Press Release

NMSA Issues Report Suggesting Ways to Implement Recommendations to Improve Middle Level Learning

May 29, 2001

Follows NMSA's seminal position paper
"This We Believe: Developmentally Responsive Middle Level Schools"

COLUMBUS (OH) — While there have been many recommendations to improve middle level education during the past two decades, National Middle School Association (NMSA) today issued a major report with advice on how to implement many of those recommendations.

NMSA is making available This We Believe – And Now We Must Act, a collection of 12 essays suggesting ways to implement recommendations NMSA made in its seminal document, This We Believe: Developmentally Responsive Middle Level Schools, to improve middle level learning, which was released in 1995.

Topics include high expectations for everyone involved in the school, varied teaching and learning approaches, flexible organizational structures, a positive school climate, a shared vision, and school, family and community partnerships, among others.

"The 1995 This We Believe report and Turning Points 2000, which was issued last year by the Carnegie Foundation, focus on similar recommendations and are seen as the two key documents for improving middle level education," explained Sue Swaim, NMSA executive director. "These two reports are speaking with one voice in school reform."

"NMSA's new report draws upon the experiences of some of the best educators in middle level learning to provide practical, proven advice on implementing the recommendations made in our earlier position paper." Swaim explained that the report focuses on academics and meeting the developmental needs of young adolescents.

"Effective middle level schools do both—provide a strong academic program that is developmentally responsive to the unique needs of young adolescents," she indicated. "Without a developmentally responsive approach, students may not gain the greatest benefits from their academic lessons."

"In addition to expanded treatments of these 12 characteristics explained in the 1995 position paper, the writers in this new report have provided observations of what one would 'see, hear, or feel' if the characteristics were present in a school," said Swaim.

"This report will provide guidance that middle schools need as they seek to achieve educational programs that are both academically sound and developmentally responsive."

Copies of This We Believe – And Now We Must Act may be ordered for $18.00 from NMSA by phoning 1-800-528-NMSA.