Principals should lead for social justice, particularly in support of marginalized and vulnerable students like lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) adolescents. This quantitative survey-based study collected data from 116 middle grade principals in Indiana to examine the implementation of antibullying policies and best…

The Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) is a rapidly expanding network of public charter schools whose mission is to improve the education of low-income children. As of the 2012-2013 school year, 125 KIPP schools are in operation in 20 different states and the District of Columbia (DC). Ultimately, KIPP's goal is to prepare students to enroll and…

This descriptive study sought to determine the attitudes of middle school teachers in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio toward the current implementation of key components of the middle school concept within their schools. Researchers were asked to assess the relationship of state accountability programs to the implementation levels of such components.…

The purpose of this research was to examine the effectiveness of the dialectical journal as a tool for teaching critical thinking skills, and to assess middle school teachers' perception of critical thinking. Two groups of middle school students were split into one control and one experimental group. Both groups took a critical thinking test…

A study gathered detailed baseline data on Indiana secondary (grades 7-12) social studies teachers use of the Internet/WWW in their teaching. An additional goal was to identify factors that might be related to the use of the Internet in Indiana social studies classrooms and to determine barriers that might keep teachers from using the Internet/WWW…

A study examined the status of reading in Indiana's public schools. Questionnaires were returned by 460 of the state's 615 public middle, junior, and senior high schools. Results indicated that: (1) new book acquisitions in Indiana's school library media center book collections were only about one-fourth of the recommended number needed to keep…

There is abundant evidence that schools with strong reading programs have successful students. But building strong reading skills is a complex task, particularly by the time students reach the middle grades. A survey was conducted that involved all Indiana middle grades schools in May 2009. Two types of data analysis were utilized in preparing the…

An exploratory study examined children's self reports of media habits and academic performance. Chosen by a sample of convenience, 20 children between the ages of 8 and 14 years old (all residents of Indiana or Ohio) expressed that increased time with media takes away time spent studying. Many view media as a distraction to completing homework,…

A study determined the perceptions of Indiana public school superintendents regarding their role in influencing the development of a community of readers in Indiana middle-grades schools. In 1993-94, subjects, 292 out of a total of 297 public school superintendents, completed surveys related to 10 selected reading issues, including students'…

This report is a study of present practices and task force recommendations for restructuring education for middle-level learners in the State of Indiana. In spring 1989, a survey was distributed to 445 schools statewide that house students of grades 5-9. The responses from the 243 returns indicate that middle-school theory has not been fully…

Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is thought by some to be the nation's premier program in providing high schools and middle schools with pre-engineering curriculum and linkage to college-level engineering and engineering technology programs. This study examined the infusion of the PLTW pre-engineering curriculum into the well-established technology…