Fourth-grade students (83% of whom were identified as "at risk") in an inner-city school in the southeastern United States participated in a hands-on, interdisciplinary unit about the environment for 2 weeks. Lessons covered a wide range of environmental issues such as pollution, rainforest devastation, recycling, and Earth appreciation.…

Utilizing a consensus decision-making strategy, teachers and an administrator from Parkway Central Middle School (PCMS) (Missouri) selected a two-part mission: (1) to establish an atmosphere where students demonstrate respect for themselves, their peers, and all adults; and (2) to evaluate, revise, develop, and implement a new discipline plan that…

This evaluation reports on a project that used word processing in process writing as a method for teaching written Norwegian to Norwegian students in grades 5 and 8. Process writing refers to the process of writing and rewriting or the various stages of producing written text. Students start with a first draft and work gradually toward a finished…

A total of 162 students from a suburban Denver middle school were surveyed to determine the following: their career aspirations, whether they perceive differences in society's acceptance of certain career choices for women versus men, the relationship between their perceptions of their abilities and their desire for certain jobs, and possible…

This study evaluated a program of strategies and coordinated services designed to increase safety in the Columbus (Ohio) district schools. In the 1991-92 school year, the Home-School-Community Agents (HSCAs) and Safety-Security Specialists (SSSs) programs were merged and together they concentrated on the following goals: (1) safe and secure school…

The meaning of academic achievement for African American students was studied in 2 populations, a sample of 145 (53% males, 47% female) African American middle school and high school students in an African American Academy summer enrichment program and 45 African American high school seniors (36% males, 64% females) in a summer program for…

An important component of sound middle school education is a commitment to providing coordinated advising and counseling services in the school setting. This handbook describes how middle school professionals can develop small group advisory support for each student. Known variously as home-base, advisor-advisee, or teacher advisory (TA) programs,…

Problems in students completing homework may be related to lack of parental involvement and support, student attitudes and priorities, and the assigning of inappropriate and irrelevant homework. This action research project implemented and examined the effectiveness of increased communication with parents regarding homework, cooperative learning…

This paper examines the relationship between culture and curriculum, combining academic discourse relating to the construction of identity, policy, and curriculum and conversations with 42 members of a New Zealand intermediate school community about the nature of culture. Interviewers' comments and stories illuminate their views of Maori and White…

Research has shown a decline in motivation and performance for many children as they move from elementary school into middle school; however, research has also shown that the nature of motivational change on entry to middle school depends on characteristics of the learning environment in which students find themselves. This Digest outlines some…

The purpose of this research was to understand fifth grade children's cognitive behavior as they wrote, solved and then, in small groups, shared original math story problems. Research questions examined children's: (1) beliefs about math in this problem-writing classroom, (2) math story problem-writing behavior, (3) difficulties with their…

A project is described in which students with severe disabilities from a self-contained day school were successfully integrated into a program within the main building of a regular campus which included limited participation in a regular fourth grade classroom. The project was initiated after various preparations were made, including building…

This report documents the development, implementation, and evaluation of an inservice program designed to facilitate a non-sexist approach to the teaching of science in primary schools. Ten matched pairs of teachers were selected on the basis of a survey questionnaire to participate in the study. Teachers were given help in the teaching of…

The eight studies contained in this volume complete the effort pursued by the National Middle School Association to provide practitioners with some of the research available from the recent past. Research briefs deal with such topics as teacher attitudes; the degree of middle school program implementation; gifted students' and educable mentally…

Observed sixth-grade students and their ways of gathering information for a science report from Encarta 94, a CD-ROM encyclopedia. Developed recommendations for collaboration between the classroom teacher and the school library media specialist during the implementation of CD-ROM technology for information gathering, as well as ways to manage a…