A program was implemented for increasing writing and problem solving skills to increase educational achievement. The targeted populations consisted of sixth and seventh grade students from two growing middle class suburban communities located in the Midwest. The problems of inadequate writing and problem solving skills were documented through data…

A study was done to evaluate Partners for Valued Youth (PVY), an instructional cross-age tutoring program in San Antonio (Texas) designed to reduce dropout rates among Hispanic limited-English proficient (LEP) middle-school children, who are at risk of leaving school. The program has these students tutor younger, elementary school students. The…

This handbook provides information about an innovative model, Partners for Valued Youth (PVY), that encourages "at-risk" students to stay in school and to set broader goals for themselves through a cross-age tutoring experience in which at-risk middle school students tutor younger, elementary school students. After a preface, the…

This report evaluates the Kansas City (MO) School District's 1991 summer school program, which provided remedial, developmental, and enrichment learning opportunities for students. Sections of the report evaluate the elementary, middle, and senior high summer school programs. Each of these sections includes: (1) a description of the program; (2)…

The Thinking Skills Program of the Saginaw Public Schools was evaluated in a process evaluation. The School District of the City of Saginaw (Michigan) operates a supplemental educational delivery system in reading and mathematics that consists of Chapter-1 funded elementary and secondary compensatory education (CE). Elementary CE is both a push-in…

This book proposes a new view of middle school curriculum and the specifics of how to create such a curriculum. It introduces the notion that the approach to developing a curriculum appropriate for adolescents should be based on similarities of human learning at different ages, as well as the uniqueness of the adolescent. Chapter 1 highlights six…

This guide is the third publication in a series designed to help school districts in North Carolina implement effective second language programs in the middle grades, building on existing elementary programs and connecting with established secondary school programs. The guide first explains the rationale for including second languages in the…

This research project implemented and evaluated a program in interpersonal skill development designed to increase the use of applied social skills at a middle school located in northeast Illinois. Evidence of inappropriate interpersonal skills was gathered by using observation checklists, teacher and student surveys, and discipline referrals.…

This action research project implemented and evaluated an intervention to reduce inappropriate behavioral incidents among early adolescent students. The targeted population consisted of middle school students in an urban area and high school students in a rural area in the Midwest. The problem of inappropriate behaviors was documented by means of…

The link between instruction in middle school science and assessment in ninth grade science in a small rural midwestern school district was investigated. Science students, in middle school grades 6-8 (917) and their 13 science teachers responded to surveys used to characterize science learning opportunities in the middle school classes. Ninth…

A study compared the occupational preferences of middle-school girls and boys and examined whether service learning influences students' career interests. The sample included 717 middle school students at pretesting and 583 students at posttesting. Boys comprised 49 percent of the sample and girls 51 percent. Students attended five different…

This book on middle school uses a very free-form structure to encourage educators to think about middle school's philosophy and purpose, and about how to create a successful middle school. The preface claims that it is not a book "about" teaming, advisory, interdisciplinary units, intramurals, parent-teacher conferences, and other middle school…

The National School-to-Work Office in collaboration with the National Association for Gifted Children, the Council for Exceptional Children, the Association for the Gifted, and the Council of State Directors of Programs for the Gifted have identified 11 gifted education/school-to-work (GT/STW) models that are either best practices or unique…

Noting that the protective factors that support positive development despite adversity are becoming better understood, this workbook discusses the importance of encouraging resilience and promoting prosocial behavior in adolescents living in challenging circumstances and shows how to evaluate resilience through the use of checklists and background…

This final report discusses the activities and outcomes of the Elementary and Middle Schools Technical Assistance Center (EMSTAC), which has developed a model of special education technical assistance (TA) to local school districts that can be implemented on a national scale. This report provides a comprehensive examination of EMSTAC's support to…