This case study examines the motivations of, and processes used by teacher leaders to establish a peace program at their middle school. These teacher leaders creatively engaged students in transforming school culture using empowering strategies to build positive peace among students, administrators, and teachers. Theories of peace education are…

This article describes the development of an innovative clinically rich STEM middle school residency program, one with emphasis in middle grades mathematics program and another in middle grades science aimed to cultivate responsive middle School STEM teachers who are prepared to teach and reach the next generation of young adolescent learners. In…

The majority of school counselor leadership studies focus on quantitative data. The current study contributes to the limited qualitative research surrounding school counselor leadership. The analysis of an open-ended statement from a national study gives voice to school counselor perceptions about leadership characteristics pertinent to the…

The National Middle School Association (NMSA) has long offered excellent guidance on the education of young adolescents in the "This We Believe" series, and by extension, for the education of educators of young adolescents. With many districts facing shortages of qualified teachers, having difficulty retaining those they have, and with an…

This article discusses the importance of mixed-methods research, in particular the value of qualitatively driven mixed-methods research for quantitatively driven domains like educational accountability. The article demonstrates the merits of qualitative thinking by describing a mixed-methods study that focuses on a middle school's system of…

When school personnel are confronted with initiatives that require changes in scholastic curricula, processes, programs, or structures, there is often a naturally occurring defensiveness against, instead of an open embrace of, new educational innovations (Hall & Hord, 2006). This article examines a whole-school reform initiative, specifically…

This article describes the design and implementation of a school-based obesity prevention program, the successes associated with its implementation, and challenges with development and application of the program's curriculum base. The program is described, including purpose and goals, content and structure of the curriculum, type and training of…

Describes how, operating from a model that values collaboration between educators and the community at large, the League of Women Voters worked to evaluate the Minneapolis school district's middle school reform efforts. Addresses: (1) elements of the school reform efforts; (2) the League's Middle School Achievement Project (MSAP); (3) the…

The Body Awareness Resource Network (BARN) is a computer-based system designed as a confidential, nonjudgmental source of health information for adolescents. Topics include alcohol and other drugs, diet and activity, family communication, human sexuality, smoking, and stress management; programs are available for high school and middle school…

The Avon Grove School District has a middle school orientation program for incoming elementary students and their parents, which consists of several visits and open houses in the Spring and at the beginning of the Fall term. (SJL)

Considers some of the groundwork affecting the foundations of advisory programs in middle schools, focusing on key decisions made in the planning stages of the program. Presents an advisory typology that can be used to compare existing programs, design a new program, or evaluate and renovate an existing program. (KB)

Investigating local watersheds presents middle school students with authentic opportunities to engage in inquiry and address questions about their immediate environment. Investigation activities promote learning in an investigations interdisciplinary context as students explore relationships among chemical, biological, physical, geological, and…

The Paula Program in music for gifted girls in middle schools, developed by St. Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana, is described. How the program was designed is discussed and activities and materials selected for classroom use are briefly described. (RM)

It is noted there are few reported studies on programs that focus on parents and their middle-school children learning science together. Details of a zoo course are provided as well as data from a survey designed to find out what other courses could be taught in a similar manner. (MP)

Middle level program planning involves three phases over three years: developing a written school philosophy, designing the curricular program, and implementing the plan to meet objectives. (Author/DCS)