This book presents findings of the second phase of a study conducted by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). Specifically, the study sought to identify the educational programs and leadership practices that were used in successfully restructuring middle schools. Of 46 principals at middle schools that met the NASSP's…

A study examined the effects of academic and nonacademic mainstreaming on mildly retarded boys' expectancy of success and outerdirectedness. Children were asked to perform tasks concerning probability learning and imitation. Findings point to the difficulty of drawing conclusions about the effects of mainstreaming and to the importance of…

Finds that, while parents are the only source of support for at-risk middle school students, the not-identified-at-risk students also received support from their teachers and friends. Finds different types of social support associated with different outcomes. Finds that students not identified as at-risk appear to benefit more from the social…

Examined the influence of age, social class, and maternal employment on changes in nutrition knowledge and dietary quality following a nutrition education program for 10- to 13-year-olds. Results indicated that nutrition knowledge but not dietary quality were increased by the program. (JAC)

Service learning has been proposed as one strategy to empower youth, engage students, and provide real-life applications for classroom learning. One model of service learning, "The Helper Model," which was designed specifically for use with middle school students, is presented here. Data to test the model were collected from over 500…

In 1991, the Newark School District (New Jersey), through the partnership of the Newark Teachers' Union and Montclair State University, established the first professional development school (PDS) in the city. Used primarily as a center for retooling elementary grade teachers in grades 6, 7, and 8, the school has come to play a pivotal role in the…

Considers key issues in implementing authentic assessment systems in middle schools, including its implications for content organization and classroom instruction, teacher and administrator involvement, and legitimizing teaching to the test. Presents concerns about authentic assessment related to outcomes and measurement, time constraints, labor…

Studies done in the 1960s and 1970s which sought to compare middle schools with junior high schools were ineffective. Intended to fill the frequently noted research void in the middle school movement, this monograph summarizes previous research on the effectiveness of middle level schools and presents results of a 1993 study on middle schools…

The stability of teacher behavior has been one of the most important areas of process-product research. This study was designed to investigate teacher stability in the context of math instruction across classes and times of observation in order to assess the relationship between teaching styles and student learning outcomes. Specifically the study…

The effects of a summer program on self-concept scores of 139 gifted students in grades 4 to 8 were examined. Results indicated that regular and special program students did not differ significantly in self-concept; existing gender differences in self-concept were attenuated upon program completion; and self-concept was unrelated to grade.…

This study compared 13 students (grades 6 through 8) with behavior disorders who were mainstreamed part of each school day with 6 similar students not mainstreamed. Overall, the mainstreamed students had higher reading and written language scores, better work habits, and higher grades. Nonmainstreamed students demonstrated more extremes in social…

Performed meta-analysis upon eight California school-based risk reduction programs designed to deter fourth through eighth grade students from the use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. Found that information-focused interventions had more impact upon knowledge but less upon attitudes and behavior whereas alternative interventions had less…

Reports a study that evaluated teacher influence and impact in a middle school abstinence sex education program, noting pre-post change, teacher differences, and student differences. Surveys indicated abstinence sex education programs can produce positive outcomes that are significantly influenced by the teacher's own philosophy and commitment to…

Multigrade grouping is the practice of intentionally grouping two or more grade levels in the same classroom to enhance learning. It is becoming a much discussed and implemented alternative grouping practice in middle level education. This paper describes the implementation process of two multigrade "teams" in two Florida middle schools,…

A practicum addressed the problem of a lack of career education in a psychoeducational school, a lack that resulted in reduced student motivation, performance, and planning for the future. Following a literature review, suggestions were made for adjustments of instructional materials for emotionally handicapped students. A career education program…