There is growing recognition of the value of the Arts in helping shape understandings and capabilities for life essential for meeting the challenges of the 21st century. Consequently, in Australia, the Arts are now mandated for all students from kindergarten to year 9. In the lower secondary setting, this has led to a high demand for educators…

Filling a vital need, this is the first comprehensive guide to supporting K-12 teachers in effective implementation of classwide positive behavioral interventions and supports (CWPBIS). The book presents a roadmap for designing and delivering professional development based on behavioral principles. Procedures are outlined for providing data-driven…

This comprehensive volume provides important and timely information about how best to teach literacy to ELLs. Contributors have come together to share their ideas on important topics such as increasing engagement and motivation, improving content area instruction, addressing writing instruction, strengthening home-school connections, and providing…

This guide is the result of a 2-year initiative, Results-Based Staff Development for the Middle Grades. It provides information and resources for selecting, designing, and evaluating staff development to improve student achievement. It targets school staff development committees, principals, staff development leaders, and curriculum coordinators.…

A project to develop an explicit model of sheltered instruction that teachers can use to improve the academic success of their limited-English-proficient (LEP) students is described, focusing on the development of an observation tool for use in the study. The Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) provides concrete examples of the…

More districts are turning to one-to-one computing, which puts a laptop in the hands of every student. This ambitious undertaking can bring challenges when it comes to training teachers how to use the technology--and how to teach students to use it. In 2005, Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, Oregon, provided Apple laptops for 300 middle…

This report, in a booklet format, presents seven recommendations for increasing the numbers of highly qualified teachers for the middle grades. The recommendations focus on content mastery and professional support for both preservice and inservice teachers. The report also addresses the following topics: (1) what it means to be a highly qualified…

Designed for the middle-school educator, this guide presents successful instructional and operational programs. All programs originated at the school level and were adapted or implemented by principals, teachers, or parents close to the problems the programs address. The programs come from four major sources: national and regional conferences, the…

This textbook is designed to help beginning middle level teachers develop teaching philosophies, behaviors, and skills relevant to effective instruction. The eight chapters include the following: (1) Origins and Essential Elements of Middle Level Schools (junior high schools and middle schools); (2) Essential Characteristics of Middle Level…

Intended for middle school instructors or teacher education students in middle school methods courses, this guide provides a practical, concise, criterion-referenced, performance-based mastery learning model for effective teaching. The guide is organized around four components: why the rationale to support the components that follow; what the…

Career exploration continues to be the focus of the middle school program in career development and is part of North Carolina's Standard Course of Study. The national experience suggests that the sequential, comprehensive delivery of career development competencies can be easily and effectively accomplished through counselor-teacher collaboration.…

Presents strategies for middle level principals to strengthen their instructional program. Includes suggestions for creating a climate receptive to change by raising staff awareness of their own learning style diversity; modeling values through using instructional tools such as Bloom's Taxonomy in interaction with staff; and using stories,…

This staff development kit is the second in a series designed that provides school-based staff development activities. The first kit contains materials, activities, and suggestions to help faculty with early efforts to implement the middle school concept. This kit provides various tools and techniques to improve the quality of teachers'…

Discusses the pivotal role of the middle school principal in the success of collaborative teaching teams. Details team functions, selection, and stages of team development. Also discusses team meetings, reports, leader meetings, team competition, and team professional growth. (ET)

This book gives middle school and secondary school teachers a comprehensive look at assessment, from definitions and history to practical suggestions and political implications. It explores the theory behind student-centered assessment and examines practical strategies teachers can use to bring about student-centered assessment in an educational…