Columbus, OH — Wednesday, August 16, 2023
For Immediate Release
The Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) announced that eleven schools have been named 2023 AMLE Schools of Distinction. The recipient schools are:
Brambleton Middle School, Ashburn, VA
Farmwell Station Middle School, Ashburn, VA
Gilbert Middle School, Gilbert, Iowa
Kamehameha Schools, Kapālama, Hawai’i
Mayfield Middle School, Mayfield, Ohio
Mattawan Middle School, Mattawan, Michigan
Oceanside Middle School, Oceanside, New York
South Orangetown Middle School, Blauvelt, New York
South View Middle School, Edina, Minnesota
Watertown Middle School, Watertown, South Dakota
Winston Campus Jr. High School, Palatine, Illinois
AMLE’s Schools of Distinction program recognizes exemplary schools while supporting them through a process of strategic vision setting to help foster ongoing growth and success. The program’s evaluation criteria are anchored in AMLE’s landmark position paper on best practice in the middle grades, The Successful Middle School: This We Believe, now in its fifth edition and 41st year of publication.
Each recipient school completed a rigorous review process that measured their implementation of middle grades best practice and continuous improvement plans. After advancing from the initial application, schools underwent a series of stakeholder interviews that included the perspectives of staff, students, and families.
“It is a privilege to recognize this year’s Schools of Distinction. They are truly worthy of this honor and I’m excited for AMLE to be able to share their stories,” said Stephanie Simpson, CEO of AMLE, “Through this program we are building a network of educators committed to the success of young adolescents that can learn from and support each other.” With this year’s announcement of recognized schools, AMLE has also launched a searchable database of all AMLE Schools of Distinction and a mini-professional development video library to promote and share the exemplary practices occurring in each of the recipient schools.
“On behalf of the committee, we are excited to celebrate these schools and all that makes the middle level special in the coming months,” said Stephanie Patton, Chair of the AMLE Schools of Distinction Committee, “I am grateful to everyone who made this year’s selection process a success, including each school’s community stakeholders as well as our committee members and AMLE staff.” The recipient schools will be recognized and present on their exemplary practices live at AMLE50: The 50th Annual Conference for Middle Level Education this November in National Harbor, Maryland.
AMLE recognizes schools that meet the Schools of Distinction criteria on an annual basis. The program is open to any school that educates 10–15-year-old students. The AMLE website contains more information about AMLE Schools of Distinction and The Successful Middle School Program.
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About the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE)
The Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) is an international membership organization that helps middle grades educators reach every student, grow professionally, and create great schools. To learn more, visit www.amle.org.