DuBois Area Middle School has achieved a significant milestone, being re-designated as a Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn Schools: “Schools to Watch” (PA STW) for the 2024-25 school year by the Pennsylvania Association for Middle Level Education (PAMLE). This is the 6th re-designation for DAMS, an honor that reflects 18 years of sustained excellence in middle-level education.
DAMS is one of just 14 exemplary middle schools recognized this year in Pennsylvania through a rigorous selection process developed by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform. The program celebrates schools that excel in:
- Academic Excellence
- Developmental Responsiveness
- Social Equity
- Organizational Structures and Processes
The Schools to Watch designation is not just a recognition but a commitment to continuous improvement. Schools must undergo a thorough application process, including classroom observations, stakeholder interviews, and data reviews, every three years to maintain their designation. DAMS has continuously demonstrated its ability to meet and exceed the program's high standards.
“Schools to Watch” requires schools to not just identify strengths, but to also focus on areas for continuous improvement; thus the three-year re-designation. The re-designation process is based on the school's continued growth since its last STW recognition.
DAMS will be formally recognized at the Pennsylvania Association for Middle Level Education’s state conference in February in Pittsburgh and will be recognized nationally with all other Schools to Watch designees at the National Forum’s National Schools to Watch Conference in June in Washington, D.C.
Since its launch in 1999, the Schools to Watch program has recognized over 650 middle schools across 20 states for their outstanding performance and dedication to continuous improvement. Pennsylvania has recognized 62 schools since the program's inception in 2006-07.
For more information about the program, visit:
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the entire DAMS community—students, educators, and families—on this remarkable achievement! ❤️🖤🤍