CB East High School is hopeful to become an official Model PLC School for its outstanding academic performance within the year under the supervision of principal Chad Watters, who sent in the school’s application.

Solution Tree requires Model PLC school applicants to provide evidence of improved student learning: “National, state, and district data trends show a decline in scores since the COVID 19 pandemic. East’s data has improved,” Watters informed us.

An especially beneficial addition to East’s environment is the “Lunch and Learn schedule,” which takes an hour from the middle of the school day for students (and teachers) to take a brain break, eat lunch, seek extra help/support, and complete schoolwork.

English teacher Kimberly Koch reflected that she is usually busy with students during Lunch and Learn helping them along on assignments.

Another change is teacher specific: instead of, “teachers working in silos, independently of each other,” Watters added, “they work interdependently, together and collaboratively.”

Watters explained that East has been working to make systems that “created the conditions for ongoing collaboration” amongst teachers and that “a lot of learning occurred for not only the teachers but also the kids” when they accomplished this goal.

A Class of 2022 graduate looked back on school life before these new systems were implemented and said that turning in quality assignments on time was, “definitely more stressful than it is now.”

Watters shared that he wants East to, “be a place that teachers love to work at, kids love to go to, and parents are proud to send their kids to.”

A junior at the high school said he could not believe that his school could potentially earn such a high honor. “It really motivates me as a student to continue to work hard,” he noted.

Watters’ four children, two sets of twins, are also in the district: the two oldest are currently juniors at East and the younger two are freshmen at the Holicong Middle School. “What better reason,” Watters inquired, “than to make it the best possible school it can be for my kids?”

A CB East parent felt “overjoyed” to send her children to a school she knew was “fostering a good learning environment” and “preparing” her kids academically “for a life outside of secondary school”.

Ranking #1 in 2021 and 2022 as “Best Public High School Historically in Bucks County” on Niche.com, Central Bucks East High School might soon add “Model PLC School” to its resumé.