Bentworth Middle re-designated as School to Watch
Bentworth Middle School was designated once again as a Pennsylvania Donald Eichhorn School to Watch, a program that recognizes schools achieving academic excellence.
The program, developed by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform, uses rigorous criteria to select the schools.
The middle school is among the 14 middle-grade schools in Pennsylvania that were re-designated as a School to Watch.
It is the second time Bentworth Middle School was re-designated. The school initially was designated as a School to Watch in 2016, and re-designated in 2019.
“I am very proud of their accomplishment. The entire middle school, from the building design to the day-to-day operations, places great emphasis on how a middle school student thinks and learns,” said Superintendent Dr. Scott Martin. “The staff and administration truly understand the middle school student’s mind and support them in their academics, social and emotional development. This recognition is not possible without the support of our students, parents, staff and the entire Bentworth Community.”
Bentworth Middle School will be recognized at the Pennsylvania Association for Middle Level Educations State Conference in State College on Feb. 27.
Additionally, Bentworth and all the other recognized STW schools across the country will be celebrated in Washington, D.C., at the National Forum’s National Schools to Watch Conference on June 23-25.
Schools are selected for academic excellence, social equity, developmental responsiveness, and organizational structures and processes. In addition, the schools must have “strong leadership, teachers who work together to improve curriculum and instruction, and a commitment to assessment and accountability to bring about continuous improvement.”
Schools are recognized for a three-year period, and then must go through a process to be re-designated.
Said Bruce Vosburgh, Pennsylvania State STW Director, “We congratulate these schools for being places that do great things for all of their students. These schools demonstrate that high-performing middle-grades schools are places that focus on academic growth and achievement. They are also places that recognize the importance of meeting the needs of all of their students and ensure that every child has access to a challenging, high-quality education.”