The focus of this study is the current level of implementation of 18 basic middle school characteristics as perceived by principals of two groups of Ohio public schools, those organized by grades 6-8 and those organized by grades 5-8. Questionnaire responses were received from administrators of 166 of the 208 schools that met the definition of…

This document consists of short reviews of 13 Ohio schools. The goal is to illustrate each school's atmosphere and members through a report made by an education expert who actually visited the school, as opposed to a statistical report. Interviews of students and teachers are included, as are impressions of reform methods being used in the school,…

Studies the status of the mathematics reform effort in Ohio, specifically measuring the dissemination of the standards and teachers' opinions of Ohio's Competency-Based Mathematics Model to determine whether there were significant differences in knowledge of the standards and opinions of the Competency-Based Mathematics Model based on teacher…

Ninety gifted students from Warren County schools participated in a multifaceted summer institute program, focusing on water pollution. Writing and research skills were emphasized. This article describes the rationale, objectives, process, and evaluation design of this program and comments on the future of gifted education. (SJL)

This state of Ohio planning guide is designed to help teachers at middle, junior high, and senior high school levels plan for art activities, units, courses of study, and curriculum guides. The guide stresses planning as a process best carried out at the local school district level where goals, content, and activities can be tailored to the needs…

Ideas submitted by middle school Youth for Justice teams are presented. Sixty-four teams from middle schools in all regions of Ohio spent 5 months researching and preparing their ideas for the Youth Summit. Ideas that identify and propose solutions and action steps to address the multiple problems of violence by and against youth are compiled in…

Students at Woodridge Middle School in Peninsula, Ohio, have access to a brand new library which houses more than 10,000 items. This study examined whether students take advantage of the school library and its resources when completing school assignments. A random sample of students in grades six through eight was given a questionnaire to fill out…

This annotated bibliography contains resources considered helpful for Ohio teachers looking for new strategies or theories about teaching writing. Presented first is an annotated listing of 18 books and articles. Each entry includes some or all of the following: title, author, publication data, brief summary or explanation, and indication of…

Designed for middle school through high school students, this unit contains eight lesson plans that focus on Ohio state law. The state lessons correspond to lessons in the volume, "Antidote: Civic Responsibility. Drug Avoidance Lessons for Middle School & High School Students." Developed to be presented by educators, law student, or…

The faculty of one rural middle school in Ohio received professional development funds to implement a 5-year school improvement plan (Ohio's Venture Capital initiative). A study of the project investigated: (1) how the experience affected teachers' perceptions of their roles as reflective practitioners and as resources to their colleagues; (2) how…

Describes the Dublin model, a program which uses thematic units or individualized reading assignments to focus on popular adolescent literature and includes projects that demonstrate students' comprehension of text. Discusses the formulation, implementation, and assessment of this program. (RS)

This Ohio Competency Analysis Profile (OCAP), derived from a modified Developing a Curriculum (DACUM) process, is a comprehensive and verified employer competency list for a middle school home economics program. It contains units (with or without subunits), competencies, and competency builders that identify the occupational, academic, and…