Discusses the experience of including a deaf and academically delayed student in a middle school classroom. Notes the team teachers' and students' efforts to modify instructional and social situations to benefit all students, including modifying assignments, participating in class activities, using the community as a classroom, and assigning…

Presents an annotated bibliography of ERIC documents and journals discussing issues related to implementing total quality management (TQM) principles in middle level education. Topics include guidelines for implementation, profiles of schools demonstrating TQM principles, and efforts in other fields. Journal article topics include TQM in school…

Discusses a method of evaluating middle school students' writing portfolios that places responsibility on the students themselves. Presents the evaluation assignment in three parts: students' self-evaluation, peer-evaluation, and parent-evaluation. Notes the effects of the portfolio method and evaluation strategy on literacy education. (JPB)

Discusses implications of the National Middle School Association's position paper "Developmentally Responsive Middle Level Schools" on the use of evaluation to promote learning. Considers the importance of involving students directly in every step of the teaching-learning process, including goal setting and evaluation. (JPB)

Discusses six transformations in teachers' thinking to facilitate implementation of integrative curriculum. The transformations include rethinking the teacher as a curriculum theorist, reconceptualizing the roles of teachers and students, affirming student voices, conceptualizing authentic assessment, and restructuring the classroom environment.…

Discusses a training course for middle school teachers that requires the cooperative student development of an integrated, thematic teaching unit based upon an ordinary object or idea, such as food. Describes the steps to developing the units and provides examples of interesting facts teachers and students learned. (JPB)