Category » middle school

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  Gaining ground in the middle grades: Why some schools do better

  1/9/10 - Trish Williams, Michael W. Kirst, Edward Haertel, Matthew Rosin, Mary Perry, Ben Webman, Kathy Wilson, Rebecca Payne, Kathryn Morgan Woodward

  "This study contributes to the field by identifying a broad range of traditional and newer middle grade policies and practices, and determining in California which of these differentiate higher- from lower-performing schools serving similar student populations, with performance measured by the state’s standards-based tests."

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  Impacts of a Violence Prevention Program for Middle Schools: Findings From the First Year of Implementation

  1/16/10 - Suyapa Silvia , Jonathan Blitstein , Jason Williams , Chris Ringwalt , Linda Dusenbury , William Hansen

  "A new evaluation of a violence prevention program for middle schools finds that after one school year, there were no statistically significant impacts on how often students reported that they were victimized by their peers, or committed violence against their peers. In addition, there were no statistically significant impacts of the program on a number of other outcomes such as how often students' reported positive behavior toward their peers or on their perceptions of school safety. The...

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  Let's Try: Pajama Party

  1/14/10 - Ferguson, Dianne

  Host a pajama party for elementary school students and families in the evening. Everyone is invited to come in their pajamas to hear bedtime stories and have cookies and milk. Families are encouraged to bring their favorite storybook or offer a favorite oral story in their native language. This activity could be extended to junior high by turning it into a movie night, along with popcorn and other snacks and followed by a discussion of the movie.

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  Lets Try: Conversation Cards

  1/14/10 - Ferguson, Dianne

  Conversation cards provide family members with information about the classroom schedule, the organization of the room, and common activities so they can ask more directed questions. This strategy works really well in elementary and sometimes middle schools to give families a way to hold a richer conversation with their children about the day’s events.

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  Paving the way for success in high school and beyond: The importance of preparing middle school students for the transition to ninth grade

  1/3/09 - Grossman, J., Cooney, S.

  This brief presents an overview of issues surrounding the ninth grade transition: why it is so important; why many middle school students find it so difficult; traits related to a successful transition; and what schools can do to ease difficulties in the transition. Research indicates that students unprepared to handle the transition are more likely to disengage from school, which in turn may lead to dropping out—and a host of related problems, thus perpetuating a cycle of poverty for...

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  Reading, Mathematics, and Science Instructional Strategies for English Language Learners with Disabilities: Insights from Educators Nationwide

  1/28/11 - Barrera, M., Shyyan, V., Liu, K. K., & Thurlow, M. L.

  This study focused on the instructional strategies employed at the middle and junior high school level. Teaching and learning at the middle school level have been found particularly challenging, perhaps because the curriculum places greater cognitive demands on emerging adolescents at a developmental stage when students, especially those who have already been struggling, can be at higher risk for academic failure (Mikow-Porto, Humphries, Egelson, O’Connell, & Teague, 2004). ELLs with...

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  Success in the middle: A policymaker's guide to achieving quality middle level education

  1/3/09 - National Middle School Association,

  NMSA describes the 14 characteristics of successful middle schools, and argues that government policy has a profound impact on educators' ability to be successful.

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  The first year of high school: A quick stats fact sheet

  1/3/09 - National High School Center,

  This fact sheet highlights statistics related to the transition into high school for U.S. students.

• The middle school experience: Effects on the math and science achievement of adolescents with LD

  1/1/98 - Anderman, Eric M.

  Examined the relation between middle school transitions and achievement gaps in math and science between 296 adolescents with and 1,608 adolescents without learning disabilities (LD). An abundance of research (e.g., E. M. Anderman and M. L. Maehr, 1994) indicates that motivation and achievement decline during the early adolescent years, and that this decline is often attributable to the transition from elementary to middle grade schools during early adolescence. Using data from the National...