Parent education programs can play a vital role in teaching parents about early adolescent development and behavior and the transition to the middle level. Middle-level educators can conduct a needs assessment, plan and implement sessions and topics, and serve as resource specialists. The result will be increased parent support for young…

Summarizes findings of several major middle schools reports, highlighting the National Middle School Association's publication "This We Believe" (1982), NASSP's "An Agenda for Excellence at the Middle Level" (1985), the California State Department of Education's "Caught in the Middle" (1987), and the Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development's…

As shown by a survey of three middle-level assistant principals, student discipline consumes an inordinate amount of attention. Also, participants did not see their position as an avenue to help youngsters. Since school administration duties should be shared, assistant principals must shed their "noneducational,""daily operations…

The more students know about themselves and the world of work, the more likely they are to make satisfying decisions about their future. Middle-level school counselors can offer students a variety of career awareness experiences via interest inventories and aptitude tests, career cluster exploration, computer-assisted guidance, field trips,…

An effective middle level adviser/advisee program requires that students and teachers work together outside their normal content-specific relationship. Teaching study skills allows teachers to blend their traditional role with the novel adviser role. Tips are provided concerning study skill components, including text reading, note taking, mapping,…

Good inservices result from effective communication among administrators, educators, and presenters. Common problems (beyond speakers' control) include ill-defined topics, unexpected audience members, audience size and deportment, unavailable equipment, overly ambitious goals, and lack of continuity. Effective inservices often use conference-style…

Alternative schools for intermediate grade students should be small and located in a separate building, where students and teachers can develop their own sense of identity. Curricula for high risk students require three components: a vocational orientation, interdisciplinary team projects, and a mastery learning/continuous progress approach.…

A recent study shows that effective middle-level principals identify key teacher leaders and involve them in the decision-making process. Informal teacher leaders are key in developing programs, climate, and curriculum within a school. Without teachers' acceptance, a program is doomed. To initiate change, principals must first sell their concept…

Creating successful schools for all early adolescent learners requires educators, parents, and community members to rethink current middle-school organizational structures, programs, and practices. The great challenge is recreating schools as inclusive communities that offer equal educational opportunities. Learning should be emphasized as…

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'…

Based on 12 years of involvement with advisory programs in various formats, this article underscores their benefits--including positive school climate, student proficiency at solving peer conflicts, and enhanced student self-esteem. Advisory programs, which serve a prereferral function, should be coordinated by the school counselor and scheduled…

To determine effects of uniforms on school climate, students in two Charleston (South Carolina) County middle schools were surveyed in Spring 1966, using NASSP's Comprehensive Assessment of School Environments (CASE) School Climate Survey. Students in the uniform school rated climate as more positive in 9 out of 10 subscales. School uniforms are…

Middle schools are uniquely able to help early adolescents develop healthy, positive identities. Youngsters should expect to achieve school success and recognition. To develop and recognize individual expertise, schools must expand areas expertise is recognized, valued, and developed; become aware of students' interests and goals; create a…

The middle-level counselor's role is to work with teachers and administrators to build a program based on young adolescents' unique characteristics, the interrelationship of school and home life, and the importance of peer and adult relationships. The counselor participates as an interdisciplinary team member, provides teachers with relevant…

Teacher teams add new dimensions to learning and a much- needed sense of family and community. Teams have four domains: response to student needs, curriculum integration, teaching strategies, and flexible scheduling. Barriers include scheduling problems, insufficient planning and implementation time, sporadic cooperation among core and elective…