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…

A principal at a Lowell (Massachusetts) school collaborated with the University of Massachusetts-Lowell to develop a dropout intervention program for seventh and eighth grade students. Small classes met alternate Saturday mornings at the university. Additional field trips and two overnight weekends helped strengthen the bond between students and…

Recent research shows that at-risk young people involved in well-planned and supervised peer-tutoring situations improve their grade point averages, literacy and study skills, reading comprehension, ability to identify long-range goals, and self-confidence. This article describes a high school peer-tutoring program applicable to middle school…