Success in the Middle:
A Policymaker's Guide to Achieving
Quality Middle Level Education

National Middle School Association is committed to making the middle grades the pride of the American education system. As an organization, NMSA has established longstanding partnerships with national, state, and local groups interested in improving the lives of young people. But our efforts must be matched with financial and policy support from all levels of government. Only by working together can we achieve the ambitious agenda to provide all young adolescents with a quality education that develops their skills and talents to the fullest extent.

Success in the Middle: A Policymaker's Guide to Achieving Quality Middle Level Education shows the steps necessary to implement a coordinated and strategic plan to raise academic achievement and support 10- to 15-year-olds as they move through the exciting but challenging transitions of early adolescence. To request copies of the policy guide please call 1-800-528-6672.

Press Release Federal Policy Brief

Policy Guide Summary Chart

Goals and Recommendations

Printable Version

1. Ensure that all middle level students participate in challenging, standards-based curricula and engaging instruction, and that their progress is measured by appropriate assessments, resulting in continual learning and high achievement.
   
2. Support the recruitment and hiring of teachers and administrators who have strong content knowledge and the ability to use research-based instructional strategies and assessment practices appropriate for middle level students.
   
3. Support organizational structures and a school culture of high expectations that enable both middle level students and educators to succeed.
   
4. Develop ongoing family and community partnerships to provide a supportive and enriched learning environment for every middle level student.
   
5. Facilitate the generation, dissemination, and application of research needed to identify and implement effective practices leading to continual student learning and high academic achievement at the middle level.