East Coweta Middle School has been named one of only three schools in Georgia to receive the designation as a 2014 “Distinguished Breakout School” by the Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals (GASSP).
School system spokesman Dean Jackson said the Breakout School distinction, bestowed on only five Georgia schools this year, is the highest honor presented by the GASSP organization. The award recognizes Georgia middle schools that are high achieving or show dramatic increases in student achievement.
Only three of the five schools were further honored as “Distinguished” Breakout schools, recognizing schools that go beyond the criteria for the award, Jackson noted.
“The award is a result of East Coweta Middle’s willingness to ‘dream big and expect excellence.’ Being named a Breakout school is a well-deserved recognition of the great work of our teachers, staff and students,” said ECMS Principal Schwanda Jackson.
According to GASSP, the award is based on evidence of collaborative leadership at the school, personalized attention to all students including mentoring, student opportunity and multiple school and community connections; strong academic programs including rigorous curriculum, instruction and assessment for all students; and differentiated instruction with multiple student assessments, data-driven decision making and opportunities for career development.
Beyond those criteria, innovations such as East Coweta Middle’s “whole child” approach to education, advanced student programs and community partnerships contribute to the school’s “Distinguished” designation, GASSP said.
“Being selected as one of the five Breakout Schools is a tremendous accomplishment for a school,” said GASSP Board Member Bill Ruma. “Within this group, three schools were chosen as Distinguished schools, including East Coweta Middle. These institutions are the best-of-the-best of Georgia’s high performing middle schools and deserved to be recognized as such. East Coweta is serving their students, faculty and community at a high level and is providing a model for other schools to emulate.”
