KATY [April 15, 2019] – For the second time, Seven Lakes Junior High (SLJH) has been designated as a Texas School to Watch by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform and the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP). SLJH joins approximately 35 other campuses across Texas with this distinction and honor. The school will be recognized nationally in Washington D.C. at the National Schools to Watch Conference on June 27-29, 2019.
SLJH was selected for its academic excellence, developmental responsiveness, social equity and organizational structures and processes. In addition, the school is known to have a strong leadership team, which includes teachers who work together to improve curriculum and instruction as well as a shared commitment toward assessment and accountability for continuous improvement.
“Receiving a National Schools to Watch re-designation is an honor for SLJH. We couldn’t have done it without our dedicated staff, students and parents who work together to ensure that this school is at a high-performing level,” said Seven Lakes Junior High Principal Kristin Harper. “Our goal is to meet the needs of our students and motivate them to create a bright future,” added Harper.
The Schools to Watch selection process is based on a written application that requires schools to show how they met certain established criteria. Schools were then visited by state teams, which observed classrooms, students work and interviewed administrators and teachers among other observation mechanisms. Schools are recognized for a three-year period, and at the end of the third year, they must demonstrate progress on specific goals in order to be re-designated.