Rising Starr Middle remains a model for excellence by showing continued growth performance, earning recertification as a Georgia National Lighthouse School to Watch, an initiative of the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform.

This is Rising Starr’s 7th recertification. Rising Starr is the only school in Georgia with that many redesignations.

Rising Starr Middle became a Georgia National Lighthouse School to Watch for the first time in 2004. The school serves as a role model and mentor to other schools as they strive to establish the same high performance. In order to remain in the program, schools must re-apply every three years to demonstrate continued growth.

Qualifying for the certification requires the school to perform highly in four areas: academic excellence, developmental responsiveness for students in early adolescence, socially equitable opportunities for students and teachers, and organizational structures and processes “to sustain trajectory toward excellence.”

Once identified as a School to Watch, each site must apply for re-designation every 3 years in order to remain in the program.