Student Service Learning (SSL) provides students the opportunity to actively participate in the community and build the skills they need to be successful students and citizens. This booklet provides information about the Maryland State Department of Education SSL graduation mandate. Completing 75 SSL hours is a requirement for high school…

This playbook draws from the findings of "Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades," the largest empirical study of this grade level conducted to date. The "Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades" study was designed to find out what higher-performing schools do differently. The result is a compelling set of specific, actionable…

School-Parent Compacts are a component of school-level parental involvement policies, and must be developed by the school, teacher, and parents as a description of how parents, the entire school staff, and students themselves will work together for improved student academic achievement. This District of Columbia Public Schools School Year…

This is a must-have resource for busy educators involved in creating, improving, or reevaluating their school mission statements. The authors provide numerous examples of mission statements from a diverse range of preK-12 schools, offering readers an extremely valuable resource for developing an understanding of various themes and ideas in…

Describes how a Plainfield (Indiana) middle school got parents and students more involved in their school through widespread participation in sports. Handling the costs associated with widespread participation, scheduling sporting facility times, and potentially diluting team quality are addressed. (GR)

The Urban Collaborative Accelerated Program is an alternative public school in Rhode Island for middle school students who are in danger of dropping out. Success in the program is credited to collaboration among three school districts, strong community support, and school-based decision making. Offers tips to keep alternative schools from…

Examines four different middle school floor plans that support teaming and integrated curriculum. Floor plans include the finger shape, the pinwheel, the science cluster, and a multi-level plan. Examples of each floor plan are provided to illustrate their features and benefits. (GR)

Discusses how one community middle school, whose creation was the result of involvement of the town it resided in, became a lifesaving facility for many of the town's residents when disaster struck. Examines the community-wide effort in the school's construction planning and its benefits to the community after its completion. (GR)

Presents photographs and the floor plan of a middle school whose split-level design separates "noisy" areas, such as the band room and gymnasium, from the academic wing. The design encourages teaming and flexibility through its classroom clustering and mobile partitions between classrooms. Additionally, all classrooms possess windows and…

As serving as its own contractor, a small district in western Montana saved money, had better control over the project, and inspired public confidence. Major advantages were cost savings, controlling the pace of construction, and the ability to cope with change orders. (MLF)

"MCPS School Safety and Security at a Glance" provides, in a single document, information about the reporting of incidents related to school safety and security, school climate, local school safety program descriptions, and serious incidents in all Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools. The information is presented for each school.…

This Colorado state standards guide lists six model content standards for history education in Colorado elementary schools. Standards cited in the guide are: (1) students understand the chronological organization of history and know how to organize events and people into major eras to identify and explain historical relationships; (2) students…

An Educational Specification Committee was convened to determine the design specifications required for a new middle school in Roseville, California's Dry Creek District. This report presents revisions to an earlier document that examined school room specifications for each grade level and administrative area. Specification considerations are…

This document presents the San Diego Unified School District's specifications for planning and designing a new middle school. Information on district parameters, a vision plan, curriculum and instruction concepts, community functions, aesthetic and flexibility considerations, and activity areas are included, as well as summaries of space…

An Educational Specification Committee was convened to determine the design specifications required for a new K-5 (and temporarily 6-8 grade) elementary school in Roseville, California's Dry Creek District. This report, the result of the committee's efforts, examines school room specifications for each grade level and administrative area.…