Middle school students are naturally curious about their expanding possibilities. This stage of their lives is a time of transition, of figuring out who they are and where they belong in the world. Many students also think that the world they look at through the classroom window is distant and unconnected to the world of chalkboards and pop…

Proposes clustering content areas of a middle school curriculum under humanities, technology, and personal study. An interdisciplinary team planning approach could eliminate the schism between academic and other subjects. (MLF)

Suggestions are made for implementing programs that enhance students' self-concept and self-esteem. Eight program activities illustrate examples of what principals can do for students in these areas. (MLF)

Curriculum developers should consider middle level learners' needs for intellectual growth and individual attention and their needs to understand themselves and know others. (MLF)

The middle school originated out of an understanding for the need of a learning environment geared specifically to the needs of the early adolescent. The transition from concrete to formal operational thought and the affective and psychomotor developmental stages demonstrate the uniqueness of the early adolescent experience. (JN)

The role of the middle schools in promoting adolescent development and the areas in which the curriculum can help children make the difficult and critical transition from childhood to adolescence are discussed. (MSE)

Teaching music to the early adolescent is a challenging and sometimes difficult task. Characteristics of early adolescence are described, and reasons why some middle level music programs are not effective are discussed. Tips for tailoring instruction to this age group are presented. (RM)

Middle schools embrace exploration as a guiding principle across the school curriculum. Noting that the research on exploratory courses is sparse, this digest discusses what is known about exploratory curriculum in middle schools. The digest first looks at the role of exploratory curriculum, pointing out that the purpose of exploratory courses is…

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) sponsored a conference to identify key issues that could help OERI develop an agenda for research, products, and services in early adolescent education. This document compiles the papers from that conference. Following an introduction by OERI and a list of…

Continuous progress education is designed to relate to the special interests, needs, and abilities of each individual learner. A curriculum responsive to the needs of early adolescents would include the elements of content organization, learning activities, time allocations, student assessment, staff and materials development, and budget. (JN)

Developmental characteristics of students in middle schools (grades 5-8) are detailed and a social studies curriculum tailored to their particular needs is outlined. (JMF)

Recent debates among educators about the middle school curriculum involve three concepts: (1) middle school ought to provide a general education school in which the curriculum focuses on widely shared concerns of early adolescents and the larger world rather than specialization among separate subjects; (2) the curriculum ought to serve the…

Develops the thesis of the interrelationships of conceptions of adolescents with curricula and school organization by examining the Carnegie Council (1989) reform report on middle schools, "Turning Points: Preparing American Youth for the 21st Century." The article discusses economic and social contexts of the report, historical…

Explores the content of middle school reforms, focusing on how they diverge from conventional school practices, school norms, and school politics. Argues that norms of community and integration will need to replace many of the competitive, individualistic, and bureaucratic norms embedded in current practice. (Author/PAM)

High expectations and appropriate standards for learning and achievement are important to any curriculum plan. The need for curriculum to meet developmental needs is particularly important for middle-level students. Middle-level students are unlike any other age group and are internally varied. Not all middle-level students need the same things at…