For Immediate Release
Mattoon Middle School Recognized as 2025 Schools of Distinction
MATTOON, ILLINOIS (August 29, 2025) – The Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) recently announced that Mattoon Middle School has been recognized as a 2025 Schools of Distinction.
The AMLE Schools of Distinction program honors schools that exemplify best practices in middle level education while guiding them through a strategic vision-setting process to drive continuous improvement. Grounded in AMLE’s foundational position paper, The Successful Middle School: This We Believe (now in its fifth edition and 43rd year), the program evaluates schools on their implementation of research-based criteria tailored to young adolescents.
Mattoon Middle School earned this prestigious honor through a rigorous review process, including a comprehensive school-wide assessment, continuous improvement planning, and stakeholder interviews with staff, students, and families. This evaluation highlighted the school’s commitment to a challenging, integrative, and exploratory curriculum, along with strong support for student health, wellness, and social-emotional development, reflecting a dedication to the whole middle school learner.
“It is an honor to recognize Mattoon Middle School as a 2025 AMLE School of Distinction,” said Stephanie Simpson, CEO of AMLE. “Their dedication to fostering a thriving middle school community sets a powerful example, and we’re excited to share their story with educators worldwide.”
Tera Stewart, Principal of Mattoon Middle School, shared, “We are incredibly excited to receive this recognition, and we are proud of the work happening in our school. MMS is truly a special place where each day, we nurture the whole child by fostering belonging, self-discovery, and growth through engaging, purpose-driven instruction.”
“The AMLE Schools of Distinction Committee extends its heartfelt congratulations to Mattoon Middle School on this well-deserved recognition! We look forward to celebrating their innovative practices at our annual conference in November and learning from their success,” said Katie Johnson, Chair of the AMLE Schools of Distinction Committee. “I deeply appreciate the support and collaboration of all school stakeholders, committee members, and AMLE staff in this year’s selection process.”
As a 2025 School of Distinction, Mattoon Middle School joins a network of exemplary middle schools featured in AMLE’s searchable online database, showcasing their promising practices through detailed profiles and videos. The school will present its achievements live at AMLE25 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
This news comes on the cusp of Mattoon Middle School also earning their Illinois Horizon School to Watch (IHSTW) designation. This honor was awarded for the fifth consecutive time since the middle school’s initial recognition in 2006. IHSTW highlights the school’s continued commitment to academic excellence, responsive teaching practices, and supportive learning environments.
Chad Arnold, former principal of Mattoon Middle School and recently promoted Assistant Superintendent, reflected on the designation:
“As we celebrate this accomplishment, let’s also recognize that this is just one step in our ongoing journey of growth and excellence. The journey doesn’t end here – let’s continue to build on this success, striving to further improve and elevate the experiences we offer to our students.”
School leaders plan to review the feedback received from both the IHSTW and SOD evaluations and share with their action teams to celebrate successes and implement future improvement planning.
For more information about the Horizon School to Watch program, visit middlegradesforum.org/.
For more information about the AMLE Schools of Distinction program, visit amle.org/sod.
