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National Paideia School for Creative Thinking

How Paideia Inspires Learning

A student smiles during an assignment at school.

Cramerton Middle School is proud to be a leader in innovative teaching. Our school is one of only six schools in North Carolina to earn the Paideia Seminar Nationally Certified School distinction and one of three schools to earn the Paideia Classroom certification. In 2025-26, the school also earned the distinction of a National Paideia School for Creative Thinking, the only accredited middle school in North Carolina. The Paideia Seminar has become the foundation of our Gifted and Talented Academy for grades 6-8, and it continues to produce positive results for our students.

The Paideia model is designed to engage students in critical thinking, strengthen communication skills and promote active learning. It challenges students to go beyond simply learning facts. Our students focus on analyzing, processing and applying knowledge so they become stronger learners and thoughtful members of the community—skills that will serve them well in high school, college and the workplace.

Seventh grade language arts teacher Andrea Miers shares how Paideia makes a difference in the classroom. “The Paideia Seminar is not just something we do once in a while, and it is more than simply a discussion,” she said. “Paideia is a practice, a method for teaching and listening, an ongoing dialogue and one of the most valuable ways to enhance motivation and learning.”

Miers adds, “I’ve watched hesitant students speak up, students connect with their peers and confidence build. This is what drives student engagement and makes learning memorable.”

At Cramerton Middle School, we are excited to see how the Paideia approach will continue to enhance academic success and support our mission of helping students grow and thrive.

Jeremy Spielman, executive director of the National Paideia Center, said, “I want to take a moment to name what we observed so clearly: the strength of your student, staff, and community relationships; the authentic collaboration happening in your classrooms; the consistent critical thinking opportunities embedded in seminars, coached projects, and daily practice; the culture of creative exploration and intellectual play; and the way student and teacher work is shared far beyond the walls of Cramerton. These are not small things. They are the heart of what Paideia looks like when a school truly owns it, and Paideia is part of the school’s culture.”

Five Reasons to brag about Cramerton Middle School

  1. Cramerton is one of only six schools in North Carolina to earn the Paideia Seminar Nationally Certified School distinction and one of three schools to earn the Paideia Classroom certification. In 2025-26, the school also earned the distinction of a National Paideia School for Creative Thinking, the only accredited middle school in North Carolina.
     
  2. Cramerton is home to Gaston County Schools’ Gifted and Talented Academy for grades 6-8.  The highly-successful Paideia Seminar model has become the foundation for the Academy. 
     
  3.  Among all of the middle schools in North Carolina, Cramerton is in the top 15 for academic achievement, which is very significant since there are more than 700 middle schools in the state. 
     
  4. Last year, Cramerton ranked in the top five percent for student growth in academics – the school exceeded its overall growth expectations and also exceeded academic growth in both reading and math, which is very difficult to do. 
     
  5. Cramerton is the highest-ranking middle school in Gaston County for student proficiency on end-of-year state tests.