SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell announced today the names of three middle schools designated as the 2004 California's Schools To Watch — Taking Center Stage. These schools represent examples of high-performing middle schools that are academically excellent, developmentally responsive to the needs of young adolescents, socially equitable, and organized in a way to sustain dynamic improvement and reform.

"It gives me great pleasure to congratulate these outstanding middle schools and to designate them as the 2004 California's Middle Schools To Watch," said O'Connell.

These three schools were selected as models by the California's Middle Grade Alliance from many outstanding applicants. They exemplify the criteria for a high-performing middle school developed by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform, and reflect the principles of Taking Center Stage: A Commitment to Standards-Based Education for California's Middle Grade Students. They join four schools selected last year.

"Educating today's middle school students in the context of California's rigorous standards can be extremely challenging," O'Connell said. "These three schools meet this challenge very well."

This year's designees are:

• Alvarado Middle School, Rowland Unified School District, Rowland Heights, Los Angeles County, Principal Nancy Padilla;
• John Glenn Middle School of International Studies, Desert Sands Unified School District, Indio, Riverside County, Principal Carole Ferraud; and
• Medea Creek Middle School, Oak Park Unified School District, Oak Park, Ventura County, Principal Laurel Ford.

Formal recognition will be given to the model schools at the annual California League of Middle Schools Conference in San Jose, March 11-14. There the three schools will be given their first opportunity to showcase themselves and network with other middle schools from around the state.

California's Schools To Watch — Taking Center Stage program is a major activity of the California Middle Grades Alliance. The alliance is composed of six organizational partners: the California League of Middle Schools, the Association of California School Administrators, the California School Boards Association, the California Middle Grades Partnership Networks, the Curriculum and Instruction Steering Committee of the California County Superintendents Educational Association, and the California Department of Education. The California League of Middle Schools serves as the lead organization for the program.

Schools submitted an application and self-assessment last fall, and were visited by a review team. Implementation of the recommendations and guidance given in California's middle grades handbook, Taking Center Stage, were considered as some of the primary factors during the application process.

Designated schools will serve as models for other schools to visit, learn from, and emulate. A virtual tour of the four 2003 schools is available at: http://www.clms.net (Outside Source). The virtual tour will be expanded in coming months to include the three 2004 designees

California is one of eight states working with the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform to select model middle schools. Additional information about the National Forum may be obtained at: http://www.mgforum.org/ (Outside Source).