On March 5, the Utah State Board of Education and the Utah Senate recognized three District middle schools for being distinguished as national “Schools to Watch.”  Sunset Ridge Middle was reauthorized as a “School to Watch,” and Fort Herriman Middle and South Hills Middle were chosen as 2010 “Schools to Watch.”

To qualify for this recognition schools must address four critical areas that promote best practices for middle level students: academic excellence, developmental responsiveness, social equity and organizational structures.  Each school must average a three or higher on a four-point scale of 96 indicators.  There are only 100 schools nationwide with this distinction.  Three of the eight middle schools in the State of Utah listed as “Schools to Watch” are in Jordan District. ★