CSMS, HVMS named 2024 national AMLE Schools of Distinction
Updated
The national Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) has named Cave Spring Middle School and Hidden Valley Middle School as 2024 AMLE Schools of Distinction. CSMS and HVMS are two of only 17 middle schools nationwide to earn this recognition for 2024 and are the first two public middle schools in the entire western part of Virginia to earn this distinction.
“I am extremely proud that Cave Spring and Hidden Valley middle schools have earned this prestigious national recognition,” said Dr. Ken Nicely, superintendent of Roanoke County Public Schools.
“This distinction is an acknowledgement that both schools are actively working to meet the developmental and academic needs of middle school-aged students, helping these students to ultimately become Opportunity Ready by graduation,” Dr. Nicely said.
AMLE Schools of Distinction is both a recognition and continuous improvement program open to any school that educates students aged 10-15. Schools are celebrated for their commitment to the middle grades best practices outlined in AMLE’s foundational text, The Successful Middle School: This We Believe, while also being guided through a process of self-assessment and strategic vision setting to help foster ongoing growth and success.
Schools are selected as AMLE Schools of Distinction on an annual basis after a rigorous review process. Recognition is awarded on a four-year cycle. Schools must reapply after each cycle to maintain their Schools of Distinction Status and are expected to maintain continuous improvement work throughout their recognition.
In 2009, Hidden Valley Middle School was the first middle school in the western part of Virginia to also be recognized by the national Schools to Watch program, and Glenvar Middle School, Northside Middle School, and William Byrd Middle School in Roanoke County have also been recognized as national Schools to Watch. Roanoke County is one of very few school divisions in Virginia to have all its middle schools recognized by these national programs.
“Our middle schools in Roanoke County understand young adolescents and have consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to meeting their unique needs,” said Dr. Nicely.