In this paper, we report on our experience as rookies organizing, funding, and running a summer computing camp for middle school girls. The focus of the camp was building mobile applications using App Inventor. The three day/two night camp targeted girls in rural, high poverty school districts and was funded through an award from the National…

Fostering Opportunities is an innovative student engagement program for middle school and high school students who have experienced foster care. The goal of the program is to help youth who have experienced foster care be successful in school and ultimately earn a high school credential. Fostering Opportunities was developed because of the clear…

It is essential for middle school leaders to develop and promote school-wide literacy models, organizational structures that have a significant impact on the learning environment for all students in their building. However, school-wide literacy models can be difficult to implement and sustain over time. Drawing from an Office of Special Education…

While literacy interventions can be implemented in any grade, focusing on interventions in grades 3-8 is critical because it is often the best chance for students identified with earlier reading deficiencies to become ready for the literacy demands of postsecondary education and careers. States in both the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL)…

To stem the tide of students dropping out, many schools and districts are turning to early warning systems (EWS) that signal whether a student is at risk of not graduating from high school. While some research exists about establishing these systems, there is little information about the actual implementation strategies that are being used across…

After-school programs are popular with parents and the community, but are a lot of extra work for headteachers and the staff involved. This book will provide headteachers and administrators with the guidance they need to build a successful and sustainable after-school program. Based on a national study conducted by the author, this hands-on…

This monograph about counseling in the middle schools is an update from the first edition, which was published in 1980. The first section discusses the rationale for a middle level counseling program. It stresses the importance of a guidance program based on a thorough understanding of what is normal growth and development for youngsters at this…

The 12-session program presented in this guide can be used to help middle school and early high school girls identify negative behaviors, take responsibility for their feelings and actions, and make healthier choices for themselves. The 12 sessions are titled: (1) "Webbing: Seeing the Connections"; (2) "Books and Boxes: Shaping My Path to the…

Only a full scale effort will make multicultural education a success at the middle school level. Multicultural education programs must be integrated into all levels of the school day, from curriculum and instructional materials through all the components of the middle school experience. Chapter 1 looks at the country's increasing cultural…

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…

Recommends eight strategies schools and individual teachers can use to best meet the needs of immigrant students, particularly East Asian students, in English as a Second Language (ESL) programs. Discusses program design, teacher training and cooperation, learning styles and teaching styles, individual background and needs, peer acceptance issues,…

This manual is designed for persons who are responsible for implementing career-mentoring programs, especially for middle and junior high school girls, emphasizing nontraditional, high-wage occupations. Such a program is recommended by the School-to-Work Opportunities Act as a connecting activity. The manual is organized in two sections plus…

This manual has been developed to assist mentors in working with mentees in a career mentoring program. The manual is divided into four sections. The first section provides information on how to be an effective career mentor. It suggests strategies to make the time mentors spend with mentees meaningful. The second section provides information on…

This document was prepared to serve as an aid in the planning, design, implementation, and ongoing evaluation of Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth Programs in Pennsylvania. School Codes and Public Laws are cited for guidance on mandatory issues. The suggestions and implementation strategies provided in this document are not requirements…

This document, which was developed with input from 14 Illinois middle schools, is a comprehensive guide to planning and implementing career development activities in middle schools. The following are among the topics discussed: (1) background information (the rationale for and importance of career development; young adolescents' interests and…