Southwest Middle School has achieved Level 1 certification in Marzano High Reliability Schools, according to a press release. Level 1 certification means Southwest Middle School has created a “safe, supportive and collaborative culture,” which is the foundation for every level that follows. Without such a culture, student achievement will be compromised, the release stated. Day-to-day school operations are addressed and evaluated in Level 1.

The high reliability school program was created by Marzano Resources to help transform schools into organizations that take proactive steps to ensure student success. Using a research-based five-level hierarchy, along with leading and lagging indicators, educators learn to assess, monitor, and confirm the effectiveness of their schools.

This framework, based on 50 years of educational research, defines five progressive levels of performance that a school must master to become an HRS — where all students learn the content and skills they need for success in college, careers and beyond.

“As you move through the levels, it represents a complete transformation in how schools are run,” CEO Robert J. Marzano said.

Schools must collect data and validate their performance to climb each level of the hierarchy. Certification is determined by Marzano Resources analysts in cooperation with school data teams.

Using the HRS framework and indicators, schools can drive sustained, positive and significant impacts on student achievement by synthesizing multiple complex initiatives into one harmonious system, according to the release.