Rayen Early College Middle School recognized

YOUNGSTOWN — Rayen Early College Middle School has received the 2014 Making Middle Grades Work (MMGW) Middle School Improvement Award for progress of local school leaders and teachers in improving school practices and raising student achievement.

The award, presented by the Board of Trustees of HSTW Ohio Network, will be given to the school this afternoon.

The network is a not-for-profit organization that supports High Schools That Work and MMGW in Northeast Ohio and statewide. HSTW and MMGW are the nation’s first whole school improvement initiatives for middle and high school.

This achievement is based upon the performance of the school on the 2014 MMGW Teacher Surveys and Student Surveys administered to students and teachers every two years from MMGW member sites in 31 states. Using a data-driven approach, the MMGW school improvement initiative creates a culture of high expectations and prepares middle grades students for challenging high school courses and high school students for success in postsecondary education and careers.

RECMS is one of two middle school member sites of the HSTW NE Ohio Region network to receive this award. This designation is given to schools that implement the MMGW school improvement design and met or exceeded the mean percentages of all MMGW sites nationally on eight of 11 intensive emphasis indicators.