CAMLE Congratulates the 2022 Colorado Trailblazer Schools to Watch

Neither cold, nor sleet, nor pouring rain or Global Pandemic could stop these four Colorado middle schools from advancing learning and continuing their trajectory of success: Basalt Middle School in Basalt, CO; Brentwood Middle School in Greeley, CO, Flagstaff Academy in Longmont, CO and Preston Middle School in Fort Collins, CO.

These four exemplary middle-grades schools have been named “Colorado Trailblazer Schools to Watch” as part of a recognition program developed by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform. Having established partnerships with education leaders in 19 states, the Forum and the Colorado Association of Middle Level Education work collaboratively to identify schools that demonstrate educational best practices for young adolescents and show evidence of high student performance.

Each school was selected by state leaders for its academic excellence, its responsiveness to the needs and interests of young adolescents, and its commitment to helping all students achieve at high levels. In addition, each school has strong leadership, teachers who work together to improve curriculum and instruction, and a commitment to assessment and accountability to bring about continuous improvement.

Basalt Middle School blends community service and fundraising through “Pedal with a Purpose.” Students regularly engage in global thinking in order to transfer classroom learning to authentic situations.

Julie Shue, State Co-Director of the Colorado Schools to Watch program stated, “We congratulate these schools for being places of exceptional learning for adolescents. These schools demonstrate that high-performance is a result of intentional focus on individual student academic growth and achievement. These schools recognize the importance of meeting the needs of all of their students and ensuring that every child has access to a rigorous, high-quality education.”

Selection is based on a written application that required schools to show how they met criteria developed by the Forum. Schools that appeared to meet the criteria were then visited by state teams who observed classrooms, interviewed administrators, teachers, 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 repeat the process in order to be re-designated.

The schools vary in size from several hundred to nearly a thousand students and represent urban, suburban, and rural communities.  Each will be honored in Washington, DC at the National Schools to Watch Conference on June 24, 2022.

Brentwood students demonstrate the characteristics of high quality learners through accessing advanced level content. Teachers foster whole school approaches to deepening academic rigor and discourse through reading and writing across the curriculum.

“We are pleased that our Schools to Watch program has shown that schools can meet high academic expectations while preserving a commitment to healthy development and equity for all students,” said Katie Gustafson, Co-Director of Colorado Schools to Watch. “These schools have proven that it is possible to overcome barriers to achieving excellence, and any middle-level school in any state can truly learn from their examples,” Gustafson said.

Launched in 1999, Schools to Watch began as a national program to identify middle-grades schools across the country that were meeting or exceeding 37 criteria developed by the Forum. The Forum developed a web site (https://www.middlegradesforum.org/) that features online tours of schools, as well as detailed information about the selection criteria used in the recognition program.

In 2002, the Forum began working with states to replicate the Schools to Watch program as a way to introduce the Forum’s criteria for high-performance and identify middle grades schools that meet or exceed that criteria. Different education organizations have taken the lead in each state, but all have received training and support from the Forum to implement their Schools to Watch programs. The lead state organization in Colorado is the Colorado Association of Middle Level Education (www.camle.com) which is the state affiliate of the National Middle School Association (www.nmsa.org). 

Middle school students at Flagstaff Academy engage in hands-on, project-based learning and participate in a wide range of extra-curricular activities to stimulate their imagination, curiosity and ingenuity.

CAMLE will be hosting their annual conference in October 2022 where each School to Watch will share replicable practices of success.  Other schools that are demonstrating evidence-based practices will be invited to showcase their programs at this gathering.

Nineteen states are currently involved in the program and the addition of these 6 schools raises the total number of Schools to Watch to over 300 nationwide.

The National Forum sponsors the Schools to Watch state program with the support of members, the National Association for Elementary School Principals, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the National Middle School Association, the National Staff Development Council, and the State Schools to Watch programs.

The National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform is an alliance of 65 educators, researchers, national associations, and officers of professional organizations and foundations dedicated to improving education in the middle grades. (www.mgforum.org)

Students at Preston Middle School anchor their learning through STEM experiences, using inquiry learning strategies and strategic approaches to foster high level academic discourse to deepen their learning in all content areas.

Join ‘Middle School Mondays LIVE’ w/ Fru and Frank

Join Colorado middle level educators Megan Fruvellhoff and Chris Frank for 30 minutes of laughter and learning on the LAST Monday of each month, LIVE! 

Together, they will share teacher hacks, timely tips, and best practices from educators and experts across Colorado.

  • Jan 31 – (3:45-4:15 PM)
  • Feb 28 – (3:45-4:15 PM)
  • Mar 28 – (3:45-4:15 PM)
  • Apr 25 – (3:45-4:15 PM)
  • May 23 – (3:45-4:15 PM)

Use the following link to access the #MiddleSchoolMondays Zoom Room https://tinyurl.com/MiddleSchoolMondays

January 31 Special Guest, Nicholas D. Thompson

Fru and Frank welcome Nick Thompson, LCSW, who has been working with adolescents and their families for over 13 years in a variety of settings including middle and high schools, private practice, residential treatment facilities, and detention centers. Nick regularly presents to schools, teachers, students and parents regarding a wide range of topics including awareness around the teenage brain, mental health supports, strategies to build personal resiliency, self-regulation and self-direction. He is also the author of two podcasts, Perspectives for Parents and The Nick Thompson Podcast.


Nick will highlight strategies and tips for building relationships with students, especially those who are sometimes the most challenging to reach. He will provide concrete examples, stories, and anecdotes that any middle level educator can use and transfer into their own setting. 

Use the following link to access the #MiddleSchoolMondays Zoom Room https://tinyurl.com/MiddleSchoolMondays

Meet our ‘Middle School Mondays’ Hosts

Megan Fruvellhoff is a school counselor at Longs Peak Middle School (Colorado School to Watch 2020). Megan provides critical leadership and support on the topics of teacher self-care, student self-regulation, growth mindset and personal resiliency. Chris Frank is an assistant principal at Altona Middle School (Colorado School to Watch 2021). Chris celebrates the individual, both student and staff, through coaching and facilitating for personal growth, team building, and schoolwide advancement for diversity, equity and inclusion.

Joining Megan and Chris each month will be special guests that include regional experts, practitioners and as well as others engaged in the work of empowering and educating the young adolescent.

Virtual Visit – See Workforce Readiness in ACTION at Fountain Middle School

At Fountain Middle School, every students explores and identifies a career pathway in Grade 7. Fountain Middle School leverages powerful school culture, dynamic adult mentors, and comprehensive career readiness tools to ignite interest, passion and connection to future careers.

Register Today! Schools To Watch Virtual Visit – Middle School May 10th 9am to 11am.

The Fountain Middle School approach to Career Readiness is aligned with the Colorado Career Cluster model. During the visit you will meet school leaders, counselors, teachers and students with time for observation and Q & A.

Hosted by Dr. William Dallas, principal at Fountain Middle School

Register Today! Schools To Watch Virtual Visit – Middle School May 10th 9am to 11am.

CAMLE Announces 2021 “Colorado Trailblazer Schools to Watch”

The Colorado Association of Middle Level Education is proud to honor two outstanding schools as 2021 Colorado Trailblazer Schools to Watch. These schools will be recognized at the National Schools to Watch “Virtual” Conference in June 2021.

Altona Middle School – Longmont, St. Vrain Valley Schools
Fountain Middle School School – Fountain, Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8

“These schools demonstrate that high-performance is the result of intentional focus on the whole child. An inclusive environment that cultivates student inquiry, student empowerment, and intellectual rigor results in a dynamic school where students thrive!” explained Julie Shue, State Co-Director of the Colorado Schools to Watch program. “Each of these schools excel in providing active and engaging student learning for every child. The faculty in these schools work collaboratively to provide a world class education, endeavoring to implement supports and challenge to advance learning for the young adolescents they serve. They have built a powerful, high quality middle grades program that is a model for our state.”

Altona Middle School, located in Longmont, Colorado is part of the St. Vrain Valley Schools and enrolls 815 students in grades 6-8.  Altona has earned the John Irwin Award of Excellence eleven times, and the Governor’s Distinguished School Award six times. The Altona community has come together to prepare each student to be a leader and obtain key 21st century skills such as self-reliance and academic competence so that they can thrive in an increasingly complex world. Rigorous teaching and learning is evident through a deep implementation of evidence based instructional strategies and comprehensive instructional design. Teachers engage in routine collaboration using Impact Teams as a structure to elevate and continuously improve their instruction. The daily schedule provides ample time for student inquiry and project-based learning often supported in their innovative IDEALab. Students access a wide range of extra curricular and co-curricular learning options including, but not limited to, Cyberpatriots, Democracy Day, Shark Tank, Science Olympiad, River Watch, Green Team Jeremy LaCrosse leads the staff at Altona Middle School.

Fountain Middle School located in Fountain, Colorado is part of the Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 and enrolls 1080 students in grades 6-8.  According to NICHE® 2019 Best School Districts in Colorado, Fountain-Fort Carson School District was rated as the top school district for Diversity in Colorado. Fountain-Fort Carson School District has the unique privilege of serving the children of our Armed Services through Fort Carson Army instillation. As such, approximately 70% of students are children of past and active military parents. The Fountain community has united to be able to provide comprehensive programing specific to individual student needs and interests. YouScience, Naviance tools, their comprehensive MTSS Framework, and their Post-Secondary Readiness Framework grant teachers, counselors, and administrators the ability to ensure all students have equal access to interest-based coursework and experiences that align with potential career pathways. Fountain offers a significant athletics and activities program that includes a wide range of offerings for students as part of their extra and co-curricular program. Collectively, these offerings are designed to keep students as connected to school as possible. Two specific opportunities worth noting are Sources of Strength and Where Everybody Belongs (WEB). Each program is designed to foster student agency and leadership through team building and service-learning opportunities, WEB Wednesday meet-ups, after school social gatherings, and other community projects. Dr. Bill Dallas leads the staff at Fountain Middle School.

Selection is based on a written application that requires schools to show how they met criteria developed by the Forum: Academic Excellence, Developmental Responsiveness, Social Equity, and Strong Organizational Structures. State teams organized by the Colorado Schools to Watch (www.coloradoschoolstowatch.com) program conduct site visits in order to affirm that they have indeed met the rigorous requirements of the award. These teams observe classrooms, interview administrators, teachers, and parents, review achievement data, suspension rates, instructional quality, and student work. Schools are recognized for a three-year period, and at the end of three years must repeat the process in order to be re-designated.

“These Schools to Watch are special; they make education so exciting that students and teachers don’t want to miss a day. They have proven that it is possible to achieve a high degree of educational excellence, and any middle-level school can truly learn from their example,” said Ran Barnes, President of the National Forum. “We are pleased that our Schools to Watch program has shown that schools can meet high academic expectations while preserving a commitment to healthy development and equity for all students,” Barnes said.

Launched in 1999, Schools to Watch began as a national program to identify middle-grades schools across the country that were meeting or exceeding 37 criteria developed by the Forum. The Forum developed a web site (www.middlegradesforum.org) that features online tours of schools, as well as detailed information about the selection criteria used in the recognition program. Nineteen states are currently involved in the program and the addition of these schools raises the total number of Schools to Watch to over 400 nationwide.

The National Forum sponsors the Schools to Watch state program with the support of members, the National Association for Elementary School Principals, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the Association of Middle Level Education, Learning Forward, and the State Schools to Watch programs.

The National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform is an alliance of 65 educators, researchers, national associations, and officers of professional organizations and foundations dedicated to improving education in the middle grades. (www.middlegradesforum.org)

CAMLE Announces the 2020 Colorado Schools to Watch!

The Colorado Association of Middle Level Education is proud to honor six outstanding schools as 2020 Colorado Trailblazer Schools to Watch. These schools will be recognized at the National Schools to Watch Conference on Friday, June 26, 2020 in Washington, DC.

Centennial Middle School – Montrose
Corwin International Magnet School – Pueblo
Jenkins Middle School – Colorado Springs
Lesher Middle School – Fort Collins
Longs Peak Middle School – Longmont
Westivew Middle School – Longmont

“These schools demonstrate that high-performance is the result of intentional focus on the whole child. An inclusive environment that cultivates student inquiry, student empowerment, and intellectual rigor results in a dynamic school where students thrive!” explained Julie Shue, State Co-Director of the Colorado Schools to Watch program. “Each of these schools excel in providing active and engaging student learning for every child. The faculty in these schools work collaboratively to provide a world class education, endeavoring to implement supports and challenge to advance learning for the young adolescents they serve. They have built a powerful, high quality middle grades program that is a model for our state.”

Selection is based on a written application that requires schools to show how they met criteria developed by the Forum: Academic Excellence, Developmental Responsiveness, Social Equity, and Strong Organizational Structures. State teams organized by the Colorado Schools to Watch (www.coloradoschoolstowatch.com) program conduct site visits in order to affirm that they have indeed met the rigorous requirements of the award. These teams observe classrooms, interview administrators, teachers, and parents, review achievement data, suspension rates, instructional quality, and student work. Schools are recognized for a three-year period, and at the end of three years must repeat the process in order to be re-designated.

“These Schools to Watch are indeed special; they make education so exciting that students and teachers don’t want to miss a day. They have proven that it is possible to achieve a high degree of educational excellence, and any middle-level school can truly learn from their example,” said Ericka Uskali, Forum executive director. “We are pleased that our Schools to Watch program have shown that schools can meet high academic expectations while preserving a commitment to healthy development and equity for all students,” Uskali said.

Launched in 1999, Schools to Watch began as a national program to identify middle-grades schools across the country that were meeting or exceeding 37 criteria developed by the Forum. The Forum developed a web site (www.middlegradesforum.org) that features online tours of schools, as well as detailed information about the selection criteria used in the recognition program. Nineteen states are currently involved in the program and the addition of these schools raises the total number of Schools to Watch to over 400 nationwide.

The National Forum sponsors the Schools to Watch state program with the support of members, the National Association for Elementary School Principals, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the Association of Middle Level Education, Learning Forward, and the State Schools to Watch programs.

The National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform is an alliance of 65 educators, researchers, national associations, and officers of professional organizations and foundations dedicated to improving education in the middle grades. (www.middlegradesforum.org)

CAMLE 2019 Pre-Conference

Rocky Top Middle School Site Visit

Friday, November 1, 2019

Rocky Top Middle School
114150 York Street Thornton, CO

Single Admission – $50.00
Groups or 5+ – $40.00

Register Today! Click for Buy Tickets


Rocky Top Middle School, part of the Adams 12 Five Star School District is a dynamic school that educates 1150+ students in grades 6-8. Rocky Top has been recognized as a Colorado School to Watch in 2019 and is distinguished for creating a safe, inclusive community that inspires students to achieve their potential through cutting-edge instruction and a focus on the whole child — physical, mental and social well being.

Rocky Top’s teachers collaborate and work to meet individual student needs. In the classroom, students focus on digital citizenship and use technology to enhance their learning and understanding. Rocky Top is the only student-provided 1:1 computing middle school in the state.

Rocky Top is also defined by their dedication to community service and shaping students into productive citizens through programs like Grizzlies Give Back and Random Acts of Kindness. When students graduate from Rocky Top, they know themselves as learners and are equipped to make a difference in the world!

Spend a day at Rocky Top and learn more about the Colorado Schools to Watch criteria and the replicable practices that make Rocky Top – tops!

  • Become familiar with the National Forum’s “School to Watch” Criteria of Success
  • Identify the key attributes and cultural shifts that transformed Rocky Top Middle School
  • Participate in a school site tour, visit with students, teachers and staff
  • Lunch provided

Single Admission – $50.00
Groups or 5+ – $40.00

Brentwood Middle School – 2019 Colorado School to Watch!

“America’s future walks through the doors of Brentwood Middle School each day!” Located in Greeley, this IB World School has been designated as a 2019 Colorado School to Watch. Brentwood is a thriving learning community where staff and students and families work together to provide a rich and robust learning experience for each and every child.

The faculty at Brentwood Middle School engage in deep professional learning, utilizing their collaboration time to design personalized and challenging inquiry-based units of study attuned to the needs of their students. Faculty often visit each other’s classes and observe each other teach.

The professional culture at Brentwood mirrors the student culture based on inquiry and continuous growth. Students regularly engage in reflective practice analyzing their growth as they strive to meet the goals they set for themselves. Students participate in student-led conferences on a regular basis and develop the habit for articulating their personal successes and opportunities for growth.

In addition to strong academics, students have access to a wide range of enrichment opportunities. Over 90% of Brentwood students choose to be involved in their award-winning band and music programs. Each student is expected to participate in at least one extra-curriculum activity which strengthens student-school activity and creates opportunities for passion-based learning that can transcend into high school.

The staff is led by Principal Nicole Petersen, Assistant Principal Heather Severt, and Assistant Principal William Fearn.

 

West Middle School – 2019 Colorado School to Watch!

West Middle School is a thriving community that supports learning for middle grades students at the West Campus in Colorado Springs School District 11. The West Campus is a building with a long and storied history, dating back to 1924, and has been an integral part of the Westside Community and Old Colorado City for over 90 years. It is fitting that this incredible school has been awarded the distinction of being a 2019 Colorado School to Watch!

The West school community is relentless in ensuring that all children have access to effective instructional strategies and challenging academic content. The staff continually strives to prepare children for the challenges of tomorrow. They believe that lifelong learners require a dynamic learning environment to thrive! To ensure this happens West faculty work collaboratively to provide plentiful problem-solving opportunities which are systematically infused across the content, giving students embedded opportunities to critically think and search for creative solutions. Teachers at West meet regularly to collaborate and determine next best learning opportunities for students whether it be additional support or advanced challenge.

West offer programs to meet the needs of diverse learners, these include robust supports and programming for gifted learners and those for whom English is a second language. All students have access to a broad range of activities including art, music (choir, band, and orchestra), physical education for all students and applied engineering & technology, through the Gateway to Technology program as well as the college-prep AVID program to ensure that all students meet their greatest potential.

Before and after school clubs and activities abound at West Middle School. These provide opportunities for students to participate academically, athletically, and socially.  Students can participate in Lego League Robotics, Boat Regatta, Science Olympiad, Cave of the Wind’s Future Problem Solvers, and Girl’s Law Day just to share a few.

West’s “small school atmosphere” is said to be “the best kept secret on the Westside”. West Middle School is a model learning environment for any child in the middle grades.

Flagstaff Academy is recognized as a 2019 Colorado School to Watch

Flagstaff Academy

Flagstaff Academy has been recognized as a 2019 Colorado School to Watch by the Colorado Association of Middle Level Education. The moment you walk in the door at Flagstaff Academy, you start to feel the energy and exuberance for learning that permeates this K-8 school. With 300 of the 900 students enrolled in grades 6-8, Flagstaff truly is a small community that showcases big opportunities for students.

A clear and compelling vision based on three pillars of success provides a strong foundation for learning and growth at Flagstaff. Those three pillars are: Student Success, Professional Environment and Culture, and Financial Stability.

Students are actively engaged in a rich, dynamic learning environment that synthesizes interdisciplinary learning matter into the heart, which for them is a STEM focus. Flagstaff students are curious and caring. They demonstrate inquisitiveness and integrity. They access rigorous core academics and and access a long list of essentials like Beginning Band, Intermediate Band, Advanced Band, Jazz Band, Choir, Drama, Physical Education, Art, Spanish, French, Photography, Animation, Forensic Science, Mythbusters, Computer Science, Creative Writing, Networks & Operating, Yearbook, Journalism, Robotics, Pre Engineering, Speech & Debate, Personal Finance, and Battle of the Books.

Flagstaff has developed a culture that is supportive, celebratory, accountable, and welcoming to students, staff, and faculty from all walks of life. Flagstaff Academy utilizes a multi-tiered Restorative Practices approach within the school’s culture and  the result of this approach is a community that is committed to self-responsibility, self-discipline, and self-awareness of how words and actions impact one another. Staff and students embrace the philosophy embedded in 7 Habits for Highly Effective Teens.

Connections are an important part of our the student educational journey at Flagstaff, from the connections they feel with their teachers, their peers, and the very school itself.  Research has shown that this increased sense of connection results in better school performance. Our philosophy is to intentionally build relationships with our students and facilitate them between students every single day through Restorative Practices and a Positive Behavior Support System.

Flagstaff believes in emphasizing the positive and regularly recognizes their students , reinforcing everyday behaviors that exemplify our Dragon Core Virtues. At the same time, Flagstaff Academy is a high achieving school, one that has been awarded the John Irwin School of Excellence three times. Their students are actively involved in a wide variety of academic competitions ranging from VEX Robotics, Science Fairs, Destination Imagination and Future Problem Solvers.

Flagstaff Academy is led by Executive Director, Wayne Granger and Principal Katie Gustafson.