The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is the largest and most ambitious study undertaken by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement. Forty-five countries collected data in more than 30 languages. Five grade levels were tested in the two subject areas, so that more than half a million…

This follow-up study examined the role of affective variables in predicting academic achievement among middle school students. In a previous study, C. A. Sink, J. E. Barnett, and J. E. Hixon (1991) found moderate to strong correlations among self-perceived competence scores, teachers' ratings of student competence, and Grade 6 achievement. To…

Multi-Age Teaming (MAT) programs were implemented at Crabapple and McNair Middle Schools in Fulton County, Georgia, in the fall of 1993, and at Camp Creek Middle School in the fall of 1994. An important goal of these programs was the creation of school families within schools with multi-age teams of sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students. At…

In fall 1993, administrators and faculty at the Crabapple Middle School in Roswell, Georgia, implemented the Multi-Age Team (MAT) program, creating multiage teams of sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students. The project's main goal was to enhance self-esteem. Additional goals included implementation of interdisciplinary, thematic instruction;…

This article chronicles one special educator's process of implementing adaptive instructional strategies in her middle school language arts classroom. Paige Michalski crafted adaptations for her students with disabilities in the curricular area of digital storytelling (Banaszewski, 2002; Dunn, 2000). Digital storytelling involves telling stories…

As a university instructor and a language arts middle school teacher, the authors have been working collaboratively for the last three years. This article describes their collaborative efforts, including what they have learned about their students and about the process of learning through the work they have done together. To introduce their…

Designed to supplement the Agriscience Education for the Middle School curriculum guide, this instructional packet provides lessons to enable agriscience teachers to bring basic science concepts into the classroom through practical, hands-on activities and experiments. The course is designed to assist seventh-grade students in exploring science as…

The status of middle grade students (grades 6, 7, and 8) was studied in the New Orleans (Louisiana) public schools. The district is faced with major challenges in addressing the overall needs of middle grade students and the impact of early retention in grade that has resulted in several overage students. Most sixth graders are in elementary…

This action research study examined the problem of the loss of commitment to schoolwork by middle level students as evidenced by missing assignments; late work, incomplete work, or both; and an attitude of indifference on the part of the students. The study also reviewed a variety of strategies to improve student learning and students' view of…

This study examines the relationships between student literacy performance and discussion-based approaches to the development of understanding in 64 middle and high school English classrooms. A series of hierarchical linear models indicated that discussion-based approaches were significantly related to spring performance, controlling for fall…

The purpose of this study was to explore science teacher decision-making with students of diverse populations. The research site was a suburban middle school located in the southeast. The student body consisted of African Americans, Caucasians, and international students from 62 different countries. Extensive social contextual research was…

This study investigated the use of tools and design features as employed in a problem-based learning (PBL) environment and their effectiveness on seventh grade students' learning of science concepts. Specifically, the study examined: (1) the effect of the computer-supported PBL environment on the achievement of middle school students; (2) the…

The objectives of this study were to examine outcomes of the Minnesota D.A.R.E. Plus Project on violence-related behaviors among middle school students and mediation analyses that test how the intervention was effective in reducing physical and verbal violence. Twenty-four schools were randomly assigned to the D.A.R.E. middle school curriculum,…

A project involving prospective social studies teachers as collaborators in an experimental investigation is described. The study was undertaken as part of the course requirements for an integrated educational psychology/secondary methods course. The course was intended to ameliorate the fragmentation of the coursework and lack of coherence…

This report summarizes evaluation results of the AISD state-funded Optional Extended Year Program for 2002-2003.