Berry Miller Junior High was recently recognized for the second time as a School to Watch by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform and the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP) as part of a national recognition program. Berry Miller JH is among only about 30 other schools across Texas to earn such distinction and honor.
Leaders selected Berry Miller for its academic excellence, developmental responsiveness, social equity and organizational structure and processes. In addition, Berry Miller has proven to have strong leadership, teachers who work together to improve curriculum and instruction and a commitment to assessment and accountability that brings about continuous improvement.
“Being redesignated as a Texas School to Watch affirms that our school provides a positive culture, academic excellence and high expectations that are in line with national and state standards to help produce and prepare our students for their future.” Berry Miller principal Tony Barcelona said.
The Schools to Watch selection process is based on a written application that requires schools to show how they meet criteria developed by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform. Schools that appeared to meet the criteria were then visited by state teams, which observed classrooms, interviewed administrators, teachers, students and parents, and looked at achievement data, suspension rates, quality of lessons and student work. Schools are recognized for a three-year period and, at the end of three years, must demonstrate progress on specific goals in order to be re-designated.
“Berry Miller’s staff is resilient and dedicated to adjusting and improving their craft each day. Teachers are the backbone to any great school and Berry Miller has proven time and time again that our teachers inspire and empower our students,” Barcelona said.
Berry Miller administration will be recognized in Austin at the Making Middle School Matter Symposium hosted by TASSP on February 28. The school will also be recognized nationally with other Schools to Watch from across the country in Washington DC at the National Forum’s National Schools to Watch Conference on June 23-25. Additionally, campus and district officials will be holding a ceremony and celebration towards the end of the school year, which will welcome key community members and stakeholders to celebrate this achievement.
“This achievement is a testament to show that continuous hard work and concentrating on what we can achieve today will create excellence in the future. This has been a difficult 2-3 years in general but, with a positive mindset, anything is achievable,” Barcelona said. “Thank you to our Bobcats and their families for making Miller a success.”
About Schools to Watch
Launched in 1999, Schools to Watch began as a national program to identify middle-grade schools across the country that were meeting or exceeding 37 research-based criteria developed by
the National Forum. The Forum developed the website www.middlegradesforum.org featuring online tours of schools, as well as detailed information about selection criteria used in the
recognition program. There are now 17 states which have trained Schools to Watch State Teams with more than 480 schools recognized across the country.
