On Wednesday, May 16, Riverside Intermediate School received a visit from a representative of the Indiana Middle Level Education Association (IMLEA) since the school has received a renewed re-designated status for the second time as an Indiana “Schools to Watch.”
The Riverside students, staff and public attend the Schools to Watch Recognition event that was held in Riverside’s gymnasium.
Riverside Intermediate School and Plymouth Community School Corporation is proud to announce that Riverside has been re-designated for the 2nd time as an Indiana “Schools to Watch.” The school was originally designated in 2012, then was re-designated in 2015, and on Wednesday received their second re-designation.
This designation requires a yearlong process of completing the application and meeting all four domains of the “Schools to Watch” criteria of academic excellence, developmental responsiveness, social equity, organizational support and processes with supporting evidence from a school’s curriculum and schedule.
In addition, a Schools to Watch school is a mentor school statewide and nationally for any middle level schools who are seeking help as a school or in any of the domains of criteria. School to Watch schools are prepared for visits and networking of any kind. IMLEA has trained over 50 administrators and teachers in Indiana in the School to Watch criteria so that they are prepared to review applications, participate in site visits, and mentor other IN middle schools. All Schools to Watch schools must go through a re-designation process every three years to ensure the continued validity of the designation.
Teams from new and re-designated schools will attend the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform’s Summer Conference in June in Arlington, VA. They will present a session highlighting a program or practice at their school for other states’ attendees; spend an hour with an Indiana legislator on the “Hill” advocating for middle school best practices; attend the sessions presented by other national STW, and attend a gala dinner and brunch to publicly receive their engraved awards.
