Middle level students have unique needs that can be met by a school advising program. Outlines the goals and a timeline for implementing an advisory program along with nine components essential to a successful guidance and advisory program. (MLF)

An essential element of middle schools is a student evaluation procedure compatible with students' needs. The key features of such a marking and reporting system are outlined. (MLF)

Defines and explains the elements of the English curriculum (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and shows how, as integrated, they become the basis for the middle school or junior high English curriculum. (Author/JM)

The Decision Grid is a game that emphasizes group decision making. It has been used to enhance understanding of local government and community services and can be used in the school planning process. (Author/IRT)

The Massachusetts World Languages Curriculum establishes language proficiency as a priority. Cost has prevented some districts from incorporating world language programs at the middle level. Staff at Wachusett Regional School District decided to expose all their middle-level students to four different languages (French, Spanish, German, and…

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…

This study describes the bullying behaviors reported by 198 students in grade 8 in two middle schools in the same southern city. Of the students, 92% reported observing some type of bullying at their school at least "sometimes." Nearly one half of the students did not tell anyone when they were bullied. Those who did report bullying were most…

Although the successful middle level school was designed to address both the affective and cognitive development of young adolescents (NMSA 2003), academic achievement is the outcome of paramount importance in the current political context of accountability, high-stakes testing, and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. In their efforts to reform,…

Districts in communities experiencing population shifts are being challenged to address three concerns simultaneously: be responsive to the strengths and educational needs of students from increasingly diverse backgrounds, provide meaningful professional development for an expanding or contracting workforce to meet those needs, and ensure that…

Discussion of five issues selected from National Association of Secondary School Principals' national study of middle level education and principalship. (DCS)

Middle level program planning involves three phases over three years: developing a written school philosophy, designing the curricular program, and implementing the plan to meet objectives. (Author/DCS)

A homeroom guidance program in middle schools is one way of helping adolescents adjust to the changes in their lives. One such program at a middle school in Massachusetts strives to develop a supportive group atmosphere where students can discuss adolescent issues and obtain useful advice. (TE)

How one school system went about improving student self-concepts is the subject of this article. What the schools did has been successful and the future holds even more promise, writes the author. (Editor)

Seventeen guidelines spell out major considerations for thinking about, planning, and implementing a middle school. The authors offer them as the basis for school and community discussions. (Editor)