SCHOOLS TO WATCH:
Danny Jones Middle School caters to students in the seventh
and eighth grade.
Students are learning to identify the different part of
the cell in their science class.
Principal Travis Moore pictured with staff members.
DANNY JONES MS | Danny Jones
Middle School has been named
a Texas School to Watch by the
National Forum to Accelerate
Middle-Grades Reform and the
Texas Association of Secondary
School Principals (TASSP).
Schools to Watch is an initiative
that identifies high-performing
middle schools across the United
States.
According to state leaders,
Jones Middle School was selected
for its academic excellence,
developmental responsiveness,
social equity and organizational
structure and processes. Officials
also noted the school’s strong
leadership and commitment to
continuous improvement.
“It’s very similar to a National
Blue Ribbon Award, but it’s primarily
for middle schools,” said Principal
Travis Moore. “There are only about
30 Schools to Watch, and there are
over 2,000 middle schools in Texas,
so this is a great honor.”
The Schools to Watch selection
process begins with a written
application that requires schools
to show how they meet criteria.
Schools that appear to meet
the criteria are then visited by
state teams. The team observes
classrooms and instruction,
interviews students and staff and
analyzes various data points before
making a final decision.
“Danny Jones 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,” said Billy
Pringle, state director for Schools
to Watch in Texas. “This school
has demonstrated that a high-
performing middle school is a place
that focuses on academic growth
and achievement.”
Qualifying campuses are
recognized as Schools to Watch for
a three-year period. At the end of
three years, they must demonstrate
progress on specific goals in order to
be re-designated.
Schools to Watch began as a
national program in 1999 to identify
middle-grade schools across the
country that were meeting or
exceeding 37 research-based criteria
developed by the National Forum.
There are now 17 states that
have trained Schools to Watch
teams with more than 480 schools
recognized across the country.
www.mansfieldisd.org | 17