Shaler Area Middle School is one of two new Pittsburgh-area middle schools recognized by the Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn Schools: Schools to Watch Program for 2025-26.
The program was developed by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform.
The other is Jefferson Middle School in the Mt. Lebanon School District, according to an announcement from the Pennsylvania Association for Middle Level Education.
Deer Lakes Middle School and Hempfield Area’s Wendover Middle School were redesignated for the first time, after originally being recognized in 2022-23. Boyce and Fort Couch middle schools in the Upper St. Clair School District were first recognized in 2007-08 and were redesignated for the sixth time.
Schools to Watch started in 1999 as a national program to identify middle-grades schools meeting or exceeding 37 research based criteria developed by the National Forum. More than 700 schools have been recognized in 20 states.
Pennsylvania Schools to Watch has been recognizing schools since 2006-07, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Association for Middle Level Education and the Horace Mann Service Corp. Since then, 66 schools across the state have been recognized, with 51 still active.
The Pennsylvania association named its Schools to Watch award for Eichhorn, who died in November 2001. An Etna native educated at Slippery Rock University and the University of Pittsburgh, Eichhorn and was an administrator in suburban Pittsburgh and superintendent in Lewisburg.
Schools are selected for their academic excellence, developmental responsiveness, social equity and organizational structures and processes.
“We congratulate these schools for being places that do great things for all their students,” said Bruce Vosburgh, director of Pennsylvania Schools to Watch. “These schools demonstrate that high-performing middle-grades schools prioritize academic growth and achievement. They also understand the importance of meeting the needs of every student and ensuring access to a challenging, high-quality education. These schools have shown that it is possible to overcome barriers to excellence, and middle-level schools in any state can learn from their examples.”
Shaler Area Middle School currently houses seventh and eighth grades. Sixth grade will be moved there for the 2027-28 school year as part of a district reconfiguration that will see Shaler Area Elementary School, where sixth grade now is housed, closed.
Shaler Area Superintendent Bryan O’Black said the designation validates progress that has been made and highlights Shaler Area Middle School as a model for districts across the state.
“We are incredibly proud of Shaler Area Middle School for earning the prestigious Schools to Watch designation. This recognition is a celebration of the extraordinary work happening every day in our classrooms to support academic growth, social-emotional development and the unique needs of adolescent learners,” O’Black said. “Over the past several years, the SAMS team has been unwavering in their commitment to strengthening middle-level practices, building strong relationships with students and fostering a school culture where every child feels seen, valued and capable of success.”
The Schools to Watch selection process starts with a written application in which schools demonstrate how they meet the criteria established by the National Forum. State teams visit schools that appear to meet the criteria to observe classrooms; interview administrators, teachers, students and parents; and examine achievement data, suspension rates, lesson quality and student work.
Recognition is good for three years, after which schools must reapply and show progress on goals and considerations identified during their previous site visit.
“We are thrilled to receive the Schools to Watch designation,” Shaler Area Middle School Principal Shannon Howard said. “This affirms the great things already happening at SAMS. In addition, this process provides us with a powerful, research-based framework for effective middle schools and offers feedback for continuous improvement. We are proud to join this select group that share a deep commitment to doing what is best for young adolescents.”
Shaler Area Middle School and the others will be recognized at the Pennsylvania Association for Middle Level Education’s state conference Feb. 21-23 at the Crowne Plaza in King of Prussia. Each will have a local celebration in May or June. They will be recognized nationally with all the other recognized Schools to Watch across the country at the National Forum’s National Schools to Watch conference June 25-27.