Student growth is one of two essential components of South Dakota's Teacher and Principal Effectiveness Systems. In the state systems, student growth is defined as a positive change in student achievement between two or more points in time. "The South Dakota SLO Handbook" provides support and guidance to public schools and school…

Evidence suggests that a middle school organizational design has some administrative advantages over the traditional junior high school program because of the more unified social and academic atmosphere. (LH)

Collaborative teacher teams, whether they are new or have been re-formed over time, require that principals understand how to support and sustain them. To sustain collaborative team structures and support teacher empowerment beyond the first years of an initiative, it is important for principals to understand how these three factors--namely, the…

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)

Using reading and writing to learn, inquire, construct, and examine ideas across the curriculum is central to an integrated curriculum. Too many middle school students do not view writing as a communication process that permeates the curriculum, nor reading as an active, constructivist process whereby various perspectives can be examined and…