Nazareth Area Middle School - Nazareth, PA

Nine years ago, Nazareth Area Middle School (NAMS) veered into "school warning" followed by "academic school improvement 1" according to Pennsylvania's compliance with No Child Left Behind. During this time, a core team of teachers and administrators came together and created a school-wide action plan, the school's road map. As a result of this plan, the school began to focus on the road to improving student success. This was achieved through the implementation of various programs including the reconfiguration of the school day, data driven decision making, professional development and restructuring the school's interdisciplinary teams.

One of the school's notable mile markers is ExCEL (Excellence: A Commitment to Every Learner). This landmark focuses on intervention, remediation, and acceleration to promote student growth. ExCEL is driven by an extensive data collection system allowing various teams to focus on both high performing students and struggling learners. The success of this program relies on the flexibility and creativity of school faculty and staff in challenging every student to meet their highest potential. In addition to ExCEL, NAMS has designed a yearly mini in-service itinerary to meet the needs of the teachers and students. The purpose of these is to keep teachers current on best instructional practices.

The road did not make sense to some school faculty and staff at first, and it took years to "recalculate." Their appreciation and accomplishment did not come from arriving at this destination, but from the journey they have made together!