A national program has recognized McAllen ISD’s Morris Middle School as a Texas School to Watch campus.
The National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform and the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP), as part of a national recognition program, designated Morris Middle School in the McAllen Independent School District as a Texas School to Watch Campus. Morris joins approximately 70 other campuses across Texas with this distinction and honor.
“This is a great honor,” McAllen ISD Superintendent Dr. René Gutiérrez said. “Thank you to our hard-working students, teachers, staff and parents at Morris Middle School. The school has sustained success for many years at all levels, including academics, and this national recognition is symbolic of that achievement.”
An official ceremony is set for the campus to be recognized at the Making Middle School Matter Symposium March 1-3 in Austin. TASSP will host the event. A national recognition awaits for all STW (Schools to Watch) across the country at the National Forum of Schools to Watch Conference on June 25-27 in Washington, D.C.
State leaders selected Morris Middle School for a host of good reasons including:
· Academic Excellence
· Developmental Responsiveness
· Social Equity
· Organizational Structure and Processes
In addition, Morris has strong leadership, teachers who work together to improve curriculum and instruction, and a commitment to assessment and accountability to bring about continuous improvement, according to Schools to Watch officials.
“I am immensely proud of our team who work collaboratively to challenge all students to not only meet rigorous academic expectations but also teach students to be part of an environment that is safe, nurturing, and respectful,” Morris Principal Rebecca Bechtold said. “Our collaborative leadership model ensures that every student has access to high-quality educators and a robust support system where we hold ourselves and our students accountable to a shared vision of excellence, cooperation, and accountability.”
Morris opened as a middle school in 1984.
“We congratulate (Morris) Principal Rebecca Bechtold, her staff, students, and parents for being a campus that does great things for all their students,” Dr. Joe Coleman, State Director for Schools to Watch in Texas and TASSP Associate Executive Director for Middle-Level Services, said. “This school has demonstrated that a high-performing middle school is a place that focuses on academic growth and achievement. Morris Middle School is a place that recognizes the importance of meeting the needs of all students and ensures that every child has access to a challenging high-quality education.”
The path begins with an application from the school and includes thorough site visits from experts in education. They observe the school in operation and review the candidate school’s data.
The Schools to Watch selection process is based on a written application that requires schools to show how they met criteria developed by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform. Schools that appeared to meet the criteria were then visited by state teams, which observed classrooms, interviewed administrators, teachers, students and parents.
The team also 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, they must demonstrate progress on specific goals to be re-designated. Unlike the Blue-Ribbon recognition program, “Schools to Watch” requires schools to not just identify strengths, but to also focus on areas of continuous improvement; thus, the three-year re-designation.
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 researched based criteria developed by the National Forum. The Forum developed a web site https://www.middlegradesforum.org/ that features online tours of schools, as well as detailed information about the selection criteria used in the recognition program. There are now 20 states across the country, which have trained Schools to Watch State Teams, with more than 480 schools recognized across the country.
“We are pleased that our Schools to Watch program has shown that schools can meet high academic expectations while preserving a commitment to healthy development and equity for all students,” Cathy Perry, National Forum Executive Director, said. “These Schools to Watch are indeed special; they make education so exciting that students and teachers don’t want to miss a day. These schools have proven that it is possible to overcome barriers in achieving excellence, and any middle-level school in any state can truly learn from their examples.”
National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform
The National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform began as an alliance of 65 educators, researchers, national associations, and officers of professional organizations and foundations dedicated to improving education in the middle grades.
About McAllen ISD
McAllen ISD is a 2025 winner of the state’s highest rating of an “A” grade and a 2025 winner of the state’s Postsecondary Readiness Distinction. The district is home to 31 campuses and approximately 19,500 students. To learn more about McAllen ISD’s schools and programs, contact Student Outreach at 956-687-MISD (6473).