Evidence suggests that a middle school organizational design has some administrative advantages over the traditional junior high school program because of the more unified social and academic atmosphere. (LH)

The interdisciplinary team organization allows teachers to allocate time to accommodate the curriculum and young adolescents' instructional needs. For maximum flexibility, several scheduling options may be considered: large-group instructional time, one less period daily, heterogeneous class grouping, and "top class" team scheduling. Advantages,…

Study findings indicate that ongoing communication and collaboration among teachers play a critical role in promoting successful technology integration and that administrators need to establish ways to facilitate collaborative effort. (six references) (MLF)

Imagines the possibilities if middle school teachers worked together cooperatively for educational change. Provides data from one such collaborative effort experienced by two middle school teachers. Claims that such collaboration can be an exciting and challenging addition to many teachers' professional lives. (HB)

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)

Discusses ways to assess how well team organizations are functioning and contributing to the total operation of the middle schools that use team structures. Considers whether teaching teams determine course content, and school support for teams; also considers teacher training in team operations and the level of understanding and commitment…

Discusses five types of flexible block schedules used in a team-taught middle school classroom. Briefly describes the transition from traditional scheduling to block scheduling. (JPB)

Maintains that interdisciplinary teaming in middle schools has not reached its full potential, with teams spending too much time on minor problems and housekeeping duties. Suggests ways to: improve the foundations of teaming; demonstrate greater discipline during team meetings; improve the team's ability to make decisions, solve problems, and…

Describes two different modular scheduling plans designed for use in middle schools. (Published by National Middle School Association, P.O. Box 968, Fairborn, OH 45324) (JG)

Joint action among teachers appears to depend on the teachers' perceptions of their interdependence and the presence of opportunities for joint action. An urban middle school had been organized into teams on several levels with strong support from the principal. Three situations that altered these operating procedures provided evidence that…

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'…

The development of interdisciplinary teaching teams offers the counselor increasing opportunities to benefit larger numbers of students than usually appear in the guidance office. The counselor also gains more opportunities for inservice teacher education and for facilitating parent-teacher conferences. A format for this last function is outlined.…

Middle school scheduling is a major instructional activity reflecting understanding of human growth and development, agreed-on school objectives and purposes, and available human and physical resources. (Author/JM)

Discusses the use of middle school collaborative teams to support "stay-put" programming for at-risk students and those with mild disabilities. Discusses the process of collaboration, tools of accommodation, and group motivational strategies to better teach at-risk students. (SR)

This article presents a detailed example of how faculty and staff at one middle school implemented team-based functional behavioral assessment (FBA) planning procedures with a student exhibiting recurring minor problems. Insets list tasks and considerations for an FBA, a sample formatted antecedent-behavior-consequence summary of team member…