Four lessons about middle school teacher professional development are drawn from data collected from middle school teachers and administrators. Findings reveal that most middle grades teachers lack middle grade certification, professional development may be offered in many forms, a mismatch exists between availability of development activities and…

Discusses the impact of school size on interdisciplinary teaming, developmentally appropriate classroom practices, school climate, and student outcomes, based on a study of 140 Michigan middle grade schools. Finds that there is no simple answer to the issue of school size; however teaming seems to make smaller schools better and larger schools…

Identifies and explains the types of practices and interactions that interdisciplinary teaching teams engage in, which in turn influence instruction and student learning. Presents data to illustrate the impact of common planning time, team size, and scheduled teaming on team activities and interactions. (JPB)

Summarizes findings of a study that evaluated the relationship between parent familiarity with six middle level practices and parent beliefs and experiences with middle schools. Notes that parents were generally not aware of established middle level practices, and that parents reporting higher familiarity were more likely to report positive…

Argues that to understand differences in academic achievement among students of various genders, ethnic groups, or socioeconomic backgrounds, educators must look beyond differences in test scores to examine indicators associated with academic performance. Highlights academic-related indicators in the school improvement process: (1) educational…

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)

Examined the latchkey status of young adolescents and its effect on their well-being. Found that students at home after school for less than 3 hours report adjustment scores similar to those of students not home alone after school. Students left longer reported much higher levels of depression and behavior problems and lower levels of self-esteem…