This study examined the effects of a bogus objective measure (bogus pipeline) on self-reports of experimentation, frequency, intentions, beliefs, and attitudes related to alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use of 191 youths aged 10 to 16. Results are discussed. (Author/MT)

For a middle school, family involvement in school life begins with the orientation program for incoming students. An effective transition program can help parents and prospective students anticipate a new school's academic and social expectations. This article describes a Vermont middle school's transition program, highlighting planning and…

Middle school educators believing in the importance of parent involvement soon discover the need to educate parents as well as students. One Pennsylvania middle school offers a series of workshops focusing on the physical, social-emotional, and intellectual characteristics of students aged 11-13, transmitting information through discussion,…

Former middle-school principal's graduation speech to fifth graders and their parents focuses on three areas: students and psychological and physiological changes they will experience; what to expect in middle school (teamwork and advisee-group activities); and secrets for success and happiness. Students and parents are advised to concentrate on…

This 6-week course for students at Ruffing Montessori Middle School provides instruction in communication skills, information on human development, and instruction on skills useful in working as a volunteer or tutor. It culminates with service given to first graders in the primary environment and lays the foundation for the extended community work…

Details project providing teacher inservice training and curriculum development for Saskatoon Catholic schools' middle years (ages 10-15) program. Outlines phases which include establishing the model; providing inservice professional development for five school development teams; implementing, experimenting, and developing at classroom/school…

To help personalize schooling for adolescents and provide the nurturing environment often lacking at home, teachers at a Bowie, Maryland, middle school began a mentoring project focusing on social exchange, sense of belonging, symbolic interaction, life skills enrichment, self-image, self-efficacy, resource development, and role models. Students…

Middle school students with neurological impairments suffer academic declines and a reduced sense of self-worth and empowerment. Schools Attuned is a program that helps teachers recognize neurodevelopmental dysfunctions such as attention disorders, memory deficits, language disabilities, and visual and motor impairments. The program also helps…

Subjects that in middle schools are considered "exploratory" should not be abandoned because of increased emphasis on the basics. Through creative scheduling, these "encore" subjects, such as music, have strengthened and enriched the Great Falls (Montana) middle school curriculum. Success in music is likely to improve students'…

Noting that Indiana is poised to take active steps toward becoming a community of readers for its young adolescent citizens, this pamphlet discusses the foundations laid by the Middle Grades Reading Improvement program and plans for the Middle Grade Reading Network. The pamphlet discusses: how Indiana's schools have "failed" young…

The paper reviews a panel presentation on the essential components, policies, and strategies of a system for effectively moving emotionally disturbed (ED) students into least restrictive educational environments and maintaining them there. The first two parts of the session focused on a system for partially mainstreaming center school (seventh and…

Four schools which are effectively responding to the developmental diversity of early adolescents are profiled. The instructional, environmental, and administrative innovations of these successful programs are described. (SK)

Dissimilar learners, although not candidates for special-education services, have difficulty adapting to the typical middle-school environment. The Intervention with Dissimilar Learners model adapts middle-school programs to meet student needs and achieve positive regard, teacher empowerment, and teacher as advisor objectives. The goal is building…

The Massachusetts Middle Grade Regional Alliance Network, a program that provides collaborative professional-development opportunities to middle-grade educators, is summarized in this document. The goal of the regional alliance is to increase the collaboration between all institutions working with early adolescents in order to improve school…

This eighth chapter in "The Challenge of Counseling in Middle Schools" contains five articles on the organization of a middle school counseling program. "The Counselor and Modern Middle-Level Schools: New Roles in New Schools," by Paul George, examines characteristics of successful schools and considers some new roles for the counselor. "Teacher…