Middle schools were designed to promote exploration in the curriculum in a way that is appropriate for young adolescents. However, this vision has not been fully embraced, and many middle schools still function as junior versions of high school. Gary Weilbacher explores the history of the middle school movement and describes how the…

This article examines two communities of youth who play an online game that integrates physical activity into virtual game play. Participating youth from two research sites--an urban middle school and a suburban junior high school--wore FitBits that tracked their physical activity and then integrated their real-world energy into game-world…

A collaborative school-based intervention aimed at modifying relationships among administrators and teachers was implemented in three middle and junior high schools. Across the intervention schools, teachers were active collaborators in identifying problems and then articulating and implementing customized interventions to redress those problems.…

This study examines graphing calculator technology availability, characteristics of teachers who use it, teacher attitudes, and how use reflects changes to algebra curriculum and instructional practices. Algebra I and Algebra II teachers in 75 high school and junior high/middle schools in a diverse region of a northwestern state were surveyed.…

Goal card sort and ranking task was given to middle school teachers and a sample of sixth- through eighth-grade students to generate data relevant to revising goals of an advisory program. Study categories included advocacy, community, skills, invigoration, academic and administrative. Community and advocacy goals received highest student ranking,…

Presents (in the form of a conversation with "The Vampire") data on middle school students' attitudes toward literature circles, how they choose their groups for literature circles, patterns in the groups chosen, and how students selected the books they did. (SR)

Describes a school prevention program that emphasizes normal developmental needs of middle school students. The School Families groups, comprised of middle school students, teachers, and adults, met weekly during the school day to discuss issues related to academic performance, decision making, self-esteem, and social skills. Evaluation results…

This evaluation report describes a program designed to reduce substance abuse among students by establishing a comprehensive peer program in the middle schools (grades 6 through 8). The background of the project is reviewed, five important aspects of a peer helper program are listed, and three intervention strategies of peer assistance programs…

Explores a creative middle-school structure that provides a block of about two hours in the school day when one teacher has a group of students engaged in a variety of interdisciplinary activities. The concepts of learning circles and group-dependent projects are discussed. The core of the proposed middle school is constructivism. (SLD)

A random sample of middle school special education teachers from various classroom settings completed a survey asking them about what instructional practices and materials they used to teach students with disabilities how to solve word problems, how much time they allocated to problem solving instruction, and what type of problems they gave their…

A study determined whether first year middle school drama students in a talented, magnet program were able to demonstrate more credible characterization in a scene study project after they had been taught some basic directing methods. These methods included blocking (the movements of the actor) and beat breakdowns (the small acting units in a…

A study was proposed to determine to what extent a hierarchical structure exists in music and in tests used to measure music ability. The first research question was whether items in the Watkins-Farnum Performance Scale (J. Watkins and S. Farnum, 1954) (WFPS) form a hierarchy, so that early exercises (bars played) are generally easier than later…

The long-term goal of Project SAVE (Stop Alcohol Violations Early) is to reduce underage drinking. When a major revision of the program was initiated, the pilot program was evaluated for statistically measurable changes against short-term goals. The results of that evaluation are presented here. Four elements were included in the evaluation…

Boston College Conflict Prevention Program techniques for relaxation and self-control were taught to middle-school students in two Boston schools. Preliminary results from teacher interviews revealed that students spontaneously used these methods to calm their "fight-or-flight" reactions in real conflicts. Results also indicated that…

Teaching strategies that foster academic achievement for special and regular education students in the same classroom are crucial for successful student integration. One such approach is creativity training, which may aid all students in the development of concept mapping, a metacognitive strategy that allows students to integrate creative…