[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 11573]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           ROBERT A. TAFT MIDDLE SCHOOL NAMED SCHOOL TO WATCH

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                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 23, 2010

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Madam Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to pay 
tribute to the outstanding achievements of Robert A. Taft Middle 
School, located in Indiana's First Congressional District. After 
undergoing a very selective application and interview process, Robert 
A. Taft Middle School received the distinct honor of being named one of 
the ``Schools to Watch'' by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-
Grades Reform. For accomplishing an extraordinary feat and exerting 
remarkable efforts, Robert A. Taft Middle School will receive 
recognition at a gala dinner during the Schools to Watch Annual 
Conference. This prestigious event will take place in Washington, D.C. 
on Thursday, June 24, 2010.
  The ``Schools to Watch'' program honors middle schools that exemplify 
exceptional performance in education. This rigorous program was 
developed in 1999 by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades 
Reform. To date, there are eighteen States that participate in this 
national initiative. Candidates for the ``Schools to Watch'' program 
must demonstrate four main criteria: academic excellence, developmental 
responsiveness, social equity, and organizational structure. The middle 
schools that are chosen for the ``Schools to Watch'' program exceed 
these standards.
  Robert A. Taft Middle School provides education to 6th, 7th, and 8th 
grade students in the Crown Point, Cedar Lake, and Winfield communities 
in Indiana. In recent years, Robert A. Taft Middle School implemented a 
program involving innovative educational techniques which made 
significant contributions to the school's success. Important factors of 
the new program include interdisciplinary teams that allow staff to 
create personalized environments, flexible schedules to ensure 
comprehension, and team planning and preparation periods that provide 
students with high-quality teachers and learning opportunities. 
Additionally, the implementation of the ``Creating a Safe School'' 
anti-bullying effort made Robert A. Taft Middle School an even stronger 
candidate for this prestigious honor.
  Madam Speaker, I would like to once again extend my most heartfelt 
congratulations to Robert A. Taft Middle School faculty, staff, and 
students, as well as Principal Michael Hazen, on being named one of the 
``Schools to Watch'' for 2010. The dedication exhibited by the school 
and the community serves to inspire us and to encourage other schools 
across the Nation. It is my honor to have been given this opportunity 
to recognize such a supreme middle school, and I am honored to have 
Robert A. Taft Middle School in my district.

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