Northwest Middle School Named School to Watch™

Northwest Middle School Principal Dr. Patrick Jarrett, along with GCS Superintendent Dr. Burke Royster and Assistant Superintendent for School Leadership Dr. David McDonald, announced the school has earned designation as a School To Watch™ by the National Forum Schools To Watch™ committee. Northwest Middle School will hold the designation for three years before re-applying.

Schools To Watch™ is a national designation awarded to middle level institutions of learning that embody the ideals of four domains: Academic Excellence, Social Equity, Developmental Responsiveness, and Organizational Structures and Processes which ensure the implementation of effective educational practices for the young adolescents as outlined by the ongoing work of The National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform and the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE).

“Earning designation as a School to Watch reaffirms what we already know about your school,” said Superintendent Royster. “Others schools will be emulating the hard work and progress Northwest has achieved in what is arguably the most challenging year in education.”

Principal Dr. Patrick Jarrett added, “Northwest is a place where everyone is valued. It’s an honor for us to recognize that we care about students and that we want them to be successful. This s a great honor for Travelers Rest and something our community can be proud of.”

The school was selected for the honor after evaluators from the South Carolina Department of Education and from schools across the state observed classrooms and interviewed stakeholders including district level professionals, administration, teachers, support staff, community members, parents, and students.

Three other GCS schools have been previously named Schools to Watch. They are Beck Academy, League Academy, and Sevier Middle.