Mission:
To identify and recognize high-performing middle-grade schools nationwide so that their programs and practices become the norm, not the exception.

Background:
Schools to Watch, a national program launched in 1999 by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform, recognizes outstanding middle-grades schools nationwide. To date, the program has identified fifty-five schools in eleven states that meet the forum's criteria for high performance in the areas of academic excellence, responsiveness to developmental challenges of early adolescence, social equity, and strong leadership. The program's major funders include the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Lumina Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and the College Board.

Outstanding Web Feature:
Virtual tours enable visitors to the site to "walk through" four schools — Jefferson Middle School in Champaign, Illinois; Freeport Intermediate School in Freeport, Texas; Thurgood Marshall Middle School in Chicago, Illinois; and Barren County Middle School in Glasgow, Kentucky — where they meet the principal, get an overview of the school's organizational structure, and learn more about how the school meets the forum's criteria for excellence. The site also links to twenty-three other Schools to Watch and will soon offer direct links to all schools in the program.