A 1988 Johns Hopkins University survey of 1,753 principals from public schools serving seventh graders describes middle grade education in the United States. The 5 articles in this special section are intended to encourage discussion about ways to improve middle level educational practices and disclose new research directions. (MLH)

Introduces articles in the special "Kappan" section drawing primarily on data from an ongoing longitudinal study (the Illinois Middle Grades Network), Indiana's middle Grades Improvement Program, the national Middle Grade School State Policy Initiative, and Michigan's Middle Start Initiative. Each project used Robert Felner's Middle…

Interviews with over 100 middle-school youngsters reveals these adolescents' rich, multidimensional understanding of caring. However, classroom observations showed that most teacher/student interactions were neutral. Students defined caring teacher behaviors as helping with schoolwork, valuing individuality, showing respect, being tolerant,…

Reform advocates have often recommended using interdisciplinary teams, advisory groups, and transition activities to comprise appropriate educational programs for young adolescents. Using 1988 Johns Hopkins University middle grades survey data, researchers explored "real world" use of these components and gauged their effectiveness.…

Reviews Ridgewood, New Jersey, case wherein several parents claimed that school district's student survey violated students' privacy rights protected by the Constitution and two federal statutes: The Family Rights and Privacy Act and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment. Discusses subsequent federal regulatory and state legislative action.…