As students enter the middle grades, many lose academic momentum and thus reach ninth grade unprepared. This lack of preparedness snowballs: It leads students to disengage from their studies, causing them to miss opportunities to get back on track in high school and thrive in the years beyond. Sixth grade is a particularly critical juncture.…

Principals in the United States are responsible for creating educational environments that enable students, including those with disabilities, to achieve both academic and postschool goals. Unfortunately, many principals lack the preparation necessary to effectively lead special education programs. To support principals and ensure that students…

This article provides a brief background on the evolution of the two testing consortia and the perspective of one principal with the transition to online testing in an elementary school.

This case illustrates an example of how one school relied solely on aggregate data and failed to address the college readiness needs of African American students with disabilities. However, the way in which the school counselor identified this opportunity gap may not have been the most ethical approach, and now she is faced with a dilemma. This…

Transitions into and out of the middle grades can be challenging for many reasons. Students need to acclimate to new policies, practices, and buildings; teachers require accurate data about their new students' capacities; and families must navigate relationships with new personnel. All school transitions present different and, at times, puzzling…

Many school leaders seek new strategies from their colleagues and education literature on how to develop and sustain a positive school culture where students feel safe and are able to reach their greatest potential in academic achievement. Leadership books focus on strategies of building professional learning communities and developing capacity…

Philadelphia made early investments in reforms designed to address the challenges of large neighborhood high schools, including supports for the critical ninth grade transition year. Well over a decade later, our research shows that freshman year interventions are frequently not implemented in ways that maximize their effectiveness. This policy…

With detailed examples of best practices from middle schools across the country, this book features research-based strategies and suggestions for transition programs. It covers the roles of school principals, counselors, classroom teachers, and the central office. The book is divided into the following sections: (1) An Overview of School…

This appendix accompanies "Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades: Why Some Schools Do Better. A Large-Scale Study of Middle Grades Practices and Student Outcomes. Initial Research Report." This appendix contains the full bibliography of all research and policy documents consulted during the development of the ten research domains and three…

In this interview, the director of the Federal National School-to-Work Office explains the School-to-Work Opportunities Act. This comprehensive, systemwide investment covers all age groups and is designed to help communities examine their workforce preparation programs, identify gaps, and devise plans for a system that serves all students. (MLH)

Describes a principal's efforts to help staff restructure an Arizona junior high school's entire curriculum while struggling to achieve a successful transition to middle school status. The most traumatic change for staff involved a radical scheduling change from one-hour classes to two-hour time blocks with alternating subjects from quarter to…

In most schools, restructuring involves a fundamental, comprehensive reformulation of school operations accompanied by intense scrutiny of everyday activities. This article traces a high school social studies teacher's growing bitterness and feelings of powerlessness as mandated restructuring efforts progressed at his school. A transition plan is…

This paper presents the research and methodology and analyses used for the "Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades" research. This appendix contains the following sections: (1) Overview; (2) Constructing the Survey Data File; (3) Constructing Composite Independent Variables (Subdomains); (4) Constructing Longitudinal Outcome Variables; (5)…

Liberty High School is a one-year transitional school in New York City dedicated to helping immigrant students feel welcome, adjust to their new environment, learn to read and write in English, and become self-assured. Led by a "hands-on" principal, the school specializes in life skills and free clinic referrals. (MLH)

The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) has worked with states, districts, and high schools since 1988 and with middle-grades schools since 1999 to improve student achievement. SREB followed students tested in 2000 and 2001 from eighth grade through ninth grade and found both middle-grades schools and high schools must find ways for students…