Touting exemplary work and a dedicated staff, the Schools to Watch program has given Kearns Jr. High a special distinction for the second time.

Earning the designation as a ‘School to Watch’ means Kearns Jr. High sustained a trajectory of student growth and improvement over the course of several several years.

“Kearns Junior High stands as a model of the program,” said Utah Schools to Watch director Lori Gardner. “We are proud of the faculty’s commitment to strive toward meeting the National Forum’s criteria even in light of changes in leadership and funding challenges presented in our state.”

Since 2007, only twelve schools in Utah have received the distinction. Chosen schools are identified as being academically excellent, responsive to developmental changes, and socially equitable as measured by researched-based criteria.

Kearns Jr. High will now be honored at the National Schools to Watch Conference in Arlington, Virginia.

The School to Watch program is sponsored by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform, an alliance of 60 educators, researchers and officers of professional organizations and foundations. Around 400 schools nation wide were designated as Schools to Watch this year.