This year, Rancho Viejo Middle School has been identified as one of 47 schools in the state of California as one of the “Schools to Watch”. Schools to Watch are selected as schools having exemplary educational practices to best support middle grade students.
On January 22, 2025, representatives from the Schools to Watch organization visited Rancho Viejo Middle School to observe the routines of staff and students and specifically how staff efforts are improving and supporting student outcomes.
As a national forum, Schools to Watch seeks to prepare lifelong learners by making “every middle-grades school academically excellent” and create equitable outcomes to benefit this group of students across the nation to prepare them for high school, college, and career.
As an organization Schools to Watch began forming as well as researching their system of educating in the mid-nineties. Schools to Watch was concerned about schools and educational entities addressing the unique needs of middle-grade students across the country. Since the early 2000s a rubric was developed that many middle schools across the country use as measurement of their performance and practices.
It is a great honor and a testament to the extensive efforts of the staff at Rancho Viejo Middle School for them to receive the designation as a “California Schools to Watch”. They are not only an exemplar within the Hemet Unified School District but also at the state and national level.