Middle School Education News

Six Programmatic Qualities Crucial for Effective Middle Schools

Prepared by National Middle School Association

In a previous article, eight cultural qualities leading to effective middle schools were reviewed. This article outlines six companion program qualities.

"When all of these 14 characteristics are in place in middle level schools, young adolescents have the best possibility of reaching their full potential," said Sue Swaim, executive director, National Middle School Association, which announced the characteristics in This We Believe: Successful Schools for Young Adolescents.

"Research continues to demonstrate that middle schools work when all the foundational concepts are put into place. Community and school leaders should assure that all 14 characteristics are incorporated into their schools to best serve their students."

The six program characteristics are:

• Curriculum that is relevant, challenging, integrative, and exploratory. An effective curriculum is based on criteria of high quality and includes learning activities that create opportunities for students to pose and answer questions that are important them. Such a curriculum provides direction for what young adolescents should know and be able to do and helps them achieve the attitudes and behaviors needed for a full, productive, and satisfying life.
• Multiple learning and teaching approaches that respond to their diversity. Since young adolescents learn best through engagement and interaction, learning strategies involve students in dialogue with teachers and with one another. Teaching approaches should enhance and accommodate the diverse skills, abilities, and prior knowledge of young adolescents, and draw upon students' individual learning styles.
• Assessment and evaluation programs that promote quality learning. Continuous, authentic, and appropriate assessment and evaluation measures provide evidence about every student's learning progress. Grades alone are inadequate expressions for assessing the many goals of middle level education.
• Organizational structures that support meaningful relationships and learning. The interdisciplinary team of two to four teachers working with a common group of students is the building block for a strong learning community with its sense of family, where students and teachers know one another well, feel safe and supported, and are encouraged to take intellectual risks.
• School-wide efforts and policies that foster health, wellness, and safety. A school that fosters physical and psychological safety strives to build resiliency in young people by maintaining an environment in which peaceful and safe interaction are expected and supported by written policies, scheduled professional development, and student-focused activities.
• Multifaceted guidance and support services. Developmentally responsive middle level schools provide both teachers and specialized professionals who are readily available to offer the assistance many students need in negotiating their lives both in and out of school.

A summary of This We Believe: Successful Schools for Young Adolescents can be found on the NMSA Web site, www.nmsa.org. The full document can be purchased online or by contacting NMSA at 1-800-528-NMSA.