Restorative Justice Practices (RJP) offer a positive approach to discipline while also providing middle school students opportunities to develop social-emotional skills (conflict resolution and self-management). RJP contrasts sharply with traditional, punitive, zero-tolerance discipline models which perpetuate systemic inequity in schools,…

Rolling Hills Middle School has begun the implementation of a personalized learning model with one house of 50 8th grade students. This personalized learning (PL) model promotes collaborative work among groups of students and supports student choice and agency as it fosters learner independence. This qualitative, interpretive case study used…

A key challenge for 21st-century schools, families, and communities is to develop knowledgeable, responsible, and caring students who are able to work well with others from diverse backgrounds in socially and emotionally skilled ways. This case study tells the story of one middle school's journey through the implementation of a social and…

We present a naturalistic case study of one teacher's development of a growth-centered context for classroom assessment. In-depth interviews, analysis of student work, and observations were used to identify the processes this teacher used to engage her students in the assessment process. Data were analyzed using listening guide analysis to garner…

Explored how teacher advisory programs are perceived and implemented in five middle schools in four different states with strong, group-oriented guidance philosophies. Found that schools varied widely in execution and organization of teacher advisory programs. All but one had large groups of students, which made meaningful guidance-based advisory…

A survey of representative schools in Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and Illinois showed that most small and rural schools house middle-level students in buildings primarily designed for elementary or high school students. Middle level students often receive an inappropriate educational program that is not taught by teachers trained to understand and…