Willis Jepson Middle School A High-Performing 'School To Watch'

From Solano Schools: State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced today that 16 high-performing California middle schools have been newly recognized in the 2018–19 Schools to Watch – Taking Center Stage program (STWTM-TCS). Thirty-three previously chosen schools, will be able to retain their “Schools to Watch” designation due to their continued progress. Willis Jepson Middle School, in the Vacaville Unified School District, was first recognized in 2016 and has qualified for continued recognition in 2019.

Solano County Superintendent of Schools Lisette Estrella-Henderson commented, “Congratulates to the administration and staff of Willis Jepson Middle School for their continued recognition and their leading role in developing and implementing effective practices. Schools to Watch promotes positive school changes and supports local leadership in addressing the needs of our students.” The STWTM-TCS program identifies model middle schools that are academically excellent, responsive to the developmental needs of their students, strive to be socially equitable, and have a culture of strong collaborative leadership. In addition, these schools must show substantial increases in academic achievement. Willis Jepson continues to be recognized for a variety of replicable practices including: common formative assessments in core classes for the early identification of students in need of additional support, implementation of English Language Development standards in support of English learners, and community outreach. STWTM-TCS schools are intended to be models of best practices for the 1.5 million California middle school students.

The STWTM-TCS program started in California in 2002 with the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Middle Grades Alliance as lead agencies. The California Middle Grades Alliance is a cross-organizational collaborative comprised of several agencies including: the CDE, Association of California School Administrators, California League of Middle Schools, California School Boards Association, California State Parent Teacher Association, and California Teachers Association, among others.

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