Describing Characteristics of Pennsylvania's "Schools to Watch": Focusing on Social Equity and Developmental Responsiveness

• In Event: 26.079 - Roundtable Session 7
  In Roundtable Session: 26.079-16 - Middle School Reform and Academic Achievement

Abstract

The purpose of our study is to describe school and student characteristics of all Schools to Watch (STW) sites in Pennsylvania (PA) to identify similarities and differences. The STW program was created by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform with the goal of improving academic performance and the healthy development of young adolescents in middle grades. PA is one of 19 states participating in the program. Our second purpose is to understand how schools address two of the four STW criteria: social equity and developmental responsiveness. Applications from 10 schools are being examined. This includes the schools’ narratives describing programs, initiatives, successes, and challenges related to STW criteria; self-study rubrics based on 37 sub-criteria; and state evaluators’ comments.

Authors

• Carol S. Parke, Duquesne University

• Gretchen Givens Generett, University of Pittsburgh

• Renata de Almeida Ramos, Duquesne University