Emerging adolescents should have ample opportunities to present creative ideas in written form. Some generalizations may be helpful in identifying and understanding the creative student. Creative people have been found to possess the following traits (Iris Tiedt, 1983): nonconformity of ideas, egotism and feelings of destiny, great curiosity, a…

Middle school students need to attain well in the affective dimension in reading. Affective objectives emphasize, among other things, students achieving quality attitudes toward reading. Quality literature might well assist the emerging adolescent to enjoy and grow in reading skills. Learners should have ample opportunities to choose reading…

Introducing middle school students (grades 6-8) to the joy of writing, this book presents ideas, practical lessons, examples, games, and resources. Step-by-step guidelines and helpful tips for educators are combined with numerous writing and prewriting activities for students--from "braindancing" and "zoom lens" to "downhilling." The book is…

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…

This study investigates middle graders' understanding of significance in United States history through open-ended interviews with 48 students in grades 5-8. Students were presented with a set of captioned historical pictures and asked to choose the one important enough to include on a timeline of the last five hundred years, and to explain their…

Presents a critical analysis of middle school advisor-advisee programs and a review of the history and rationale for these programs. A typology is offered for distinguishing different advisory programs, and a conceptual framework for identifying potential barriers to advisories is presented. (Author/SLD)

Claims that Major Disciplinary Violations (MDVs) are incurred when students are truant, involved in fighting, insubordinate to faculty, or in possession of drugs. Presents data on students who received MDVs in a junior high school. Interviewed 17 students who had violated school discipline to gain insight into their behavior and needs. Recommends…

A principal at a Lowell (Massachusetts) school collaborated with the University of Massachusetts-Lowell to develop a dropout intervention program for seventh and eighth grade students. Small classes met alternate Saturday mornings at the university. Additional field trips and two overnight weekends helped strengthen the bond between students and…

This study reports the self-reported out-of-school physical activity of 229 male and 593 female adolescents in three rural middle schools. Over one-third reported participation in vigorous physical activity less than twice a week, and almost half of females reported levels of activity below nationally recommended guidelines. (SLD)

Examines the role of assessment in middle schools. Describes characteristics of authentic assessment and benefits of product, performance, and portfolio assessment. Discusses effective grading methods, listing advantages and disadvantages of grading. Presents guidelines for designing tests and describes four unusual testing formats: (1) Bloom…

Describes use of behavioral descriptors called Performance Results to guide instruction, combined with implementation of portfolio assessment, for middle level students in Utah's Salt Lake City School District. Discusses stumbling blocks to using the Performance Results for teachers and students, positive outcomes from the process, and future…

Suggests techniques to assist middle level students who fail because of lack of confidence. Examines reasons for student failure and discusses procedures to identify underachievers and use classroom tests to create a mindset for success. Describes procedures for providing extra help to allow underachieving students to achieve success. Discusses…

A questionnaire was distributed to 81 sixth-grade students in an effort to find out the reasons why they chose one book over other books. The 2-item questionnaire was also used to compare reasons given by male and female students to see if there were differences in their responses. Subjects were from 4 classrooms chosen at random from 7 classrooms…

This document, comprised of five issues of a newsletter published by the National Middle School Association, focuses on teaching concerns and practice in urban middle grades. Regular features of issues include an editorial section, a resources column, a "News to Use" section, and feature articles. The following are some articles…