By George Slaughter
For a third time, McMeans Junior High, 21001 Westheimer Parkway, 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.
The designations last for a three-year period. McMeans first received the recognition in 2015, then 2018 and again this year.
“It truly takes an entire team to receive such a prestigious national recognition,” Steve Guzzetta, McMeans principal, said. “Our dedicated staff, students, and parents have taken to heart a commitment to make McMeans a high-performing school that aims to promote academic growth and achievement with each one of our students. We are proud to say that McMeans educators are creating bright futures.”
McMeans’s selection came for its academic excellence, developmental responsiveness, organizational structures and processes, and social equity. The school is known for its strong leadership team, which includes teachers who work to improve curriculum and instruction. The team also shares a commitment towards assessment and accountability for continuous improvement.
The Schools to Watch selection process is based on a written application that requires schools to show how they met certain established criteria. State teams visited the schools, where they observed classrooms and students at work. The teams also interviewed administrators and teachers.
McMeans joins approximately 50 other campus across Texas to receive this honor. McMeans will be nationally recognized at the National Schools to Watch Virtual Conference in June.
At the end of the third year, a school must demonstrate progress on specific goals to be re-designated.