Provides an overview of the literature that has historically framed debates between gifted education and middle grades education. Discusses research that seeks common ground between the two fields, considering the implications for middle school education policies and practices that provide for the needs of high ability students. (JPB)

Addresses the problem of declining parental involvement as children progress through school, and argues that middle grade educators bear the responsibility for determining reasons for parental non-involvement and being proactive in fostering such involvement. Discusses deterrents to involvement, varying descriptors of involvement, and steps middle…

Summarizes research on the effects of the transition from elementary school to middle school on young adolescents. Notes problems of this transition in academic performance and in students' perceptions of school and self-perceptions, and of the mismatch of developmental needs with school environment. (JPB)

Discusses research on academically effective literacy programs at the middle level. Notes characteristics of these programs, including teaching teams, student collaboration, learning across the curriculum, scheduling, and teachers trained in reading. (JPB)

Summarizes research relating to young adolescent's transitions into high school. Notes studies suggesting it is time for educators to reemphasize articulation as a function of middle level education to assist these transitions. (JPB)

Describes the rationale for multiage groupings and reviews the major research studies and syntheses associated with this innovation in middle schools. (JPB)

Reviews research into the middle level principalship, noting the principals' changing roles. Confirms the importance of the principal as orchestrator of a learning setting within a framework of educational policy, community norms, evolving staff commitment, and changing clients. (JPB)

Discusses the role of foreign language studies in middle school reforms. Considers how foreign language instruction works with the middle school curriculum to integrate learning through an interdisciplinary approach that connects meaningful experiences in school to the students' community and understanding of life outside school. (JPB)

Discusses the need for developmentally responsive middle level competitive sports programs that include awareness of sports injuries, psychological considerations, attrition in sports, and family pressures for students to become college and professional athletes. (JPB)

Discusses the problems inherent to between-class ability grouping in middle schools. Reviews studies that question the practice of tracking and demonstrate this organizational technique to have little value. (JPB)

Presents the predominate approaches for addressing middle school literacy learning, focusing on reading programs. Discusses the importance to literacy of writing, speaking, and listening. Describes five components for implementing and sustaining a successful literacy learning program for middle grades students. (JPB)

Explains the linguistic stages through which young adolescents progress as they acquire a second language and describes the differences between academic and social language. Considers implications for middle level educators developing appropriate programs and lessons for linguistic minority students. (JPB)

Asserts that successful teaming requires training, practice, and support structures and that it often comes unaccompanied by training or instructions. Presents a conceptual model of the factors that affect team performance, and describes the three categories of the framework, their usefulness, and examples of pertinent studies within each…

Analysis of writing samples from 135 students and interviews with 6 students about their experiences as sixth graders centered around 4 questions: (1) informants about school; (2) amount of stress; (3) safety; and (4) students' perception of school. Outlines activities that might improve the informant role of parents, siblings and peers, and…

Presents findings from the 1993 NASSP study concerning the prevalence of 10 essential middle-school elements (identified by a 1982/1992 National Middle School Association study) in middle schools across the United States. Although middle-level education has come of age and developed a unique identity, most schools must work harder to incorporate…