With pressures from NCLB intensifying due to low test scores in subgroups including special education, the authors' district, like many others, approached students not as individuals but as rigid categories: "poor," "Hispanic," "African American," "disabled," or "regular"--a category particularly insulting to any student not included in it by…

One middle school recently adopted a team teaching model as a result of principal directive in order to improve staff communication and better serve students. Because seventh and eighth grade teachers had never been teamed in this particular middle school, research was needed to investigate how teaming was implemented and how these teachers…

Ms. Thomas, the general educator, and Ms. Merced, the special education teacher, plan to co-teach mathematics classes during the upcoming school year. Based on previous interactions with students and knowledge of students' abilities from school records, they know that several students, including students with disabilities, struggle with…

This study examines the collaborative practices between three sets of special education and English/Language Arts teachers involved in the co-teaching of inclusive classrooms--classrooms consisting of both general education and special education students (SWDs). The study took place in two middle schools in two different school districts in New…

Instructional strategies make a difference in whether students are engaged in learning and are profiting from their time in class. High schools, technology centers and middle grades schools are encouraging teachers to adopt new teaching techniques and are providing opportunities for teachers to work together to improve their instructional skills…

Summarizes research findings from a longitudinal study related to measuring effective classroom practices, the aspects of interdisciplinary teaming that affect practices at the classroom level, and how classroom practices relate to student achievement. (JPB)

This study evaluated a 2-year in-service teacher training project in the Belpre Middle School, Belpre, Ohio. The objectives of the program included a) the change of teachers' roles, in terms of perceptions, procedures, and morale, from those in self-contained classrooms to those in cooperative teaching teams; b) the increase of teachers'…

Reports trends and implications of interdisciplinary teaming practices in middle schools, based on findings from a national survey. Noting that nearly 80 percent of schools currently implement teaming, challenges principals and teachers to move beyond simple formation of teams to the creation of an infrastructure that supports high-performing…

Discusses the value of middle school reform involving interdisciplinary teaming, advisory programs, and developmentally appropriate practices, noting that true middle schools improve academic achievement and standardized test scores. Argues against a pendulum swing away from middle school reform and toward standards-based curriculum. (JPB)

Interdisciplinary teams of middle school faculty are fulfilling roles which serve academic, social, and emotional needs of students. The team coordinates procedures and shares information about teaching and about students. Evidence shows this style of team teaching may be appropriate in high schools if traditional departmental barriers can be…

Sixteen documents (13 studies and 3 large-scale reviews) were reviewed to assess the effectiveness of interdisciplinary team teaching in enhancing student achievement. Nine documents focused on or included the intermediate grades, and seven dealt with students at other age/grade levels, chiefly junior high. With one exception, all documents…

An evaluation of a Georgia middle school's multi-age grouping program revealed significant progress regarding student self-esteem, achievement, community building, and teacher collaboration. The Crabapple experience illustrates how one model of student-centered, developmentally appropriate, and integrated learning can benefit middle-level…

Examines possible relationships between student achievement and implementation of middle-level program concepts within 10 middle/junior high schools of a large, urban school district. Middle-level programming was positively related to student achievement, although relationships were small, considering the overall influence of past achievement.…

Examines whether team-taught, departmentalized, and K-8 schools differed in academic achievement at grades six, seven, and eight. Dependent variables were mean building-level achievement scores in reading, mathematics, science, and social studies on the Spring 1995 Missouri Mastery and Achievement Tests. During the transition year, middle schools…

Describes an effective dropout prevention program at an Orlando, Florida, middle school. Staff identified 90 at-risk seventh graders, assigning 45 to 3 seventh-grade teaching teams and the remaining 45 to an experimental student team (the Dragons) promising to deliver a traditional curriculum in a nontraditional, nonremedial way. Shadow study of…