(FRANKFORT, Ky.) -- Kentucky Education Commissioner Gene Wilhoit will join local school officials next week to recognize Kentucky's newest Schools to Watch.
Schools to Watch is an initiative sponsored by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform. The program is designed to showcase schools around the country that meet the forum's criteria for high performance -- academic excellence, developmental responsiveness and social equity
Kentucky's 2004-05 Schools to Watch were selected based on nominations from forum members and data related to the forum's criteria. The 2004-05 selections are F.T. Burns Middle, Daviess County; Northern Middle, Pulaski County; and Olmstead Elementary, Logan County.
The schedule for the visits is as follows. All times are local.
- Wednesday, May 11 -- 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. F.T. Burns Middle
- Wednesday, May 11 -- 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. Olmstead Elementary
- Thursday, May 12 -- 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Northern Middle
Launched in 1999, the Schools to Watch initiative identified four schools nationwide that were focused on high-quality academics, high student achievement, accountability, standards and strong leadership. Barren County Middle was one of the first schools identified, along with Jefferson Middle in Champaign, Illinois; Freeport Intermediate in Freeport, Texas; and Thurgood Marshall Middle in Chicago. In 2003-04, Adairville Elementary and Auburn Elementary in Logan County and Mahaffey Middle in the Ft. Campbell Dependent district were named Kentucky Schools to Watch.
During the next year, forum staff will collect data from the newly-named Schools to Watch. Visit the Kentucky Schools to Watch Web site here for more information.
The National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform is an alliance of more than 60 educators, researchers, national associations and officers of professional organizations and foundations committed to promoting the academic performance and healthy development of young adolescents.
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