Accolades

Lawton Chiles Middle Academy continues to demonstrate improved student academic performance. The Florida School Recognition Program rates LCMA as an A+ school! In addition Lawton Chiles Middle Academy was chosen from a pool of 273 schools nationwide. After an extensive study the National Association of Secondary School Principals selected LCMA as one of six highly effective schools, and LCMA is featured in the book Leadership for Highly Successful Middle Level Schools.

5 starThe Five Star School Award was created by the Commissioner's Community Involvement Council and is presented annually to those schools that have shown evidence of exemplary community involvement. In order to earn Five Star school recognition, a school must show documentation that it has achieved 100% of the established criteria in the categories of: Business partnerships, Family Involvement, Volunteerism, Student Community Service, and School Advisory Councils. LCMA has been named a Five Star school for fourteen consecutive years since the inception of the program.

LCMA has received Gold for past five years for the district's "Shining Star Awards." This awardshining star is achieved by meeting the criteria for integrating technology in the classroom and for collaboration among teachers, students, administration, media specialist, KTV teacher, and network manager. LCMA also received several grant awards through this project. Click here for more information about the Polk County School District Shining Star Award program. Also view our 2009 Competitive Grant video on the same webpage.

Congratulations to our principal, Mrs. Neuman, who was selected as one of three finalists for the 2011 FCITL Principal of the Year award by the Florida Council of Instructional Technology Leaders organization. As part of the recognition and competition, the Polk County School District developed a video about Lawton Chiles Middle Academy and its use of technology that was played at the FCITL Luncheon and on the local public education television station.

Most recently Mrs. Neuman has co-authored a book titled The Middle School Mind: Growing Pains in Early Adolescent Years with Dr. Richard Marshall, a professor at USF Polytechnic.