On Friday, October 24th 2008 principals Wilford Hemans of IS 254, Ezra Mathias of IS 229 and Robert Mercedes of 390 conducted a site visit to Torch Middle School located in Industry City California just outside of Los Angeles. Torch Middle School is a “School to Watch” middle school serving a high poverty community.Torch Middle School is a Title one that serves 796 students from grades 6-8. The population consists of 98% minority students, of which 86% qualify for free or reduced lunches and 30% are English language learners. Joe Medina, the school’s principal, ensures his school community is committed to excellence through rigorous academic content standards, and a college themed campus. Torch also features block scheduling, AVID curriculum (Advancement Via Individual Determination), Cornell notes in all classes, portfolios for every student, summer learning institutes for teachers and a community homeless center providing free and comprehensive assistance to families in community.

View the school visit notes to learn more.