Hickory Creek redesignated as a "School to Watch"

At the regular April 8, 2013 Frankfort School District 157-C Board of Education meeting, the Board recognized John Viano, the Executive Director of the Association of Illinois Middle Schools (AIMS.)  Mr. Viano presented the Board with a plaque for the recertification of Hickory Creek Middle School as a Horizon "School to Watch."

Exemplary middle-grades schools in seventeen states across the country were named “Schools to Watch” as part of a signature program developed by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform.   Launched in 1999, Schools to Watch began as a national program to identify middle-grades schools across the country that were meeting or exceeding 37 criteria developed by the Forum. The Forum web site (http://www.schoolstowatch.org) features detailed information about the selection criteria. 

Each “School to Watch” was selected by state leaders for its academic excellence, its responsiveness to the needs and interests of young adolescents, and its commitment to helping all students achieve at high levels. In addition, each school has strong leadership, teachers who work together to improve curriculum and instruction, and a commitment to assessment and accountability to foster continuous improvement.

Selection is based on a written application that required schools to show how they met criteria developed by the Forum.  Schools that appeared to meet the criteria were then visited by state teams who observed classrooms, interviewed administrators, teachers, students, and parents, and looked at achievement data, suspension rates, quality of lessons, and student work. Schools are recognized for a three-year period, and at the end of three years must repeat the process in order to be re-designated. Hickory Creek first earned the distinction of being designated as a School to Watch in 2009 and was re-designated last year.

Prior to its transformation from a Junior High School to a nationally-recognized middle school, Hickory Creek earned the U.S. Department of Education Award of Excellence Blue Ribbon.  In 2005, Hickory Creek earned state recognition when it was designated as a “Demonstration Middle School.”  Hickory Creek has had the distinction of being visited by other middle school teachers and administrators as an example of best practices as a middle school.  In addition, Hickory Creek staff has made presentations throughout the state highlighting the school’s practices. 

Mr. Viano stated, “You epitomize what middle school is all about.  It is important to recognize that you are one of only 23 districts in Illinois and one of only 284 schools in the United States that has attained this recognition.”  The criteria for the recertification included academic excellence, social equity for students, being developmentally responsive and promoting an organizational structure for students and staff to do their best.  Hickory Creek Middle School Principal Dr. Kevin Suchinski and a team of educators from the school were recognized for the school’s redesignation at the Schools to Watch Conference in the Washington, DC area last summer.