A survey of junior high/middle school activity programs indicates that middle schools are falling into some of the same practices that have been criticized in junior high schools. (Editor)

Staff development is the key to middle school effectiveness, and this article lists characteristics of an effective staff development program, examples of activities and topics, and questions for program evaluation. (DCS)

Author recapped some major recommendations made at a conference ten years ago as the introduction to the chapters that follow in this 1974 issue of the Bulletin. (Editor/RK)

Using birth statistics to indicate school enrollment trends, the author describes a hypothetical case in which a system reverts to the junior high arrangement after having tried the middle school set-up. (Editor)

Appropriate as the final article in this look at junior high, middle, and intermediate schools claiming exemplary programs is a summary that points out where we are, what we have missed, and where we ought to be going in the Seventies. (Editor)

A survey to determine the feelings of sudents attending a new middle school showed a decline in motivation among eighth graders. A majority of parents agreed that school discipline should be stricter. (LD)

To counter gender bias effects and improve student learning, staff at a Virginia middle school decided to group eighth-grade students by gender for math and science instruction. Girls felt freer to speak out. Grade point averages in gender-based science and math classes for both girls and boys were higher than in coeducational classes. (MLH)

To meet recently promulgated standards, teachers are challenged to teach more rigorous, extensive subject-area content, develop varied instructional strategies, and reach a wider range of students. Teachers should be guided by a high-quality curriculum characterized by academic rigor, equity, and developmental responsiveness. (MLH)