The STEMITL project is an interdisciplinary collaboration between a Southeastern University's middle grades education department and local PDS partner school districts incorporating six full-day immersive projects for seventh-grade students. During the 2016-2017 academic year, seventh-grade students were brought to the university's newly…

In this practice brief, we describe several current examples of approaches that are aimed at improving outcomes for students entering high school. Additionally, we present strategies to disrupt the negative trajectory for students with EBD, who seldom receive coordinated, individualized supports during the critical transition from middle to high…

Today's gifted children in middle school truly need advocates to ensure that school remains challenging through the middle grades and that the actions related to learning and talent development are positive experiences. Middle-grade advocates need a reason, a bit of prep, and a plan in order to be super advocates for children. As Chair for the…

Five years ago, Excelsior Springs (MO) Middle School set a new vision for its future. That marked the beginning of the school's work as a professional learning community (PLC) and has changed its focus and how it measures success. One component of Excelsior Springs's vision is safety: "developing and maintaining a welcoming, orderly, and…

This guide presents a data-driven, research-based process--referred to as the "school-community forum process"--for increasing youth voice, promoting resilience, strengthening adult-youth connections, and ultimately, for improving schools. It uses a "student listening circle"--a special type of focus group involving eight to…

This article was meant to familiarize readers with ways in which the media and popular culture sexualize and stereotype girls and women and to raise awareness about the extent to which girls in the middle graders may be impacted by the sexualized media content they view. By framing the problem and its consequences through self-objectification…

Educational contracts define the parameters of teacher obligations to students, parents, and other stakeholders freeing teachers to design and implement instruction rather than trying to fulfill roles (counselor, social worker, parent) best filled by other stakeholders. Describes analogous contracts used in the business world and provides examples…