This booklet describes how eight European countries structure educational provision for children in the middle years of schooling, ages 10 through 14. The booklet discusses the status of middle years education, the tracking of students, equal opportunities for minorities, specialization of teachers and counselors, academic versus holistic…

This study investigated the effectiveness of a second language program in seven schools in a medium-sized school district in central California during the 1994-95 school year. Three educational levels (elementary, middle, and high school) were examined from the perspectives of teachers (n=194), administrators (n=23), instructional aides (n=40),…

A foreign language segment was integrated into the exploratory curriculum of the sixth grade in Marion, Indiana's middle schools. The overall course offers nine-week segments in home economics, industrial arts, computer literacy, and foreign language, introducing the children to curricular areas they may select later in middle school. In the…

The 12 papers presented at the Research Symposium of the National Middle School Association's 1980 Annual Conference are reproduced in this document. Topics covered are teachers', principals', and national leaders' perceptions of the middle school; priorities of needs, competencies, and training of middle grade teachers; a case study of the…

This paper presents the theories of L.S. Vygotsky as a conceptual framework for implementing instruction that supports concept development and promotes higher level thinking skills in students. Three major components (i.e., language, scientific and spontaneous concepts, and the zone of proximal development) of Vygotsky's socio-cultural-historical…

In discussing educational equity and Project Performance and Assessment Collaboratives for Education (PACE), the authors present an argument, a detailed illustration, and a set of imperatives for education in the United States. The argument examines the last century and a half of American educational practice to illustrate why we cannot simply…

To help determine how the introduction of alternate assessment can be structured to maximize its acceptance and long-term adoption by teachers, a case study was conducted of the introduction of alternate assessment in a suburban middle school in the spring of 1991. Three seventh-grade life science teachers, three eighth-grade physical science…

This study began with a thorough review of the literature on the professional development school (PDS) and developed a conceptual framework underlying the rhetoric for the PDS movement. It then constructed, by employing a case study approach, the school-based PDS faculty's vision on preservice teacher education in the PDS context and the…

The transition from industrial arts to technology education is a priority in Colorado. Millions of dollars have been and will be spent to renovate industrial arts facilities and laboratories. Four Colorado middle schools have exemplary technology education programs. The Eagle Crest Technology Education Laboratory is used for both middle and high…

The future of school-linked adolescent health centers cannot be determined without further evaluation. The recent development of school-linked health centers stems from concerns about the special health needs of adolescents. Currently there are 125 school-based and school-linked centers in operation. Characteristics include the following: (1) most…

This longitudinal study explored (1) the power of the mother relative to affect achievement behaviors and achievement test outcomes in a sample of low-income black youth; (2) the potential role of teacher evaluation in these outcomes; and (3) the relationship between self-esteem and achievement orientation to a child's academic performance. From…

Public schools have created the position of the Technology Resource Teacher (TRT) in an attempt to establish a technical and instructional support system at the school level to assure the proper usage of technology (particularly computers) by both teachers and students. This study explores the roles and responsibilities of the Technology Resource…

"Teacher Education for America's Minorities" (TEAM) is a project of seven institutions of higher education in Florida. The project's goal has been to work within the teacher education systems at the seven institutions over a 6-year period (1990-1996). This paper addresses some of the issues and strategies related to barriers in the…

This paper reports qualitative and quantitative data obtained about relationships between 27 students with special language needs or learning disabilities and their nondisabled peers (N=99) in four integrated eighth grade classes of an urban middle school in Massachusetts. The study involved approximately 120 hours of in-school observation over a…

This paper compares responses of 660 teachers and 3,420 students from 36 schools (23 elementary, 4 middle, 9 secondary), located in 14 rural Tennessee counties, by school level on the Good Schools Survey instruments. Data represent teacher and student perceptions of classroom practices, support services/facilities, commitment, and goal attainment.…