcast.net ) of the application to:

VMSA, c/o Karen Poindexter
9804 Copeland Dr.
Manassas, VA 20109

by the November 1, 2008 deadline. (*See note above regarding AYP information.) 		Please do not fax the application.
Do not include any supplemental materials with the application.

Call Karen Poindexter at 703-361-3515 or 703-906-7154 or e-mail her at vmsaed@comcast.net if you have any questions. We look forward to receiving your application!