This volume, part of the Junior High School Transition Study, reports on findings regarding one of five areas of interest in the study. Questions being addressed are: (1) How do students participate in, and respond to, junior high school instruction? (2) Do students respond differently in different circumstances? and (3) Are these differences, if…

This paper compares responses of 660 teachers and 3,420 students from 36 schools (23 elementary, 4 middle, 9 secondary), located in 14 rural Tennessee counties, by school level on the Good Schools Survey instruments. Data represent teacher and student perceptions of classroom practices, support services/facilities, commitment, and goal attainment.…

The ten studies contained in this volume mark the third publication by the National Middle School Association of research on early adolescent education. The previous issues are ED 214 273 and ED 214 283. The papers in the 1981 edition represent a broad range of middle school research topics and methodologies. A number of studies in this volume…

Maintains that content-rich, meaningful curricula can provide learning opportunities to all students. Describes an informal, nonprofit community-based learning program that extends the school's curriculum beyond the classroom by providing access to multimedia resources. Presents an 11-step collaborative model for the project. (CFR)

Describes a school-university collaboration that developed alternative teaching strategies for motivating inner-city, African-American middle school students (effort-based grading, multiple performance opportunities, increased student responsibility/choice, and validation of cultural differences). Observations, teacher journals, and student…

This report summarizes a qualitative study that examined girls in six middle schools representing a range of geographic locations and settings as well as the racial and ethnic mix found in schools across the United States. The schools were all involved in educational reform efforts. The report examines how girls negotiate middle school and gauges…

The extent to which the issue of nuclear war technology is treated in middle-school science texts, and how students learn about nuclear war and war technology were studied. Five raters compared the most widely used textbooks for grades 6 and 7 to determine the amount of content on: (1) population growth; (2) world hunger; (3) war technology; (4)…

Computer-assisted instructional (CAI) lessons were incorporated as instructional support for a one-semester course in occupational information for 122 eighth graders at a selected middle school in the Dallas, Texas, Independent School District to field-test five modules (fifteen color videotapes and fifteen CAI lessons) focusing on career…

The Families in Education Program of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has existed since 1987 to increase awareness of the need for schools to involve parents as partners in the education of their children. This parents' and teachers' guide presents ways that the theme for American Education Week, "Teaching Children To Think and…

Reports on a national study of the extracurricular cultural life and the impact of the mass media on Chinese middle school students. Finds a strong influence of recreational reading, television, music, and videos on middle school students. Presents a four-part course of action designed to strengthen ethical instruction in the schools. (CFR)

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…

This study sought to demonstrate that Michigan middle-grades schools can become more effective learning environments for young adolescents. A total of 224 Michigan schools participated in a teacher and administrator survey, 101 of which also conducted student surveys, reaching over 45,600 students in the fifth to ninth grades. Part 1, "Early…

This 10-chapter report presents information on the 1986 assessment of students' science performance in the province of Manitoba in Canada. The assessment was intended to provide a broad base of accurate information on the performance of grade 3, 6, and 9 students. The program of studies for Manitoba schools is designed to educate the student in…

This guide is designed to provide teachers with materials they can use with young women to help them to achieve in mathematics and to encourage them to take as many math courses as possible in high school. During their early school years, students develop skills and attitudes toward learning that form the basis of future academic growth. This…

This monograph consists of 22 reprints of reports published since 1979 in the Middle School Journal's regular column "What Research Says to the Practitioner." Each report synthesizes research studies related to effective implementation of middle school programs and concludes with a list of references. The contents are divided into two main…