Highlights of Exemplary Practices Aligned with the 18 Characteristics of Successful Middle Schools

Educators respect and value young adolescents.

At Aliamanu Middle School (AMS), teachers embody AMLE’s characteristics for supporting middle school students’ success. These principles are evident throughout our campus, from classrooms to common areas such as the cafeteria, library, and meeting rooms, and are even painted on our walls. All departments at AMS prioritize student voice, encouraging its expression through competitions and contests beyond the school. During department and team meetings, teachers focus on students’ academic, social, and emotional growth.

At the start of each school year, every student completes a Student Inventory, providing insights into their learning styles, interests, hobbies, and personal thoughts they wish to share with their teachers. This information enables personalized learning, activities, and instruction. Parent surveys further enhance teachers’ understanding of students, strengthening student-teacher relationships and fostering a supportive, inclusive school community. To promote a sense of belonging, teachers greet each student personally at the classroom door every morning, cultivating stronger relationships, enhancing student well-being, and boosting academic engagement.

The school environment is welcoming, inclusive, and affirming for all.

AMS takes pride in maintaining a clean, safe, and visually appealing campus to foster pride and ownership among students. The grounds are well-maintained, featuring beautifully landscaped areas designed by our custodial staff, with unique elements like waterfalls, rock formations, and culturally significant murals, many painted by students. Turf and bench areas encourage social gatherings during recess and lunch while providing inviting outdoor learning spaces.

A student-led welcoming committee supports new students through the Transition Center, which offers a comprehensive introduction, including student-led campus tours, baseline academic testing, student-interest surveys, and engaging lunch lessons that promote cultural understanding, introduce school programs, and build lifelong connections through the Anchor4Life initiative.

AMS emphasizes kindness, empathy, and appreciation for others, integrating these values into classroom instruction and the Advisory curriculum. The school promotes positive reinforcement by recognizing student achievements with quarterly honor roll certificates and ribbons. Teachers also make positive phone calls home and mentor students with declining GPAs to support their academic progress. Educators at AMS are specifically trained to teach young adolescents, possessing deep knowledge of their content areas. We hire educators who are passionate about students’ success and support their pursuit of advanced degrees and coursework in adolescent development, middle school pedagogy, and subject matter expertise. Ongoing professional development, including access to mentors, instructional coaches, and in-house training, equips teachers with effective strategies and fosters a collaborative learning community.

Curriculum is challenging, exploratory, integrative, and diverse.

AMS prioritizes building strong, supportive relationships with students, creating a classroom environment where they feel valued, respected, and heard. This philosophy is embedded in our instructional framework, ensuring the curriculum is meaningful and accessible to all. To meet 21st-century needs, AMS offers elective choices and intentional wheel classes that give students voice and choice as they explore their interests before high school. Curriculum and programs are regularly reviewed and evaluated through discussions and assessments to ensure they remain rigorous and relevant.

Additionally, the administration incorporates exploratory wheel classes focused on essential soft skills for the future, such as financial literacy, organization, confidence, charisma, and poise under pressure. Every student participates in a “life-wheel” elective class to develop and practice these vital skills, which the school considers integral to their educational journey. Over the past few years, AMS has emphasized authentic learning experiences that connect the curriculum to real-world issues and student interests. All departments implement project-based learning (PBL) opportunities within a challenging and diverse curriculum, allowing room for student voice and choice to foster deeper engagement and ownership. PBL projects are designed to be rigorous, encouraging critical thinking, problem-solving, and application of knowledge in new contexts. By grounding learning in real-world applications and empowering student agency, PBL creates a dynamic learning environment that develops both content knowledge and essential 21st-century skills. Teachers use responsive differentiation and collaborative planning to ensure all students succeed, driven by a commitment to supporting every student’s educational journey to the fullest.