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East Alexander Middle School Receives Certification As “High Reliability” School

October 27, 2026 By Richard C. Gilbert

Hiddenite, NC, 10/23/26 — East Alexander Middle School is pleased to announce the achievement of Level 1 certification in Marzano High Reliability Schools. Level 1 certification means East Alexander 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. Day-to-day school operations are addressed and evaluated in Level 1.

The high reliability school (HRS) 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,” says co-founder and chief academic officer, Dr. Robert J. Marzano.

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.

About Marzano Resources: Built on the foundation of Dr. Robert J. Marzano’s 50 years of education research, Marzano Resources supports teachers and administrators through customizable on-site professional development, educator events, virtual coaching, books, videos and online courses. Our associates and authors are thought leaders in the field of education and deliver research-backed guidance for all major areas of schooling, including curriculum development, instruction, assessment, student engagement and personalized competency-based education.

Congratulations, Mr. Swanson and your team at East Alexander Middle School !

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