To address the nations' ongoing interest in student achievement, some researchers have focused on the effect of block scheduling--a model in which students take fewer classes for longer periods of time. Although block scheduling has demonstrated its viability in high schools, little research has explored its effect at the middle level. Because the…

The first stage of implementing the middle-school concept in York County, Virginia, involved moving sixth-grade teachers and students into middle schools and onto teams. One school integrated the curriculum by involving teachers in initial planning stages aligned with schoolwide goals. Curriculum integration succeeds when driven by teachers and…

A survey to determine the feelings of sudents attending a new middle school showed a decline in motivation among eighth graders. A majority of parents agreed that school discipline should be stricter. (LD)

To address deficiencies in basic skills, a Florida middle school is piloting a program that immerses 75 students in a mastery-learning curriculum centered around reading, writing, basic language arts, and functional math. The program covers science and social studies thematically and has a social/personal skill development unit. The principal's…