Carolina Springs Middle School recently earned the national honor of being designated as a School to Watch by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform.

The school’s emphasis on strong academics, sensitivity to young adolescents’ needs and interests, and commitment to providing all students with access to a high-quality education resulted in the well-deserved recognition.

“Carolina Springs Middle School is empowering students every day to work hard and do their best, all while providing a safe and supportive learning environment,” said Dr. Lexington One Superintendent Gerrita Postlewait. “We are so proud of the school culture Carolina Springs Middle administration and staff has created. The school is very deserving of this designation.”

Carolina Springs Middle Principal Dr. Brice Cockfield said, “We are proud to be a part of the Schools to Watch network. This designation shows that Carolina Springs Middle is dedicated to continuous improvement in meeting the unique needs of early adolescents in our school and helping them discover pathways to success.”

As part of the Schools to Watch process, Carolina Springs Middle School administrators and staff completed an extensive application and participated in on-site visits and interviews by a Schools to Watch team. Schools are recognized for a three-year period, at the end of which they must apply for re-designation and demonstrate that they are continuing to meet the National Forum’s rigorous criteria.

Carolina Springs Middle joins only 36 schools across the state of South Carolina that have received this designation. Nationwide, there are just over 550 schools in 19 states and 3 countries that have earned this designation. Carolina Springs Middle will be recognized at the South Carolina Middle School Conference March 3-5, 2023, and in Washington, DC at the National Schools to Watch Conference sponsored by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform.

The Schools to Watch initiative in South Carolina is sponsored by the S.C. Association for Middle Level Education and the South Carolina Middle Grades Initiative.