You lift me, and I'll lift you, and we'll ascend together.
       - Anonymous

05/15/12

Below is a chart which begins my conceptual framework: referring to the topic of conceiving an effective middle school model, and  the alignment of determining levels of effectiveness based upon four prevalent models, including Turning Points, Breaking Ranks, This We Believe, and The ADC Design.  The chart delineates scholars who have conveyed their expert opinion in one of four principal areas of the IOGA chart designed by Dr. Frank Smith in the ADC Design; instruction, governance, organization, and accountability. in my conceptual framework, I intend to include the four predominant categories of effectiveness and compare the characteristics of effectiveness based upon the above-mentioned models to the concepts associated with the New York State Department of Education.  Afterward, I will endeavor to explain how well the two strategies are comparable in their approach in determining effectiveness of a middle school model. Finally, I will identify the advantages and disadvantages of middle school models compared to junior high school model.

IOGA (Instruction, Organization, Governance, Accountability)

CHART

Dissertation Topic for Ed.D

Presented by Omero C. Catan III: Summer 09

Effective Middle Schools as it Relates to the New York State Suffolk County Math and English

 Language Arts Score Reports

Introduction:

          The path of knowing and learning throughout the course of the storied past in the early development of the  United States included a drive to create a two tiered system of education: students attended elementary school from kindergarten through eighth grade; afterward, the select few would experience a high school learning experience which would  address particular academic skills so in order to be prepared for college. Otherwise, most of individuals would be trained for some vocational skills which they would later utilize as adults.  As the United States developed, industrialized, and ultimately became overpopulated in some areas, there was a demand to provide a public school learning experience able to house a great influx of students. A system of education developed over time to provide an effective and efficient learning environment beneficial for each student to acquire the necessary skills for vocational opportunities especially beneficial for an opportunity to earn a living in the factories in our industrialized nation.  Furthermore, a middle level educational experience would eventually be constructed for young adolescents, ages 10-14, more suitable to address their unique needs; they were subsequently able to experience a middle level learning environment in a separate location from the elementary school below and the high school above.  Consequently, middle level students were able to enjoy a learning experience apart from those students, either younger or older, as they endured the most unique phase in their lives, an age which would lead to their future success should they receive appropriate support,  or they would have to  contend with the negative consequences leading up to the angst accompanying their arduous physically demanding vocational pursuits.

          At the inception of our country, democratic values were reinforced in our agrarian society in the historical “one-room schoolhouse” through two important institutions, the family and the church. (exemplary ms George and Alexander p. 39), essential ms p. 6).  The country school-house gave students an opportunity to learn the three R’s; reading, writing and arithmetic, as well as address spelling and concepts in communicating the basic tenets of our democratic country. The learning environment in the one-room schoolhouse was ascetic in many ways. There were not many resources available, and the students were under the strict direction of their teacher in manner and curriculum; students completed their work according to a fixed standardized curriculum, and teachers gave explicit directions in a rigid classroom environment where creativity was not especially encouraged; students were expected to memorize, recite and learn in specific ways to give the perception that schooling is a knowledge-based endeavor.  Indeed, public education was considered a system, a governmental program in which literacy was taught and fundamental knowledge was inculcated in an effort to perpetuate the democratic ideal. (essential ms p. 6)

        For their part, the progressive model in which Dewey,  Democracy and Education, and others believed that children had opportunities to learn if they had guidance, and the outcomes were flexible, reflected diversity of students experience and capacity, and the curriculum should be individualized and developmentally appropriate, and school should be an experienced-based endeavor.  Students were treated individually and their education was designed to enhance their place in America. Each subsequent generation of children was taught to perpetuate the overall development of the country.   Dewey indicated that adults have an important obligation to perpetuate the principles of citizenship in our democratic nation. Toward that end, he has recommended that the “immature” individuals or “children” should be educated in a manner that extols the virtues of our nation, while imparting knowledge for students to utilize as a way of contributing to our nation as they matured. In other words,   Dewey advocated a child centered curriculum, where a community of learners were encouraged to engage in a positive learning environment, subjects were not taught separately but were integrated into the students’ past life experiences, and there should be an acceptance of differences for the manner in which students learn. As our country became more complex, however, it became more difficult to promote individual behavior for the benefits associated with the participation of the democratic society.  As our communities grew larger, so did our concerns for the education of our youth. (Essential ms p.6)

      The landscape of our country changed dramatically with the advent of Industrialization. As a result, students were educated much differently than in the agrarian society of the past, the rise of cities and the utilization of technology changed the lifestyle of many Americans who worked by the clock, in lieu of the season, and developed other pursuits as they enjoyed a greater amount of leisure time.   Also, immigrants seeking to improve their fortunes arrived in the United States, which added to the transformation of our agrarian society into an industrialized nation.  Indeed, there were many individuals willing and able to perform jobs which contributed to the urbanization of America.  As a means to explain this phenomenon, the machine metaphor and the factory system were recognized as addressing the need to effectively and efficiently describe the adaptation to these changes.  The assembly line emphasized the process of “producing a work force to staff and operate the factories.”[1] WETSKp. 40) Caine and Caine p . 13) Similarly, schools were erected and organized to emulate the factory system; where each person has a specific job to do, and perform the same task all day;  work started and ended with the blast of the horn or a bell. Work was assessed and evaluated by the amount of products that was completed, and by the amount of time it took to perform the necessary duties.  Additionally, individuals were employed by the amount of completed items they produced each day. Supervisors were responsible to ensure that the employees remained on task, and they adhered to the strict process where employees followed the instructions of their supervisors without question.[2] (WETSKp. 40; Reforming mled Thompson p. 35).

      As schools quickly emerged  to accommodate the influx of children, they were pressured into dealing with the overcrowding conditions as the population exploded across the country, especially in the urban areas.  Students were “processed” in the buildings “en masse” through the hallways, attending classes with others of the same age/grade, and they were expected to learn or attain certain skills in order to progress to the next level until they reached their ultimate goal of graduation.  Students were expected to be passive learners, like receptacles where knowledge could be dumped into their minds until they were filled.  In utilizing a metaphor of the factory system, the role of the students was envisioned as “raw materials.”[3] (wetsk p. 41) The students then entering the “factory doors” of the schools would be molded and polished to be made complete with the purpose of utilizing specific skills to contribute to the various needs of the society as it sees fit.[4] (wetsk, p. 41)  Educational philosophy emphasized that all students have similar learning characteristics.  As another reaction to the overcrowding situations the factory metaphor was instrumental in the popular philosophy of “one style fits the needs of all students; where the information that students are expected to know is unilaterally predetermined and involved a fixed set of concepts and principles; where all students are expected to perform similar responsibilities once they graduate; where learning means memorization of facts, where creativity and critical thinking are not valued; and where connections do not exist between subjects. Teachers make the unilateral decisions with respect to events that occur in the classroom. [5](Wetsk. P. 41) Indeed, the job of the modern school during the industrial era was to prepare children to fit into society, and to train them for the industrial and/or manual occupations that awaited them.[6](wetsk p. 41)

          Throughout the twentieth century, a hierarchical system of public education developed.  Students attended schools, which appeared to be much different than their predecessors; they were expected to accept the curriculum decisions of their teachers who believed that students should complete the appropriate skill level work via worksheet development and standardized learning; they progressed to the next level and continued until they fulfilled the necessary graduation requirements.  Teachers were evaluated on their ability to perform labor intensive activities, such as whether they arrived to school in time, how many sick days they utilized, and how well-behaved their students were in the classroom during instruction. Emphasis was placed on how to facilitate an efficient and effective “flow” of students who would develop the same age/grade skills and move on from one level to the next until they were ready to contribute to society with a particular vocation. Only a select few were apparently ready to aspire to earn a college degree.[7](Left  back, Ravitch, p. 81) The climate in the schools was similar to that of the factories. In the factories, time was scheduled, breaks were measured and counted, labor was evaluated by productivity and behavior on the job, the required task did not especially conform to an overall goal leading to the finished product.  Similarly in the schools, instruction was a seven-or-eight period day, with classes lasing approximately forty forty-five minutes, ending with a bell as students filed out of the ir classes, into the halls for four minutes, and then into another classroom.   Subjects were taught separately, and all of the outcomes for learning were predetermined by textbook design or restructured curriculum chosen by central office administrators. Every student was expected to learn the same curriculum, at the same pace, and all students were taught in the same way. Compliant behavior was rewarded, creative thinking was discouraged. [8](wetsk, p. 40)

The Problem Statement:

          How are young adolescent students, ages 10-14, or 15 going to be educated, where elementary or high school curriculum may not address their particular issues in their unique phase of life including the development of their physical, intellectual, emotional, psychological, social, and moral/ethical attributes so they may contribute as productive citizens later on as adults.   In other words, what are the common characteristics of a middle school academic program which may provide instructional support, give organizational structures, encourage communication with a shared governance in the learning environment, and convey to the public positive attributes of their students by demonstrating what they know and can do via effective assessments and proven accountability measures.

The Junior high school

        Urbanization of the American educational landscape, the manner in which students had to deal with the overcrowding conditions and/or how they addressed the teacher’s inability to connect the subject matter with their own past experiences, nonetheless caused them to endure the educational philosophy of efficiency and effectiveness.  In other words, the busy schools put into place a system of teaching and learning, coupled with the supervising tide where actions on the part of educators and students were encouraged to participate in a massive, “conveyor belt” mentality.  Thus, each teacher was charged with instruction of a small part of a student’s entire educational experience devoid of past connections.   In effect, a three tiered system of education developed over time, leading to a quantified instructional approach where teachers could calculate which skill level and grade level a student measured up accordingly until they graduated from the high school. There was a change in placement via the two-tiered system of elementary and secondary education, specifically with an 8-4 paradigm, or kindergarten to 8^th grade, then moving on to the secondary school for the next four years with the ultimate goal of graduation from high school. (Essential ms p. 3) Paralleling the attempt to enforce a mechanical and mass education system on older children were the first studies of a special group of learners who were older children or early adolescents. Indeed, the distinctive developmental characteristics of young adolescents—ages 10-14—was recognized over a century ago.[9] (young adolescent and ms Mertens page X; Hall 1904) Other reports were cognizant of the need to alter the paradigm of educational placement as the NEA earlier wrote,

“the most necessary and far-reaching reforms in secondary education must begin in the seventh and eighth grades in our schools.” (Young adol. And MS, mertens page X, National educational association 1899, journals of proceedings and addresses, Denver C; Author page 659).

         A study conducted by G. Stanley Hall at the turn of the twentieth century was indicative of other more prevalent studies about the education young adolescents at this unique phase of their lives. The now-classic study of 4000 youth in New York City, symbolized the preadolescent period in which there was an analysis of the development of the young adolescent students; it is conducive to the transition period where statements about the “individual differences of students” and “meeting the needs of early adolescents” began to show up in educational literature.  As a result of this major study and the subsequent literature explaining various needs of students during the phase of preadolescence, there was a general agreement that  junior high school model was “a natural turning point” in the pupil’s life.  It marked the beginning for secondary education students of this age, and it demanded a new method and a wiser direction.” (Mertens, p. 3).  Over time, the developmental characteristics of young adolescents have come to include physical, intellectual, emotional/psychological, social, and moral/ethical development. (Kellogh and Kellogh 2003; scales 1991,2003)[10] As the problems of the six year high school grew, and the awareness of the preadolescent emerged, there existed a demand  for a new and for a different form of schooling in the United States; this new level of education became known as junior high school.(wiles Essential ms p.7)  

           There were six notable features or prevalent themes in the junior high school experience.  Integration, which was designed to help students to use skills into effective behavior, was one feature.  Exploration was designed to focus on a wide range of cultural, civic, and social, recreational, and vocational interests.  Guidance was added to encourage students to make better decisions about social, emotional, and academic adjustment as the students moved ahead as they matured. Differentiation, where facilitates in accord with varying backgrounds, personalities individual differences.  Socialization prepares students for effective participation in complex social order; and last, articulation to provide for gradual transition from preadolescent education to adolescent programs.[11](EMS wiles p. 7-8: the jhs and ms: issues and practices; by Alvin w Howard and George c stoumbis, page 21).  The predominate six functions; notably, integration of  learning, encouragement of  exploration, guidance of development, individualization of  learning, promotion of a healthy social development, and the development of a meaningful connection to bridge  learning from elementary to high school.  Cubberley’s public school administration published in 1916 was the basic text for administrators for many years to come. He authorized “knowledge curriculum,” curricular differentiation, the litany of complaints against the schools came at an odd time; the pedagogues complained that the schools would have to change to accommodate the tidal waves of ordinary youths who were unable to gain anything from the “bookish” and aristocratic” academic curriculum.( Ravitch page 99)  At the behest of the experts, curricular differentiation spread among adolescents. The junior high school was a place where the unique phase of a person’s life was designed to prepare for actual high school.  Additional influential studies marked a desire to include a junior high school model. Particularly, as Americans were apt to demand a more scientific approach to studying the phenomenon of educating our young adolescents, Van Til, Vars and Lounsbury (1961) wrote that the early twentieth century provided another justification for the organization of the junior high.”[12] (Modern ed for jhs years indianopolis, IN p. 18 van til W Vars g and Lounsbury J. 1961)The concept of providing a middle level educational experience in the junior high school was to provide a program that would respond to the uniqueness of developmental stage and offer a practical and active curriculum that would engage the young adolescent mind.

The problem of Junior High Schools

            The junior high schools housed students who attended 7^th, 8^th, and 9^th grade students in segregated areas of the building by themselves; they possessed an organizational structure of their own that was distinct from grades below and above, and are taught by a separate corps of teachers. (WETSKp. 44). The junior high school model was designed to ameliorate the problems that existed with a two tiered system of education so that young adolescents may continue to be motivated to learn via the aforementioned features of exploration, guidance, differentiation, integration, and socialization.  However, it became evident that the climate and culture of the junior high school model presented many of the problems that existed before its development; and many of these same problems exist today; specifically, discipline problems, motivation problems, and a high dropout rate.(Essential ms p. 7 The concept of providing a middle level educational experience in the junior high school was to provide a program that would respond to the uniqueness of developmental stage and offer a practical and active curriculum that would engage the young adolescent mind. By the early 1950’s there was a general dissatisfaction n with both the junior high school and the earlier, still continuing 8-4 elementary high school organization began to gain momentum. Indeed the 80-Uf4 and at the 6-3-3 plans were both considered to be by many unsuitable to the needs an interests of young adolescents. (Exemplary,  page 41.  )(Tye 1985)[13](WEMSTSK 44)  T

 *****      The junior high schools are taught by a separate corps of teachers. (north Central Association, P. 4) and emerged originally, as an attempt to satisfy two goals; a richer curriculum than the elementary school was able to offer and a more personal atmosphere than the high school was able to develop. (George and Alexander p. 347). The junior high schools operated as “little high schools. ( ESMS p.8) Specifically, The great depression, World War II and later inhibited ninth grade development of a real junior high school program   Later on, despite the growing trend of more than 6500 junior high schools which existed across the nation by the 1950’s, the promise of providing a distinct experience for young adolescents never held up. In fact, throughout the 40’s and 50’s the need for a distinct educational experience for young adolescents remained in the forefront of the minds of many educators.  First, the staff was not properly trained and/or had little knowledge of the unique development of the young adolescents; the lack pedagogical strategies for meeting the students’ cognitive, social, and emotional needs.[14] (WETSK p. 45; McEwin, Dickinson and Jenkins 1960) In effect, junior high schools maintained traditional content-specific curricula and a factory model design of six forty-two minute periods throughout the day.  Educational professionals provided many opportunities for socialization and exploration was emphasized. Several calls for change in 1961 resulted with the publication of the ASCD the Junior High School We Need(Grantes, Noyce, Patterson, and Robertson 1961).here educators envisioned  schools in which educators were specifically trained o use appropriate instructional strategies to teach young adolescents, by recommending smaller schools with flexible scheduling formats rather than the traditional forty-two-minute, six period day. (Wemstk p. 46  )There was a general dissatisfaction with the junior high school organization. The 8-4 and the 6-3-3 plans were both considered by many, as unsuitable to the needs and interests of young adolescents. (Exemplary ms p. 41)  The junior high school was seen, ironically, as being too secondary, as having been too successful in bringing the high school program down into what had been elementary school grades. Critics charged that the departmentalized, high school or university-style organization of teaches caused more problems than it solved. The departmentalization produced little relationship between the subjects and the needs of young adolescents causing students to disengage from school. Departmentalization was faulted for preventing cooperation among teachers who shared the same studens making it difficult therefore teachers to work together to provide the kind of active educational experience, for young adolescents( exemplary ms George pages 42-43).  

PURPOSE/SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

              In the 1960’s the junior high school never materialized philosophically. Instead educators suggested that there should be more support for the young adolescent physically, emotionally, socially, and cognitively.  Indeed, much of the literature on the junior high noted that such schools had turned into “miniature high schools,” albeit pale imitations of senior high school and educators judged the junior high school organization as inappropriate for young adolescents (ages 10-15) who are psychologically, socially, emotionally, intellectually, and physically at a  very different place than adolescents counterparts.([15]reforming ml educ, edited by Thompson page 1; Musiak and hall 1994, grooms, 1967).Donald Eichhorn was a pioneer in the call for restructuring and creating a new middle school structure.([16] Wemstk p. 46) However, most junior high schools changed to middle schools in name only. The primary impetus for such a drastic change began as a result of the most junior high schools changed their names because of demographic factors, where ninth graders moved to the high school and sixth grades moved to the junior high. The junior high was then renamed the middle school.   Schools in other areas of the United States were due to the mandate to desegregate schools (George, et al. 1992).[17]  WEMSWK p. 47) Even though the middle schools were created in the 60’s and 70’s many of the features were common to high schools, such as departmentalized instruction, forty two minute periods, and tracking of students according ability—revisiting the factory model approach to educating students.(problem of middle schools).

                 By the 1960’s much of the literature on the Junior High School noted that such schools had turned into “miniature high schools.”[18] (Johnson Dupuis, Musial and Hall) junior highs had turned into pale imitations of the high schools”[19](Koos 1927) while the junior high movement was an effort to separate young adolescents and to provide educational programs designed specifically for them, a knowledge base was not available to sustain the uniqueness of the reform movement; thus, the movement gradually gravitated toward a subject orientation, attempted to emulate the organization of the high school, and more closely imitated what had existed in the past. Indeed, Alexander and George (1981) stated that “unequivocally, many junior high schools became in time almost duplicate copies of their senior high school  in terms of credit and grading systems, methods of teaching, time schedules and student activities, so that sixth graders in June became high school students in September without adequate readiness or maturity.”[20](Exemplary ms page11) In effect, aided by additional sociological and psychological research during the 1950’s and 1960’s  educators judged the junior high school organization as inappropriate for young people (ages 10-14) who are psychologically, socially, mentally, emotionally, and physically at a very  different place than adolescents. “The junior high schools originally founded to meet the need for education on a level intermediate between elementary school and high school has generally been accused of falling short of helping children for whom they are designed.”[21] (Noar JHS: today and tomorrow: 1961page10; the young adolescent and ms Mertens page XI).

           Some will argue that the creation of the junior high school had more to do with the concern of college educators for getting better-prepared students and the related belief that earlier (than grade 9) introduction of college preparatory subjects, especially mathematics and foreign languages, was highly desirable. Advocates of the junior high also believed that they could improve the drop-out rate problem if he 9^th grade students were moved out of the high school. The rationale was that students in junior high would be more likely not to drop out at the end of the traditional elementary school.[22]  In addition, as the shift in focus from inputs (resources) to outputs (results) was facilitated by the increasing lives to document the educational achievement of American students (Ravitch, Left Back, page 3) International comparisons of test scores placed American students well below those of other industrialized nations in mathematics and sciences, and the venerable College Board scores declined steadily through the 1970’s and 80’s.[23]Eventually, the call to reform the junior high evolved into a call for the creation of the middle school.  It would later be characterized as the middle school movement, one of the largest and most comprehensive efforts at educational reorganization in the history of American Public Schooling.

       In 1969 onward there were several conferences dealing with the issue of identifying and maintaining effective middle school models. For example, the ASCD developed a paper for the association identifying the rationale and significance of the American middle school and stressing ht kids of programs appropriate for emerging adolescent learners., Also 1975 ASCD published, The Middle School We Need. In 1982 the national Middle schools Association NMSA published This We believe; a position paper which set forth the essential characteristics of the middle school. In 1985, NASSP released An Agenda for Excellence at the Middle Level and later Breaking Ranks for the Middle School. In 1989 the Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development issued Turning points, a work delineating seven components which would work collectively to ensure the success of all students. Later, Dr. Frank Smith authored a position paper utilizing the myth of Educational Reform as the conceptual Framework for issuing several characteristics which comprise an effective middle school.  IOGA became a pneumonic device for categorizing several characteristics of effective middle school characteristics, including features such as instruction, organization, governance, and accountability, as the means for engaging in discursive and discussing the implementation of programs for young adolescents.[24]  After 40 years of junior high school development and a revised 6-3-3 paradigm which featured elementary k-6, 789, and 10,11,12 graduation.  However, the junior high lost its footing and a new school in the middle was in the offing.[25]Van til vars and lounsbury 1961; Exemplary. P. 41 The junior high school was seen, as being too secondary, as having been too successful in bringing the high school program down into what had been elementary school grades. Critics charged that the departmentalized, high school, or university-style organization of teachers caused more problems than it solved. Students had adjustment problems moving into the subject centered junior high school.  Organizing teachers by the subject they shared was, critics asserted, too abrupt a change from the predominantly self-contained classroom of the elementary school This departmentalization produced little relationship between the subject s and the needs of young adolescents, causing students disengage from school.[26]Exemplary p. 43

          An article by George Mills 1961 page 6, justified a plan then in operation in the Saginaw Township Community School.  “For some time the junior high school concept has been under scrutiny…In practice it has resulted in junior high schools becoming miniature senior high schools with the social activities, the athletic program, and the instructional program at the senior high school moving into lower educational levels.  As we studied the 320 physical, mental, emotional and social growth characteristics and teaching implications for boys and girsl, from kindergarten through the 12 th grade, we concluded that there were centers of similarity in the 13year spun that merited close study… these conclusions led us to establish the primary school, which includes kindergarten through grade 4, the middle school with grades 5 through8, and the four year high school with grades 9^th through 12th grade.”[27]  (Exemplary ms 43)  

     By 1965 the middle school movement seemed firmly launched across the unites states. (Exemplary ms p.43; Murphy 1965)[28]For several decades later the development of the middle school took effect. There were several reasons why the middle school became an important phase in a person’s educational experience and ultimately gave them a set of physical, emotional, physical and cognitive skills to survive not only in the United States, but in the world as well. It is noteworthy to consider the development of the individual as the rationale for such a marked achievement as the creation of a middle level educational experience. However, some decisions were easier made in creating buildings for middle school was simply to comply with the federal mandates in desegregating schools, especially in the south.  It was just more convenient to close get junior high school, and transfer ninth grade students to the newly desegregated school.[29](Exemplary ms p. 44)In the northeast and Midwest especially, responded to the  population growth or declines by either building or closing the middle level school, always switching the fifth or sixth grade and then moving the ninth grade students.[30](Exemplary ms p.44)

       Few question that the middle schools are at a crossroads.  We must step back and evaluate where we have previously invested and are currently focusing our energies.  We need more than ever to answer some of the ever-present questions that have haunted the middle school movement: Does the middle school concept work? Does it achieve the desired results of improved student academic and socioemotional performance? as a student –centered educator, Alexander  chose to extend the years with the middle school downward from 789 pattern to a 678 pr even 5-8. This enabled the middle school to reach only older children and preadolescents who had in common the fact that they were expe4rienceing puberty. The curriculum was wide, not narrow, and focused on exploration, not mastery. Middle school would-be a bridging school. (Essential ms 9).

      There were a number of factors for the popularity of the middle school philosophy. First in 1965, there was general unhappiness with all schooling in the United States and in particular with the poor academic performance of the junior high school. In 1957, the Russians launched the first orbiting satellite Sputnik, a technologic cal feat that shocked America.  Soon, schools were blamed for students’ low performance3 in math and science and the junior high school bore the brunt of the criticism.( Essential ms page 9)A second factor for the establishment of the middle school was the effort to eliminate de facto segregation, the 1954 Supreme Court case, Brown v. Topeka board of education struck down the old separate-but-equal orientation and racial integration in schools were perceived as the best hope for uniting the populations in the United States. The middle schools seemed to provide the flexibility to address the wide range of student development.  Third, was the increase enrollment in the school population in the 1960’s. The fear factors about where to properly give the individuals 

The Rapid Growth of the United States Middle School

           By 1960 was widely accepted that the junior high school was dysfunctional and that school districts jumped on the middle school bandwagon in efforts to eliminate the 7^th 8^th and 9^th grade configuration of junior high school program to include a 6-8 or 5-8 configuration; the rationale being that the latter taught who had a physical commonality of experiencing puberty more so than the previous 7-9 configuration.  Other attractions of a middle school approach  Over the next forty years, the result of their strategy was to create numerous middle schools, albeit it was argued that the curriculum was ill defined and incapable of being soundly evaluated.  Such a quantitative orientation to the middle school development also isolated the middle school program from application in the classroom; no clear learning theory existed because the criteria for idle schools were organizational [31]essential ms page 9

          By 1973 the middle school movement was well on its way and by 1997 it became a topic among numerous journal articles describing the innovation that was taking place as the basic form of intermediate education. Indeed, in 1975 association for supervision and curriculum development working group on the emerging adolescent learner, chaired by coauthor Joseph Bondi, identified fourteen points that should guide the program development. The issues revolved around the cognitive idiosyncrasies, diverse curriculum, opportunities for problem solving skills, reflective thinking, real-life application of subject matter, development of values, integrative themes and experiences, encouragement of personal curiosity in the learning experience, diverse grouping of students, aesthetic appreciation and creative expression, curriculum offerings advantageous to the unique experiences of the students attending middle school, and the emphasis of the development of students’ self-concept, attitudes toward school and general happiness. Essential ms page 12[32] In another article, Rethinking Education in the Middle , “ Neil Atkin emphasized the middle school program with the following list of issues: absence of little high school approach, absence of the “:star system where only the few move on to high school, attempt to use instructional  methods more appropriate to this age group, increased opportunity for teacher-student guidance, increased flexibility in scheduling with variable length periods, cooperative planning and team teaching, inter-disciplinary teaching, exploratory opportunities, increased opportunity for participation in physical activity at school, attention for the skills, of continued learning, more independent responsible, and self-disciplined learning, and earlier introduction of organized academic knowledge.[33] (Essential page 12) Indeed others had envisioned a middle school model with similar opportunities to address the learning and other needs unique to this phase in life.[34](essential ms page 13)

         The middle schools of the 1965-2000 era were, in many cases, exciting instructional centers, most sixth-through eighth grade programs adopted a block of time schedule, used teaching teams, integrated subject areas some of the time, provided a kind of group guidance, offered more numerous electives, and increased student participation in physical activity and intramural sports. However, as a result of the integration of most of the middle schools there was a great need for teaching to be trained in special curriculum as dither was not a good adjustment of instruction to the individual needs of these students. (Essential ms page 14)[35]Other challenges soon emerged. Soon middle schools were plagued by overage studens and a soaring dropout rate. Discipline and student motivation were genuine problems.  Also, federal law 94-142 detailing the rights of handicapped children presented teaches with an even wider range of needs o meet.

The changing face of Society and how it impacted young Adolescents

The social face of the united stated from 1965-2000 also introduced many new variables for educators at the middle school level. Trends in the economy increased the number of children living in homes below the poverty level to approximately30 %. of the general breakdown of the family meant that all school children had a 50% chance of living in a single parent home, personal mobility of children and their families, because of work location and work opportunities often meant that students would not complete educational year and transience became a problem as a result. Another problem for the middle school movement was its inability to document successes because of the nonstandard programming and lack of evaluative know-how, lack of data to support middle school movement.  Indeed, there was a consensus that the promise of the middle school was suffering the same fate as that of the junior high school.[36] (Essential p.15)Therefore, in regard to the limitations of the junior high academic programs, educators, politicians, and others alike were determined to create a middle level academic experience which would address the emotional, social, physical, and psychological needs of adolescents as well as their cognitive needs in order to address the adolescents’ academic progress as they move through the unique phase of life from 10-14 or 15.  Indeed, for most 10-14 year olds during the last century and a half the early adolescent years have posed the same set of problems for educators. However, since the mid-1970’s the early adolescent experience and the life in America became more complex.  During the 1970’s and up to today, students have been forced to deal with their changing environment.  The economy has forced both parents to work, leaving their adolescent children unsupervised for long periods of time; the latch-key syndrome has caused students to “go it alone.”

The changing face of society caused many transitions during young adolescence and making growing up very difficult.  By the second half of the 20^th century, there were unprecedented changes especially in gender roles, family structures and traditions, influences of electronic and print media, the increasingly diverse and multicultural nature of communities, and a growing international influence on life. While it is true that today’s young adolescents enjoy technological advances and have other advantages over those of previous generations, the roles and marketer s for youth have become ambiguous as well, offering fewer opportunities for making meaningful contributions to family or society.  Family structure is also undergoing redefinition, and nuclear and extended families once provided clearer roles and responsibilities. With such diverse family configurations, some young adolescents are growing up in situations that vary I the number, gender, race and/or ethnicity of parents or guardians.   (This we believe page 5)

As a result of the changing face of the world there were many children which looked toward television or other technological advances in order to substitute for parental advice.  While television has certain positive aspects, students must be supervised, or they may experience certain negative consequences of such exposure, such as being de-sensitized to violence and the horrors of macabre.  There are individuals who blame television for the violence in our schools today.   In lifestyles where the family atmosphere does not bode well for healthy communication; such as parents being too tired to listen to their children and/or parents leading their children away from certain healthy choices which may cause negative consequences. Moreover,  the divorce rate is high and climbing, which causes adolescents be neglected and/or not be able to negotiate the physiological pressure changes that comes along with the stress of divorce in the family unit now that they are without the supervision of one or both of their parents.

Intellectually, students must remain interactive as they are able to learn new knowledge as they create the ability to solve practical problems in our society.  These challenges present a need for a major change in the ways adolescents are educated in the United States.   Middle school models have been created to address these challenges and continue to do so. Afforded with the opportunity to learn the three “R’s;” reading, writing and arithmetic, as well as spelling and concepts that enable the students are able to perpetuate the democratic ideal.  As our country became more complex, however, it became more difficult to promote individual behavior for the benefits associated with the participation of the democratic society.  As our communities grew larger, so  did our concerns for the education of our youth. During the 1970’s it has been documented about the ways in which our schools have shared in our loss of faith in “our government, the judicial system, the professional and even ourselves.” (P.3 a place called school Goodlad).  Robert M. Hutchins further explains, the schools have experienced a sudden fall from grace, whereas before the institution of schools have been “the foundations of our freedom, the guarantee of our future, the cause of our prosperity and the power and bastion of our security, the bright and shinning beacon.(the source of our enlightenment, the public school page 2, Robert m. Hutchins the great anti school page p.3 Throughout the 60’s and into the 70’s there was a gradual decline in the importance of the effectiveness of schools to provide equal access of individuals in attainment skills to be productive citizens, hence there was a “cognitive inequality among students which was explained for the most part by socioeconomic factors and IQ rather than the variation in performance which was caused by forces outside of school (5 a place called school).  Another source of inequality emanated from the ability of school to fund the educational p.  During the 1970’s and up to today, students have been forced to deal with their changing environment.  The economy has forced both parents to work, leaving their adolescent children unsupervised for long periods of time; the latch-key syndrome has caused students to “go it alone.” As a result, children have looked toward television or other technological advances in order to substitute the parental advice.  While television has certain positive aspects, students must be supervised, or they may experience certain negative consequences such as being de-sensitized to violence and the horrors of macabre.  There are individuals who blame television for the violence in our schools today.    Also, the family atmosphere does not bode well for healthy communication; indeed, both parents are too tired to listen to or lead their children away from certain choices which may cause negative consequences.  The divorce rate is high and climbing, which causes adolescents to negotiate their physiological changes without the supervision of one or both of their parents. Moreover, intellectually, students must remain interactive with their new learning talents in order to create the ability to solve practical problems in our society.  These challenges present a need for a major change in the ways adolescents are educated in the United States.    Middle school models have been created to address these challenges and continue to do so. The two traditionally stable institutions, the household and the church, which had done much of the educating for centuries, were themselves in seriously weakened condition by the 1970’s. Alternatively, there were pressures exerted on teachers and ultimately, students to do better, particularly in the “basic subjects,” states set up procedures for holding teachers accountable for raising reading and mathematics scores from year to year. The apparent assumption that teachers and students only had to concentrate on the three R’s and try harder in order for all to be well ignored the conditions surrounding the schooling. 

The economy also directly affects young adolescents. While so many young adolescents have disposable income and are a major target of marketing campaigns, most of which are clearly manipulative.  Many of the entertainment options available to the young adolescents foster superficial, and selfish values, depict gender roles inappropriately, and promote a passive, consumer oriented and at times, a self-destructive lifestyle.  Young adolescents also witness the negative results of poverty, racism, drug and alcohol abuse, crime and child abuse, often without opportunities to understand why those conditions occur and what they might do about them.  Schools and community programs must do more to cultivate responsible, moral decision makers and discriminating, enlightened consumers. (This we believe page 6)

Whereas before the societal changes of the 60’s the income of parents was sufficient to secure for their children a lifestyle that enabled schools to concentrate extensively on academic performance (6) however, it was during the decade of the 70’s that there became ostensibly a steady decline of the school system which failed to convey a sincere appreciation of American heritage, they did not prepare the students to the limits of their abilities, they neither guided nor motivated their pupils effectively and the curricula were a hodgepodge of lifeless material unrelated to the real concerns of young peoples. (6).  (Lawrence A. Cremin-the transformation of the school, NY vintage 1964 page 25).

Research questions

1.     What are the characteristics of an effective middle school model?

2.     What are the predominate characteristics in the middle school program that most affect academic performance of young adolescents?

3.     How many middle schools actually contain the characteristics which convey the high standards associated with successful middle schools In Suffolk County, New York?

4.     How well does the assessment criteria of New York State about effective middle schools align with the identification of effective middle schools in Suffolk County as perceived according to the characteristics conveyed in This WE Believe by the NMSA?

5.   Are Middle schools more productive than Junior high schools in terms of academic achievement?

Definitions:

1.     Young Adolescents: Students between the ages of 10-14 or 15.

Middle School            “A school of some three to five years between the elementary and high school focused on the educational needs of students in these in-between years and designed to promote continuous educational progress for all concerned.” (Reinventing the middle school page 3); “a separate school to provide a developmentally appropriate educational experience.” Page 11: The philosophy was easy to define: in 1966 for example: Donald Eichhorn wrote: “A special program is needed for the 11-14 year old child going through the unique “transcescent” period in his growth and development.   The widest range of differences in terms of physical, social, and intellectual growth is found in the middle school youngster. Such a wide range of differences calls for an individualized program that is lacking in most junior high schools. The middle school provides for individual differences with a program tailored to fit each child.” (Donald Eichhorn: page 11 essential middle school). experience for students usually enrolled in grades 6-8, or 5-8 and 10-14 years of age, building o the elementary and leading toward high school. (exemplary ms page. 45;

The National Education Association (NEA) (1965) defined middle school as “The school which stands academically between elementary and high school, is housed separately (ideally in a building especially designed for this purpose), and offers at least three years of schooling beginning with either grade five or six” (p. in 1995 National Middle School Association (NMSA) defined middle school as “mainly 6-8 schools, but also 5-8, 5-7, and 7-8; based on developmental needs (social and academic) of young adolescents, organized by interdisciplinary teams, with flexible organizational structures, using varied learning and teaching approaches.” (p. 1). (young adolescent and MS, by Mertens. Page XIII).

2.     Junior High School Program: In 1919 the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools d defined the junior high school as a school in which grades 7,8, and 9 were segregated in a building or a part of a building by themselves, had an administration and an organization distinctly their own, one that was apart from those grades below and above, and was a school that possessed its own teaching staff.

3.     Assessment

4.     Team Teaching : In its simplest form, a team is a common set of teachers who work with a common group of students in a common section of a building with common expectations and who have a separate, common team planning time.

5.     Interdisciplinary teams: relay on adjusting he schedule for instructional goals which is made possible fy the working relationship among the adults responsible for the academic progress of “common group of students. (seed 1998). Seed, A. (1998). Free at last: making the most of the flexible block schedule. Middle school journal, 29 (5), 3-13.

6.     Grade Configuration

7.     Advisory:         A comprehensive, school-oriented, one-to-one relationship between the advisor and the advisee for the purposes of communication and direction.  Advisory enables each student to have an adult advocate I the school, a person who can champion the advisee’s cause in student-teacher, student-administrator, and student-student interactions. (Shoreham-wading River middle school, 1973).

8.     Site-Based Management:

9.     Instruction: conveying how the two related aspects of the classroom learning experience where students work and demonstrate what they can do and what they know. (the ADC design aptly utilizes the mathematics curriculum as a means for finding strategies to increase knowledge of mathematics among teachers responsible for teaching mathematics.( Page 9 advocacy design center)

10.  Organization: refers to the pattern of purposeful relations that exist among individuals within the boundaries of the school’s sphere of interest. (page 9 Advocacy Design Center)

11.  Governance: refers to the system by which members of the school identify problems, express preferences, and generate hypothesis about action, and make decisions about the connect in between the ends they desire and the means they intend to use to achieve them; what is to be done and how. (page 10 advocacy design center)

12. accountability: The process through which public knowledge about school work is created with the purpose to test whether the selected means were sufficient to achieve the desired end (page 11 of The advocacy Design Center): according to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (2003), accountability means, “the quality or state of being accountable; especially an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility of r to account for one’s actions.  Accountable means “subject to giving an account; answerable, and capable of being accounted for: explainable.” And finally, account means” a statement explaining one’s conduct,” or “a statement or exposition of reasons, causes or motives. Applying this concept to education this definition implies distributing responsibility for student outcomes more equitably. Not only should we be measuring the outcomes of student learning  in multiple ways, we should also be closely examining and assessing teacher, school, and district practices—practices which we know make a profound difference in how much students are engaged in learning, in the quality of what students learn, and ., ultimately, on student performance. (Reforming Middle Level Education, Thompson,  pp. 86-87).

Limitations/Delimitations of Study

          This dissertation is designed to present a descriptive analysis of an effective middle school program as it relates to the characteristics explained in the previous National Middle School Association (now recognized as National Middle Level Education) in Suffolk County, New York.  Included is a  matrix which delineates how certain characteristics operate in the middle school reform model.   The matrix shows a list of programs that ideal contemporary middle school models operate and they are categorized according to Dr. Frank Smith's conception of the four domains in which middle school students should be supported as they demonstrate what they know and can do; instruction, organization, governance, and accountability.  The objective of this dissertation is to provide information about the characteristics of effective middle school models in Suffolk County, New York as compared to the ideal middle school model from the elements of the the National middle level education of This We Believe.  capabilities so that they may enter high school and develop skills to make a positive impact on the community in which they attend school and create The limitations of this paper will entail information concerning quantitative analysis of actual academic performance of students in middle school. In other words, the overall academic performance of students in math, ELA, as well as other academic areas will not be analyzed .  Also, the overall performance of eachof the programs mentioned in this project will not be authorized.   An endeavor to present quantitative analysis of the middle school students will not be developed. Another limitation to this dissertation project excludes the impact of the students’ academic performance upon future studies. The fact that young adolescents require additional support aside from their academic pursuits has been documented and need not be quantified in any way as the middle school models in Suffolk county new York is described.   include the creation of a comparison of the how the programs in IOGA or instruction, organization, governance, and assessment will impact upon student academic achievement. 

CHAPTER II    LITERATURE REVIEW

By 1983, there were thousands of middle schools across the nation with their own version of a philosophical approach in supporting students attending the middle level schools.  No longer was a “mini-high school” sufficient for these students; there was a need for a better educational experience. With respect to the young adolescents, there was a plethora of  programs where adolescents would be supported emotionally, socially, physically, psychologically, in order to engage their cognitive abilities as they endured this unique phase in life.  With the advent of another movement to reform the basic tenets of education in general and middle level schooling in particular, A Nation at Risk was written and promulgated to recommend another overhaul of academic programs, and another dramatic look at how students are learning.  The discourse over the myriad of strategies in assessing  students academically, especially at the middle school level, there was a need to develop several new programs, and it changed the way some students were being taught. There was a general consensus that middle school education was imperative in supporting young adolescents as they entered their middle level educational programs.                                                                                                                                                                                                           In the 80’s, according to Ravitch, there were many political efforts to reform education again, and the Elementary and Secondary Act was the result.  As Ravitch (2002) explains, “the study was significant for…its shift in focus from inputs to results, one of which followed the authors’ decision to examine how school resources affected achievement” (page 3). Ravitch continues. “this shift in focus from inputs to outputs was facilitated by the increasing availability of test scores,” especially “ ..Cumulative new data and trend lines to document the educational achievement of American students.” P.  3.). International comparisons of test scores placed American students well below those of other industrialized nations in mathematics and sciences. And the venerable College Board scores declined steadily through the 1970’s and 80’s. Here, elected officials were under increasing pressure to “do something” about low test scores. By the time the U.S. department of education published these words in April 1983, educational accountability was no longer being touted as simply a cornerstone of national defense, but of economic prosperity as well.

“Our nation is at risk.  Our once unchallenged preeminence in commerce, industry, science, and technological innovation is being overtaken by competitors throughout the world. The educational foundations of our society are presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a Nation and a people. What was unimaginable a generation ago has begun to occur—others are matching and surpassing our educational attainments.  If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on <America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war.” (National commission on Excellence in Education, 1983; Reforming m level theory Thompson page. 37).

The release of a nation at risk launched a tremendous number of state and local initiatives to improve secondary education that came to be known collectively as the standards-based reform movement. By 1989 40 states had passed standards legislation and called for testing requirements: by 1995, all states but Iowa, had mandatory achievement standards for secondary students, including the middle school. Middle level theory p. 38). 

Adolescent problems in economies

There are increasingly a high number of at-risk young adolescents which require support in many areas of their lives.  Ever since 1981 there is an ever-growing number of middle school learners, across all social groups, who are not successfully negotiating their middle school learning experience and are unlikely to reach their full potential afterwards. (Jackson and Davis, 2000). These students, as all Americans, are struggling with the high rate of divorce, economies regularly disrupted by distant wars, the declining influence of organized religion, radically increased personal freedom, and what was once named a “cultural malaise.” (Exemplary ms page 23). As a result, millions of today’s early adolescents personally endure increasing poverty, continuing racial prejudice, parental unemployment, family disruption , and community disintegration. (Kozol, 1991;exemplary mspage 24). For young adolescents, they lack motivation, and they don’t experience the success in school and later on in their vocation. As the Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development (1989, page 8) pointed out:

“Unfortunately, by age 15, substantial numbers of American youth are at risk of reaching adulthood unable to meet adequately the requirements of the work place, the commitments of relationships in families and with friends, and the responsibilities of participating I a democratic society. These youth are among the estimated 7 million young people –one in four adolescents—who are extremely vulnerable to multiple high-risk behaviors and school failure.  Another 7 million may e at moderate risk, but remain a cause for serious concern.”

The slight majority of young adolescents is able to avoid what one researchers referred to as the “new morbidities” of early adolescence; poor motivation to learn, poor grades, school failure and truancy, depressed mood misconduct and negative peer affiliations.( Exemplary page 25. )  As Superintendent Bill Honig presented in his 1987 report of the Middle grade task force,  Caught in the middle: Educational Reform for Young Adolescents in California Public schools, he emphasized in his forward:

“Today, there are several reasons for the continuation for a middle school learning experience designed to address the varied issues surrounding the life of a student enduring this unique phase in life. There are many factors which threaten a young adolescent’s academic success and the institutions previously expected to deal with this problem are now not able to ameliorate the situation. First, the matter of identity versus isolation must be addressed. Page 19. Exemplary). 

In the case of either boys or girls, according to Bengston (1996, p. 3)

“For too long, the middle grades have been treated as a wild card for solving facilities and enrollment problems. Now it is time to face the critical educational issues at stake in these “neglected grades.” The success of the educational reforms movements depends on meeting the needs of middle grade students---both academically and socially.  Failing to address these needs jeopardizes efforts for educational excellence and more importantly, for these students’, future success.[37](Honig, 1987, p. V ad exemplary ms p. 47).

Physically, adolescents are aware of the changes in their body and they need to create healthy nutrition choices in order to remain healthy later on.  Emotionally, adolescents must are much more critical of their surroundings, and their own bodies.  Intellectually, adolescents should not be made to passively digest information, which would be regurgitated at a later date. In order to create a healthy learning environment, adolescents should be motivated by utilizing their past experiences in order to create new knowledge. Despite these challenges, adolescents could be successful in their learning environment were it not for the changing surroundings in which they presently live. Middle school models have been developed in order to address the entire “breadth” of adolescent experiences.  Today, there are several reasons for the continuation for a middle school learning experience designed to address the varied issues surrounding the life of a student enduring this unique phase in life.  Again as Bengston (1996, p. 3), states:

            “Persons without interests become a burden to themselves and others. Their condition can be variously characterized, in its least to most virulent forms, as mechanical conformity, apathy, learned helplessness, the possession of or by a negative identity, clinical depression, autism, and psycho-or socio-pathology.”

Bengston agrees that young adolescents without interests also “lack what Erikson terms a temporal perspective,” which is important to the capacity for persistence and the ability to engage, with absorption, in work and study-characteristics critical to the successful negotiation of the other tasks of adolescence. (Exemplary MS page 21). William Glasser, 1990 has for many years written about the importance of identity formation and education in the American school. In Identity Society 1972 Glasser illustrated how life in contemporary America lo longer focused at least for the relatively affluent majority on survival. Instead, adolescents and others saw their major developmental task as the development of a success identity. Identity factors such as personal power and control over one’s own life, meaningful relationships, and a sense of success are far more important to young adolescents than ever before, and many young adolescent students are failing to develop such positive identities (Roeser et al. 2000).

The desire to fit in and please peers as well as parents, while attempting to incorporate the values of the community, local church, family and friends can be exhausting and confusing for a middle schooler. Television serves as a conveyor of values and beliefs…Self-consciousness is at its peak in early adolescence and decreases thereafter, but the student with poor self-esteem may not see self consciousness as a stage. The lonely adolescent seeking ways either to become part of a group or to dull rejection may turn to alcohol or other drugs (Roeser et al. 2000). Much of the research on dropouts and at risk youth shows that these students feel alienated in the school environment and report negative perceptions of themselves in relation to the school.( Roeser et al 2000) Low self esteem has far-reaching implications. Affective education-teaching about emotions, feelings, and relationships –is critical in the middle schools. Middle schoolers need guidance in developing social skills and learning how to interact appropriately with other children and adults. (Exemplary MS, p. 22) Oliner 1986, page 390 said:

“In order to restore personal and social balance, appropriate self-interest needs to be augmented by a sense of community responsibility. The schools also have a legitimate role to play in cultivating a sense of community.”Peer pressure implies a need to belong to a group of individuals who, for whatever reasons, act in according to the wishes of the group, although it may not be appropriate. Middle school programs should provide for the ability of an individual to grasp the importance for participation in group behavior which invariably is a contributing factor in shaping the norms and behavior of that group or cluster. Learning to relate to others is one of the primary lessons a school can teach.

“Excessive attention to individual achievement and success has obscured one of the fundamental missions of schools, which is to produce people capable of living with some degree of responsibility and care for one another” (Oliner, 1986, p. 404).             

           Today, there are many various programs where adolescents are the beneficiaries of an alignment between effective middle school models, and successful students who are able to progress to the high school and graduate.  There are several components of successful programs for young adolescents. The principles upon which effective school are based include the following concepts: emotional support and encouragements during the learning process, opportunities for young adolescents to exercise appropriately autonomous control over aspects of their own learning; support for the development of competence in noncompetitive, non-judgmental, and noncomparative ways; meaningful, rigorous, unfragmented, and socially approved curriculum, connected to the lives of students, with high expectations for the success of all students; organizational and operational strategies that yield a sense of personal identity, a felling of smallness even in large schools,; particular support for the sizable and growing cohort of students who need more than the basic services to continue to be academically successful; and constructivist-style, active, social, experiential classroom learning experiences. (Exemplary MS page 29)The challenges that face students each day require ingenious responses from teaches and other school personnel. Fractured family lives, both parents working, the potential for encountering violence, alcohol, and drug abuse, and a dozen other factors complicate the lives of today’s middle school students. (Exemplary ms. Page 30)

Characteristics of young adolescents:Social: strong need to belong to a group; exhibit immature behavior because their social skills frequently lag behind their mental and physical maturity; are in search of self; desire recognition for their efforts and achievements; like fads, overreact to ridicule, embarrassment, and rejection are socially vulnerableEmotional: experience mood swings, need to release energy; seek to be3come increasingly independent; are concerned about peer acceptance, tend to be self-conscious, believe that personal problems, feelings and experiences are unique to them, exhibit intense concern about physical growth and maturityIntellectual: are in transition period from concrete thinking to abstract thinking; intensely curious and have a wide range of intellectual pursuits, prefer active over passive learning; respond positively to opportunities to participate in real-life-situations, have a strong need of approval/may be easily discouraged; are inquisitive/often challenge authority; Physical: experience rapid, irregular growth, undergo bodily changes that may cause awkward uncoordinated movements, have varying maturity rates, experience restlessness/fatigue, need daily physical activity, often lack physical fitness, have poor eating habits, develop sexual awareness.

          However, the reform movement, beginning with the nation-at-risk reform movement and the federal statute, No Child Left Behind, there is constant pressure to standardize learning once again; students are expected to demonstrate what they have learned and they will acquire certain standards promulgated by individual states before moving on to the next grade level.  The paradox is clear; there is a problem of ascertaining how effective middle school models, which are identified through the vast studies and are characterized by common principles and/or components, yet the identification of effective middle schools as identified by standardization of No Child Left Behind has left schools with the unfortunate circumstances of fragmenting their teaching in order to appease the demands of their state education departments, if they intend to benefit from the economic resources which is critical to the operations of the middle school. 

          The contemporary middle school academic program is designed to give young adolescents a positive learning experience, an opportunity to garner the ability for personal growth socially, emotionally and physically, so that they may contribute to society later on in adulthood as citizens.  It has long been held that a separate middle level learning experience is useful for young adolescents so that they may have the motivation to continue on with their academic career in high school and possibly go on to college.  Otherwise, it has been previously noted that without the required middle level learning experience where young adolescents may thrive and enjoy academic success and be supported in other areas of their lives, they will more likely than not, dropout, which does not bode well for the society as a whole.  It has also been noted thus far that a junior high school has been available to fill the learning demands of young adolescents and began with the intentions of providing for the social, emotional and physical support in the inception of such middle level learning.  However, as a result of the overpopulation as well as other reasons, the junior high school became known only to resemble an academic program which mimicked the high school.  Therefore, a middle school academic program was recommended based and there are many middle schools which have been constructed as a result.  There are several reasons for the development of middle school academic programs; many conferences have long held that there is a need to support young adolescents socially, emotionally, physically as well as cognitively.  There are others who claim that middle schools were constructed merely as a reaction to accommodate for the demand for integration between whites and blacks after the Brown v. Board of Education and there continues to be a demand for middles school as a convenience still.  While the latter is true to a degree, there is still a positive feed for a demand of a middle school learning experience. There are several literature based procedures for a middle school academic learning program, many resulting from conferences beginning in the 80’s and continuing on to contemporary research efforts.   The efforts of this dissertation will describe the features of an effective middle school model as purported by a position paper emanating from the National Middle School Association identified as This We Believe: Successful Schools for Young Adolescents.    

Through the 1980’s middle schools were immune from the most serious calls for accountability as junior high schools were changed into middle schools.  Later on in 1995 the results of the third international study of mathematics and sciences (TIMSS) were released, and the level of accountability was focused directly on the middle level schools. Here the 8^th graders scored poorly among 8 industrialized countries, and there became a movement to assess how well national system of education are performing as American young adolescents were now being compared with other young adolescents in other countries. The student performance on TIMSS was “sluggish” on state assessments and there became a national movement to increase the performance. High Stakes testing became the norm, with many states linked school funding to school wide test performances, and a growing number begun to explore the use of student test scores as a means for determining individual teachers’ compensation and pay increases.

Then in 1999, Hayes Mizell, Director of the program for Student achievement for the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation challenged one of the middle school movement’s most fundamental values: its commitment to student centeredness.

  “There has been a lot of loose talk about middle schools being “student-centered.” If middle schools had truly been student-centered there would be more impressive evidence of student performance than is currently the case.  In fact, most middle schools have been more adult-centered than anything else.  It is, after all, the adults in the schools who have been the most resistant to change and who have been include to expect so little of themselves and their students.  (Mizell, 2002a, p. 46). 

       At the center of the debate about educational accountability lies the middle school. Described as both “the last best hope of American youth” (Carnegie Council, 1989), and as “education’s weal link” (Southern Regional Education Board, 1998) the role and function of the middle school continues to be the center of dispute. Proponents of a strong academic program and advocates of a developmental approach debate the values on which middle level programs are based.  Differing perspectives on the middle school often contribute to passionate debate about its role. (Beane, 1999; Williamson and Johnston, 1999).

While the debate continues among advocates, individual schools and districts are faced with resolving these tensions in a local context.  Demand for improved student achievement, greater accountability, improved test scores, and greater responsiveness to parents characterized the tensions. Reforming middle level education Thompson p. 41).

Schools are now accountable not only for achievement in the aggregate but also for identify subgroups, particularly those groups that were often underserved by schools, the implications for schools are significant.  No longer can a school emphasize the combined achievement of its students. Rather, attention must be paid to each child.  Implementation of these expectations where no longer can school emphasize the combined achievement of its students teacher attention must be paid to each child and their individual learning gains.

No child left behind (2001) emphasized the responsibility of school personnel for high performance form all students. Even with this ship, current accountability models rely on external pressure, the label of a failing school, reduction of funding and sanctions on personnel, for motivation, the no child left behind (2001) emphasized the responsibility of school personnel for high performance from all studens. Even with this shift, current accountability models rely on external pressures.  The label of a failing school, reduction of funding and sanction of personnel forms motivations. What seemed to be lacking with the will to take the steps necessary to support middle level education Thompson page 45

       With respect to the middle school transitional learning experience there were several components which appear to be different from their elementary learning experience previously and their high school which is forthcoming;  in the areas of student-teacher relationship a middle school program has advisors, with teachers organizations the middle school advocates an interdisciplinary team, the curriculum is exploratory; there is a block schedule, instruction is diverse, student grouping is supportive, building organizations crate teams, co-curriculum allows a broad choice; governance is followed by principal and council, and teacher preparation is via flexible resources .   As the conceptual framework indicates the patterns by which the conceptual framework exhibits, the aspect for the middle school concept is specially tailored to the needs of the students, not merely a thoughtless and unplanned downward extension of the high school learning extension of the high school program.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Dissertation question:

Upon learning of the need for a unique educational experience for young adolescents over the last three decades, educational leaders have created a middle level learning environment so that young adolescents may receive the emotional, social, moral, physical and intellectual support to demonstrate high academic achievement and move on to high school with the ultimate attaining a high school diploma.  Over the last three decades, stakeholders have expressed the concern that middle school programs are not helping our young adolescents to achieve high academic performance. This dissertation begs the question, Are middle schools operating programs that are designed from the inception long ago? Another pertinent question asks, “How do we know if middle schools are operating to the high academic standards that are promulgated as young adolescents exit their middle school and make the transition to high school. 

        Today, there are literally millions of young adolescents from the age of 10-14 or 15 are enrolled in middle level schools.  Either named as junior high schools or middle schools it is apparent that these students are held accountable to demonstrate their knowledge in order to move ahead to the high school learning experience.  As the 90’s moved ahead and the 21^st century progressed, there was a heartfelt belief that if the students performed effectively in their academic pursuits, they would have an opportunity to move along with their academic career and be successful at the high school level and later on as adults.  The conceptual framework that will be utilized to convey how well certain middle school models are useful in encouraging our young adolescents to perform effectively academically is the NMSA’s position paper emanating from the committee, chaired by Alfred A. Arth, This We Believe: Successful Schools for Young Adolescents.  The vision from the conference was a pamphlet delineating 14 characteristics for an effective middle school model, and each can be assigned to one of four major categories or domains emanating from a position paper written by Dr. Frank Smith, The Advocacy Design Center.  The ADC design utilized a mathematics curriculum as they interacted in discursive efforts to convey characteristics of an effective middle school learning environment.  The ADC Design was constructed from a survey as to what constitutes effective teaching and learning; students were expected to demonstrate what they know in terms of the mathematics curriculum.  A model of knowing and teaching, promulgated by Dr. Smith, utilizes four domains in conveying what constitutes an effective middle school academic program  as it rates to instruction, organization, governance, and accountability. (the ADC design, Dr. Frank Smith).[38]                

          By the late 1980’s, not only did the Carnegie Corporation in New York, but other educators focused their attention on the plight of young adolescents in the United States.[39](and now we must act page viii)  There were more than 350,000 copies disseminated across the nation and many middle school faculties and stakeholders vekkmaking this we believe the most widely used and read publication or document on middle level education ever published. (Page X this we Believe) There were several conferences in the years to come and subsequently several academic programs promulgated with the intentions of enhancing the educational experience of students ages 10-15.  Turning Points issued a report in 1989 which decried that fact that middle grades schools which had earlier stated that there was “a volatile mismatch… between the organization and curriculum of middle grade schools, and the intellectual, emotional, and interpersonal needs of young adolescents” (p. 8) Turning points became instrumental in putting the middle level education on the national agenda.[40] (Page 8 turning points).

          As the 90’s approached, NMSA reissued its original document in 1992 with minor changes. (and now we must act page viii and ix). Not only was This We Believe was published, another popular component of the middle school reform movement made its way into the foreground; Turning Points became another cry for efforts to support young adolescents in all areas of their lives during their middle school learning experience.  Utilizing the four major components

Though the evolution for middle level school from the junior high school of this years to the middle schools of today has seen its shares of ups and downs. There can be little question that substantial progress has been made (Cuban 1992) improved understanding of young adolescents and the subsequent devwelpenmtn fof structur, improved underandint of young adolescents and the subsequent dvfelpemt of structura areagnement lke team teaching have helped to make middle level schools in many places increasing ly more appropriate for thea tage group. emanating from the ADC design of effective middle school academic programs, one can ascertain many parallels between This We Believe and Turning Points. There were common areas of curriculum development based on how students of middle school age learn best, instructional measures and a variet of teaching strategies which encourage students to become actively involved in the learning process in the classroom, there are flexible organizational structures in relation to learning, governance procedures involving all stakeholders in making decisions democratically  as well as staffing middle school members with teachers expert in providing a positive classroom learning environment for young adolescents along with the desire to do so.  Moreover, there is an emphasis on providing a safe and healthy school environment where all parents are encouraged to become partners with the school in supporting their child’s  goals and efforts as they traversed the hallways of their middle schools. (and now we must act, p. 3). In response to the various articles and conferences leading up to the reform movements in improving middle school education, there are efforts to compare the recommendations with the learning outcomes of young adolescents.  All in all, in recognition of middle school research, it is yet useful to support middle school reform as delineate by these organizations in general, and This We Believe in particular.  This we Believe began a middle school approach in 1982, but has continuously revised its precepts and basic tenets under the main guise of the 8 characteristics and 6 program components that it useful in this dissertation to recognize the commonalities which are recognized as an effective middle school model.  Even though in this dissertation the conceptual framework for determining effectiveness  in middle school academic programs lies with the basic tenets included in This We Believe,  the ASC, NASSP, and Carnegie apparently contributed common elements of factors which constitute a good middle school.  (Reforming middle level education pages2-5. Sue Thompson)

            For middle schools to be successful, their students must experience success in the classroom; for students to be successful, the components of the middle school academic programs must be an integral part of a child’s life . The school’s organization, curriculum, pedagogy, and programs must  e based upon the developmental readiness, needs and interests of  young adolescents. (This we believe: page 1). In order to be successful, middle schools must choose the following characteristics in concert and interactively during and interdependently (this we believe page 2) As young adolescents achieve academic success it is known that their success is tied with the other developmental needs being met. Therefore, by addressing the emotional , social, intellectual, and physical needs of all students, middle schools may reach its goal of overall success. (This we believe page 3).  Also important in the basic concepts associated with effective middle schools are included in the text of The Exemplary Middle School, by Alexander and George (1981), in which Russell (1997) utilized to indicate that there is the assumption that “according to middle level theory, if the middle level philosophy is implemented, the outcomes of enhanced personal development, group citizenship, and achievement will be attained.” (page 170).  Indeed, there does appear to be present models for effective middle school programs; yet  accordingly, it is the implementation of various programs that is a determining factor in efficacy. (Reforming m level theory by Thompson page 16).

     In this currexct enfironment of accountability and high stakes taesting, high performing middle schools are a target of conbtemporary school reform.  However, high –p3rfoming middlwe schools ar but a means to an end. The end result of all middlwe school work-in organization, in curriculum, in instructin, and even n high stakes testing,--is and should be development of y oung adolescents who are capable, competent and well-grounded individuals.

The National Middle School Association believes:

Successful schools for young adolescents are characterized by a culture that includes:

Educators who value working with this age group and are prepared to do so

Courageous, collaborative leadership

A shared vision that guides decisions

An inviting, supportive, and safe environment

High expectations for every member of the learning community

Students and teachers engaged in active learning

An adult advocate for every student

School-initiated family and community partnerships

Therefore, successful school for young adolescents provide:

Curriculum that is relevant, challenging, integrative, and exploratory

Multiple learning and teaching approaches that respond to their diversity

Assessment and evaluation programs that promote quality learning

Organizational structures that support meaningful relationships and learning

School-wide efforts and policies that foster health, wellness, and safety

Multifaceted guidance and support services.

According to Alexander and George, Exemplary Middle school, there are twelve essential characteristics of elements or what they called “an exemplary middle school”:

1.      A statement of philosophy and school goals that is based on knowledge of the educational needs of boys and girls of middle school age and is used in school program planning and evaluation.

2.     A system for school planning and evaluation which is specifically designed for the ms level and which involves all concerned in the school community.

3.      Curriculum plan for the middle school population that provide3s for their continuous progress, basic learning skills, use of organized knowledge, personal development activitries, and other curriculum goals as locally determiced.

4.     A program of guidance which assures the availability of help for each student from a faculty member well known to the student.

5.     An interdisciplilnary teacher organization which provides for teacm planning , teaching, and evaluatin, and for paappropriate interdisciplinary units.

6.     Use of methods of student grouping for instructin which facilitate multiage andothe instructional agrrangements to maximize continuous progress.

7.     Block scheduling and other time arrangement to facilitate flexible and efficieint use of time.

8.     Planning and use of physical faciltities to provide the flexible and varied program required for th middle schoolers.

9.     Instruction which utizez a balanced variety of effective strategies and tecnhniues tot achieve continuouis progess of each learnier toward appropriate instructional objectives.

10.  Appropriate roles for the variouls individuals and groups required for continued and dynamic leadership in the middle school, with a continuing program of staff development and renewal focused on the u nique problems of middle school personnel.

11.  A plan for evaluation fo student progress and oththe school itself to assure the achievement of the goals of the school.

12.  Participation with other schools and with community groups in the coninuting study of the middle school opopulation and of the society as a whole, to be responsive to changing needs and conditions of the future (Alexander and George, 1981, p. 18-19).

Policymakers can contribute to the success of high performing middle schools by creating and supporting policies that promote a. high quality specialized middle level teacher preparation programs, b. middle level licensure that supports specialized middle level teacher preparation, and c. a continuum of support for middle level teachers, induction and mentoring programs. (Reforming Middle level education p. 125).

(INSTRUCTION)   The curriculum as comprised in the instructional component of This We Believe serves young adolescents in a much different manner than the departmentalized structure of the Junior high school approach of emulating a “mini-high school.” According to Carolyn Evertson, Kristen Weeks, and Catherine Randolph (1996) , students should be actively engaged in a positive learning environment involving an “interweaving of social and academic aspects.”(and now we must act.page 5)  Students should be encouraged to interact respectfully, be willing to rely on others, demonstrate an ability to listen to others in their cooperative groups, be able to share their academic strengths in a common solution to practical problems, and be constructive partners and active team members.[41]and now we must act page 5)  Indeed, educators advocating this new approach to teaching and learning envisioned students performing at a high level by demonstrating academic excellence, not by evaluating educational  outcomes as profits are utilized inn evaluating the success of a business or a corporation.  Whereas profit margins may be able to determine how to utilize resources, eliminate jobs, and downsize the business itself, test scores cannot be seen as the impetus to eliminate children from their school.  The ideal o supporting students by providing excellent academic programs, that are developmentally responsive, in a milieu that is socially equitable. [42](and now we must act page  7).

     (ORGANIZATION –ADVOCATES) TEACHERS MOTIVATED AND TRAINED TO TEACH MIDDLE SCHOOL     Another aspect of teaching and learning in the new reform movement as promulgated after the a Nation at Risk was in This We Believe: and Now We Must Act in terms of encouraging only those educators who are committed to providing a healthy learning environment for young adolescents to opportunity to do so.  These inspiring educators can be recognized by their ability to provide a learning experience for young adolescents that are characterized by high content and high expectations for all learners.  Also, there is a provision for developmentally appropriate classrooms, schools, programs, and practices for all young adolescent students within the learning community. ([43]and now we must act page 11 These teachers also provide young adolescents advice as they utilize their talents in the classroom by acting as student advocates.  In addition, teachers with the proper motivation and are properly trained to teach middle school act as role models,  they are tolerant of different ways of life and are supporters of diversity, they share their learning as collaborators, and convey their love of being lifelong learners.[44](and now we must act page 11-12; exemplary ms page 55 )

   GOVERNANCE/ORGANIZATION  SHARED VISION Developing and implementing a shared vision, middle school educators have relied on several aspects of re-conceptualizing guidelines that express the beliefs and active direction to educators, parents and community members who collectively are responsible for the implementation of the new reform procedures and programs.  The effect of sharing a common goal of promoting the growth of young adolescents as “scholars, democratic citizens, and increasingly competent, self-sufficient young people who are optimistic about their future” is inspiring to educators in trying to improve the life of young adolescents as they move on to the high school.  (NMSA page 10). In the aspect of governance as related to Dr. Smith’s ADC model, the NMSA conveyed a developmentally effective middle school model about the element s of schooling, including student achievement student teacher relationships, and community participation. [45](and now we must act 23) A shared vision is most recognizable in the area of a mission statement about teaching and learning at the middle school level. The mission statement must become “living;” one that readily guides specific behavior and decisions about programs and practices. [46](and now we must act page 25) Structures, processes and specific practices emanated from the vision of the school and the mission statement that communicates what’s most important resource in the effective middle school program --the student. All in all,  a shared vision that can also be conveyed by a mission statement sends a message to all stakeholders in the educational process of students in the middle school that it is imperative to provide the necessary support for the academic success of all students who enters the doors of the school in order to enjoy academic success later on at the high school level. Indeed the NMSA’s call for action in This We Believe makes the challenge below:

      Educators, parents, and community members are urged to forge new and meaningful partnerships in order to transform This We Believe into a living document.  It is time to launch those initiatives not yet begun, to  strengthen those now underway, and for all stakeholders to re-dedicate themselves to the work needed to ensure the realization of these ideas and ideals….The nature of the educational programs young adolescents experience during this formative period of life will, in large measure, determine the future for all of us.” (p. 33.

       INSTRUCTION/ORGANIZATION /HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR ALL/Teams, Saturday programs, looping. According to a historical perspective associated with a student’s IQ, the single assessment utilized to determine intelligence is predicated on the concept of inheritance. Teachers ideally placed students in the “smart” or “dumb” groups based on stereotypes placed upon learning characteristics according to various stereotypes that have been learned by the majority culture in the U.S. Consequently, the teachers’ curriculum strategies were markedly different based upon the group of students.  As a result, student expectations were placed according to the erroneous perceptions of student ability groups. (Rosenthal, 1968); This we believe, and now we must act page 28). However, by indicating and conveying a classroom experience where there are high expectations for all students empowers students to become intellectually engaged, to develop skills.  In effect, teachers in an effective middle school exhibit a differentiated and personalized approach characterized by starting where each students demonstrates their ability in their level of development, a varied structure, varied pace of learning, a variety of teaching/learning strategies, and a curriculum that is meaningful to students. (And now we must act. Page 31) 

            High expectations for all starts with a classroom learning environment in which the teacher knows the learning characteristics of the students; therefore, there is a developmentally responsive approach to teaching and learning which is differentiated and personalized.  Also, the individual needs, interests, and abilities of the students are taken into account so that they may demonstrate what they know and can do.  This approach is characterized by a teacher who utilizes the curriculum to include substantive issues  and utilizes standards’ rich materials, which encourage the students to be actively engaged in an cooperative learning climate, an environment where intellectual risks are encouraged and knowledge is shared with others.  (And now we must act. Page 31)

           Teachers are encouraged to share their interests and abilities in a team-oriented professional growth arising out of the interaction of teachers. Quality Collaborative curriculum design and curriculum projects are the result of the professional development and improved instructional design as leaders promote positive relationships among the teachers as they interact. . Also, there are other venues where teachers and students interact in extra-elective courses and/or Saturday programs that encourage young adolescent students to remain focused on their high academic performance in the classroom.  As the ongoing effort to provide for the overall development of young adolescents Stevenson (1992) enthusiastically states:

      “My middle school teaching experience has left me with immutable optimism about the potential of young adolescent children.  Given learning opportunities that truly challenge, the responsibilities to exercise meaningful choice, and respect for their ideas and dignity, youngsters are capable of tremendous commitment and dazzling originality. Underneath the confounding, frustrating, often exhausting surface, there lies an indomitable human spirit, capable of the exceptional.” (pp. 331-332). (Teaching ten to fourteen year olds. White plains, ny longman)

       *** ORGANIZATION/ADVISORY: Advocacy for Every Student: Effective middle schools are characterized by including “an adult advocate for every student.” (NMSA, 1995, p. 16)..  As students engage in their academic pursuits they are also bombarded by various messages that encourages them to engage in destructive behavior by their peers, adults who may not have had a positive impact in the lives of their students, negative lesson from advertising on television, music that encompasses destructive lifestyle, etc. By interacting with an adult with good character who has knowledge of adolescent development and middle level education, each advocate supports that student’s academic and personal development. (and now we must act. Page 35).

“Advocating for young adolescents can be troubling as students navigate the transition from elementary to middle school, as their bodies grow and change, as they develop new interests and new peer groups, as they probe boundaries and test limits, as they explore a rapidly changing world via the Internet, as they consume a daily bombardment of advertisement on television and in magazines, as they consider the varied messages embedded in the lyrics and music of current popular artists, as they confront sensational headlines, and as they edge tentatively, yet inexorably, towards maturity.”(and now we must act p. 36). Also, there may be an advisory program where a group of students are engaged with an adult advocate to address and discuss increased academic achievement, the deleterious effects of vandalism, alienation, as well as other important issues relating to bullying, self-image, and study habits.  Indeed students respond well to an advocacy program that emphasizes a “continuity of caring,” where every student is recognized and nobody is neglected. (NMSA, 1995, p. 17) According to brain research, students take intellectual risks when they are well received by adults.  It is the middle school’s role to address the varied needs of their students so that they may concentrate of academic pursuits. An effective middle school program will “draw” on the knowledge of adolescent development and their relationships with students in understanding and fostering their students’ knowledge, skills, interests, aspirations, and values.” (National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, 1994, p. 9).  For students to take intellectual risks and demonstrate what they know and can do on a high level, it is imperative for them to be affirmed. According t This We Believe, there is a duty to provide “a continuity of caring that extends ofver the students’s entire middle level experience so that no student is neglected.” (NMSA. 1995. P. 17).

          Advocacy programs provide the necessary social support for students to perform on a high level academically. Students need assistance in addressing future concerns that adolescents have and may distract them from their academic work.  Shoreham-Wading River Middle School’s nationally recognized advisory program drafted the following passage, which serves as a definition of their program:

      “Advisory is essentially a comprehensive, school-oriented, one-to-one relationship between the advisor and the advisee for the purposes of communication and direction. Advisory enables each student to have an adult advocate in the school, a person who can champion the advisee’s cause in student-teacher, student-administrator, and student-student interactions.” (Shoreham Wading river middle school. 1973). And now we must act page 38).  In contemporary society there is a call for a bigger responsibilities as teachers widen the scope of their supervision of middle school students.  The most critical need for any person is to find meaning, purpose, and significance.  In order t dothis, that person must feel understood, accdepted, and affirmed.” (p. 26 Hints for teaching success in Middle schools. Advocacy for young adolescents provides affirmation and acceptance at a critical time in their lives.  It is an essential element of the effective middle school (NMSA 1995. Page 33). And now we must act. P. 41)

  ORGANIZATION:  As priorities begin to push the master schedule, it is imperative to include time in the master schedule to provide an advisory period, and/or provide opportunities for adults to interact with their student advisees.  An effective advisory structure prevents anonymity, and personalizes a student’s middle school experience. It encourages students to participate in the middle school community. Goldberg, 1998 page 1). (organization)

         GOVERNANCE/site based management According to this we believe: in the domain of governance, there is a framework for a comprehensive program of partnership delineating six types of involvement.  The inclusion of parents, families, and community members has an ability to enrich the curriculum and facilitate learning. The activities include: parenting, communicating, volunteering, home learning, decision-making, collaboration with the community (And now we must act. Pp. 43-48). (Site based management) (Governance)Also, with respect to providing a positive school environment it is important to emphasize that an effective middle school emphasizes an welcoming and caring climate with a strong partnership with families and community members who are amenable to volunteering their time and are eager to share their talents to ensure the safety of the school and the surrounding area as well as make the school attractive on the playgrounds, hallways. (And now we must act. Page 51). In order to nurture its students it is imperative to communicate with each other according to weekly staff meetings, and a school –wide calendar that is regularly updates, and staff development programs. For community members it is wise to include buddy systems to give teachers a honest stake in sharing with the community (And now we must act page 59).

(pitfalls to avoid—here I can talk about why middle schools are unattractive—they still have not reached the goal of providing an appropriate education to all adolescents as stated in the status of America’s middle schools: practices and programs-A 25 year perspective (McEwin, Dickinson, and Jenkins, 1996)

Johnston and Williamson 1996 stated the crisis we face in middle level education in these strong words: “Middle level education stands at a cross roads.  As this century draws to a close, it can continue to march down the road of orthodoxy, expending its efforts on reproducing the characteristics of the “idol” middle level school, or it can venture down a new road—one that focuses the middle level school on the rightful role: responsiveness to client needs. P.1.

     CURRICULUM    Curriculum that is challenging, integrative, and exploratory means that every planned aspect of a school’s educational program is included and the curriculum is intentionally designed to accomplish a school’s mission. David Hamburg (1993) has stated well the primary purpose and nature of middle level curriculum:

            “What are the requirements for healthy adolescent development? In my view, it is essential that we help young adolescents to acquire constructive knowledge and skills, inquiring habits of mind, dependable human relationships, reliable baisis for leaning respect, a sense of belonging in a valued group, and a way of being useful; to their communities. (p. 467).  In the classroom there is a recommendation for an effective middle school academic program for varied teaching and learning approaches. The distinctive developmental and learning characteristics of young adolescents provide the basis for determining the appropriate teaching strategies.  It is common knowledge that students learn best in an active learning environment where they answer students are actively engaged in activities which feature a hands-on experiences that involve all students in the learning process. (And now we muct act page. 69. )

Other areas of teaching and learning have to do with portfolios, professional development, action research, and a teaching and learning environment where other professionals are able to make informed decisions about which strategies promote active learning and encourage students to become actively engaged and communicate their ides in the high school.  Middle school students require a special curriculum that establishes a connection with their everyday lives. They should be included an opportunities to explore and become established their resolve to continue their education in the classroom as well as incorporate the pn

  ACCOUNTABILITY    Assessment and evaluation promote learning in so many ways.  In this we believe: the NMSA 1995 urged educators to shift their focus from merely measuring and judging students progress to using assessing and evaluation to actively promote learning. There is a movement which encourages schools to focus on evaluation in terms of numbers, while there were many others which advocate the; practice of fostering student self control and acceptance of responsibility fo one’s own actions. Accordingly, NMSA tells that this is the kind of character and integrity that young people must hav e to become fullypfuncitionin citizen in  our democratic society (and now we must act p. 78).  In order to accomplish the aforementioned evaluation process, tehmiddle schools students must participate in al phases

Of assessments and evaluation helping to set individual and gropu goals, indentifying ways to measure  progress and evaluating their own accomplishments. (NMSA, 1995, page 26-27). This approach is contrary to the present standards and assessment emphasis, especially in the state of new York as the standardized exams have proven.  Page 78 and now we must act.

      ASSESSMENTS   According to the present standards and unified assessment goals, it is commonplace among teache3rs, legislators, school board members, administrators, parents, and the general public or the community to call fo reword =class standards and demand higher test scores accordingly in order to make the world comparison of how well our students are performing as compared to the rest of the world.  This approach is not the same as requesting our students to be partners in the teaching/learning process with respect to rubrics, cooperative learning, and differentiated teaching/instructional strategies.  In lieu of the standardized approach we have a system where it is important to invite students to work with their teachers to make critical decisions at all stages of the learning enterprise, in the goal-setting, establishing evaluation criteria, demonstrating learning, self-evaluation, peer evaluation and reporting processes. (And now we must anct page 79).

ASSESSMENTEspecially important is the reporting process of student academic achievement.  Assessment and evaluation shuld emphasize individual progress rather than comparison with other studens. (NMSA 1995, page 27). Emphasis should be on what the student has accomphilshed, not the failure to reach some arbitrary uniform standard” (NMSa , 1995, pa. 28).; student –led conferences with teachers and family members are highly desirealbbe and lead o continuous ttow way communication between haome and school nmsa page 28. (against common practices in schools today page 84-85 and now we must act). “The bottom line in assessment and evaluation is not just grades or test scores but the development of decent, responsible, ever-learning young people.” (And now we must act. Page 87)

ORGANIZATION This We Believe speaks o flexibility in grouping, scheduling, and staffing. Flexible structuring helps to create a staff which responds to the needs of the young adolescents.  The making of an effective middle school rests firmly on its ability to be ever-changing, and create a dynamic learning teams within the school staffed with individuals who want to work with students of this particular phase in their lives.  Teacms contribute to the greater student contact and increased personalizati . page 90-92 Education space is flexible so students can be found in a variety of locations doing a variety of activities suchas computer labs, in the auditorium or moving through the building with a camcorder or digital cameras gathering documentation for a project or participating in literature circles. Page 94 and now we must act. Teachers utilizing the large academic block to integrate subject areas.  Administrators witking closely with staff b y keeping up with classroom activities through frequent formal and informal visitations.( Page p.95 and now we must act.)

       12.  Programs and policies that foster health wellness and safety: Developmentally responsible middle schools provide abundant opportunities for students to achieve and maintain healthy minds and bodies and to understand their own growth.  Acknowledging that health –promoting schools are essential to the academic and personal success of young adolescents assigns fundamental status to the placement of health in exploratory, related arts, or family/consumer/life skills education. In order to promote the growth of young adolescents as…increasingly competent, self-sufficient young people who are optimistic about their future” (NMSA page 10). There are three reasons to embrace this challenge:: 1. Poor health practices drain resources from education, students in poor health do not learn as well, and youthful choices affect health. The faulty/staff handbook sets forth a learner-centered skill based, comprehensive health education curriculum that is sequential and includes a minus of forty hours in instruction per grade level.  (Page 103 and now we must act). The school emphasizes culture, physical development, services, policies, in order to foster responsibility, respects, and care taking of emotional as well as physical health to enable a school to become a welcoming and safe place for everyone.(organization)

13 comprehensive guidance and support services:

In 1902: Brown in the making of our middle schools stated that :

   This is a period of functional acquisition and readjustment. Mental change and physical activity appear in intellectual awakening, the storm and stress of doubt, the conversions, the intense emotional life, the fluctuating interests and enthusiasms, the general instability, and not infrequently the moral aberrations and perversities. (Page 411 Brown in The Making of Our Middle Schools.  Middle level schools must be proactive as advocates so that students will have positive middle school experiences and be prepared for a successful, productive future. And now we must act page 115.

             (Organization) In 1995, the NMSA responded with the publication of a view vision of what the middle level schooling of many diverse young adolescents should be like and the pamphlet this we believe was the result.  The position paper described 6 general characteristic of developmentally responsive schools for young adolescents and then delineated 6 elements or program components that needed to be implemented in order to achieve schools that displayed the characteristics of successful middle grades schools. There were parallels between the design elementigf in turning points and this we believe.  The latter formulating the conception of an effective learning environment into more diverse design elements; in particular the overarching need to organize human relationship fro learning is broken up into three elements; flexible organizational structures (teaming), adult advocate for each student , and comprehensive guidance and support service.  In Governance, This we believe focuses upon three outcomes such as shred vision, high expectations for all, and a positive school culture. In terms or curriculum or instructional strategies, this we believe focuses on official goals and standards which is only a small part. Academic a aspects might include engaging students in problem solving using multiple sources of information and using computers effectively.[47]  (and now we must act. P. 9)   A developmentally responsive middle school includes several programmatic organizational patterns such as interdisciplinary teaming, teacher advisories, alternative instructional strategies, grouping and looping, student activities, career education, and youth service. (restructuring the middle level schl, p. 5 clark and clark)

          In the characteristic including in the emphasis of teachers addressing the needs of young adolescents, teachers are committed in their approach to provide “significant academic learning experiences that are characterized by high content and high expectations for all learners within a developmentally appropriate, safe, and supportive school context is an identifiable characteristic in this we believe.  Included in their approach is their commitment to be an advocate, a role model, supporter of diversity, a collaborator, and a lifelong learner.[48] And now we must act p. 12-15)  The first aspect of being an advocate enables teachers to share their depth of knowledge in the subject matter about the “the developmental uniquementss of young adolescents. (This we believe page 13). Being a role model, in itself, requires teachers to accept  scrutiny and are not remiss in their moral obligations as they visibly model acceptable behavior for their students.  The newer aspects of accepting diversity in the classroom extend to individual learning styles as well as physical and ethnic diversity in the classroom. Being a collaborator is important for middle school teachers in the unique approach to sharing their subject matter in an interactive experience with other members of the team in providing a unique learning experience in solving practical problems. Of course, sharing their penchant for lifelong learning is an attribute that is desirable as teachers who are committed to middle school students can share. [49](and now we must act p. 13-14).

        (Governance)  In developing a shared vision, the NMSA clarified its approach in recognizing interacting relationships in promoting the growth of young adolescents as scholars, democratic citizens, and increasingly competent, self-sufficient young people are optimistic about their future.”[50]  (This we believe p. 10)In order for a middle school to be effective for young adolescents, all the stakeholders-students, teaches administrators, board of education members, central office personnel, and community members –must collaboratively develop a common vision that can guide the ongoing development of that middle school. Extensive professional development is also needed to equip teachers and other educators for success in their new endeavor. [51](And now we must act p. 22)

        Accordingly, an effective middle school should include several programs designed to address the unique needs of young adolescents and provide for a successful transition from elementary school to their high school years giving students enduring this difficult period of life a chance for academic success and a path to contribute to the democratic society in which we live today.  Therefore, it is imperative that middle schools provide programs that are different from what students experience in the earlier grades and what they will expect in High school; including  advisories, teams, exploration, flexible scheduling, differentiated instruction, supportive grouping, choices, small adult-to-student ratio of instruction, shared decision making, specially trained teachers, and accountability.[52](and now we must actp.. 54-59)          .

Methodology a brief paragraph about what form the research will take. Qualitative or quantitative.)

. The primary purpose of schooling deals with student academic achievement.  From the beginning of the school day until the end of the last class, the focus should dwell on how well students perform tasks which will enable them to continue with the ultimate goal of graduating high school.  Schools have the responsibilities to facilitate a learning atmosphere to enable their students to perform their skills adequately.  Inherent in their functions schools must care for their students while they attend classes and learn the intended curriculum which is designed to enable their students to graduate high school and become productive citizens in our democratic society. Historically, schools have been able to approach the curriculum in terms of assuring that “the immature” as John Dewey deems them can contribute to our democratic society.  In doing so, literacy is emphasized, and students have been promised equal access to their learning opportunities.  During the phase of our agrarian society in the late nineteenth century, in the learning atmosphere of a one room schoolhouse, each child was afforded the opportunity to learn the three “R’s;” reading, writing and arithmetic, as well as spelling and concepts that enable the students to perpetuate the democratic ideal.  . During the 1970’s it has been documented about the ways in which our schools have shared in our loss of faith in “our government, the judicial system, the professional and even ourselves.” (p.3 a place called school goodlad).  Robert M. Hutchins further explains, the schools have experienced a sudden fall from grace, whereas before the institution of schools have been “the foundations of our freedom, the guarantee of our future, the cause of our prosperity and the power and bastion of our security, the bright and shinning beacon.(the source of our enlightenment, the public school page 2, Robert m. Hutchins the great anti school page p.3 Throughout the 60’s and into the 70’s there was a gradual decline in the importance of the effectiveness of schools to provide equal access of individuals in attainment skills to be productive citizens, hence there was a “cognitive inequality among students which was explained for the most part by socioeconomic factors and IQ rather than the variation in performance which was caused by forces outside of school (5 a place called school).  Another source of inequality emanated from the ability of school to fund the educational programs which resulted in the negative impact on student academic

Middle school models were created as a means to address the problems created by the advent of adolescence, and they were beneficial to their students who did not have the same support system as historically presented.  First, adolescents experience changes physically, emotionally, intellectually, and otherwise.  Physically, adolescents are aware of the changes in their body and they need to create healthy nutrition choices in order to remain healthy later on.  Emotionally, adolescents must are much more critical of their surroundings, and their own bodies.  Intellectually, adolescents should not be made to passively digest information, which would be regurgitated at a later date. In order to create a healthy learning environment, adolescents should be motivated by utilizing their past experiences in order to create new knowledge, and develop certain skills to be productive citizens. Despite these challenges, adolescents could be successful in their learning environment were it not for the changing surroundings in which they presently live  Middle school models have been developed in order to address the entire “breadth” of adolescent experiences.  Today, there are many various programs where adolescents are the beneficiaries of an alignment between effective middle school models, and successful students who are able to progress to the high school and graduate.  However, from the reform movement beginning with the nation-at-risk reform movement and the federal statute, No Child Left Behind, there is constant pressure to standardize learning once again; students are expected to demonstrate what they have learned and they will acquire certain standards promulgated by individual states before moving on to the next grade level.  The paradox is clear; there is a problem of ascertaining how effective middle school models, which are identified through the vast studies and are characterized by common principles and/or components, yet the identification of effective middle schools as identified by standardization of No Child Left Behind has left schools with the unfortunate circumstances of fragmenting their teaching in order to appease the demands of their state education departments,  if they intend to benefit from the economic resources which is critical to the operations of the middle school.  The purpose of this dissertation is to describe the common elements of an effective middle school model and survey the schools in Suffolk County in order to ascertain how many of the components each of the schools possesses. Then, it is with the intention of comparing the 2006-2007 ElA and Mathematics score report to determine how well the score reports of the New York state designed technical approach to learning is aligned with the constructivist approach of effective middle school models as determined by the common principles set forth by various erudite who have justified their findings through impeccable research techniques.  

Page 10: distinctive characteristics, but few common organizational structures:

1973: ms movement was under way; by 1995 only 13% we3r4 7-9 schools.

Page 11: The philosophy was easy to define: in 1966 for example: Donald Eichhorn wrote:             “A special program is needed for the 11-14 year old child going through the unique “transcescent” period in his growth and development.   The widest range of differences in terms of physical, social, and intellectual growth is found in the middle school youngster. Such a wide range of differences calls for an individualized program that is lacking in most junior high schools. The middle school provides for individual differences with a program tailored to fit each child.” (Donald Eichhorn: page 11 essential middle school).

 1975 ASCD id 14 points that should guide program development headed by Joseph Bondi: 1. Learning experiences for transcescent should be at students’ own intellectual levels, 2. A wide variety of cognitive learning experiences should be used to account for the full range of studens who are at many levels of concrete and formal operations; 3. Curriculum should be diversifies and exploratory; 4. Opportunities should be provided to develop problem-solving skills, reflective thinking, an awareness of order in students’ environment; 5.  Cognitive learning experiences should be structured so that each stud Can progress in individualized manner; 6. Program should dev basic learning skills, real life applications, and enable each student to appraise their own interests; 7. Curr Should emphasize concept development; 8. Prev learn. Taught in departmentalized format should be broken down and taught around integrative themes and experiences. 9. Personal curiosity in learning experiences could encouraged, 10.  Role of teacher should be to guide to learning instead of purveyor of knowledge (trad Lecture-recitation method should e minimized) 11.  Grouping of students should be according to physical, social, emotional criteria, 12. Dev of self-concept, attitudes toward school is as important as how much and what student knows, experiences in arts shoud be prov. For all transcescent to foster aesthetic appreciation. 14. Curr offerings should reflect cultural ethnic socioec.

Page 13’ about 20 years later: William Alexander and Kenneth McEwin held that in addition to being a grade-level organization, a middle school was a school with features such as the following: 1. Interdisciplinary organization with a flexible day; 2. An adequate guidance program, including teacher advisory plan: 3. Full-scale exploratory program;4 curr provisions for such goal and curriculum domains as personal development, continued learning skills, and basic knowledge areas; 5. Varied and effective instructional methodology for the age group 6. Continued orientation and articulation for students, parents, and teachers.

Middle school and junior high schools were equally ineffective in their inability to deliver on philosophic conceptions of educating.  The junior high school was sidetracked by the growth of American high school whereas the middle school floundered for lack of vision of how to meet the individual needs of its students.

From 1965—20000 was standardization, not individualization, the promise exceeded the performance;

Page 14: Early Warning Signs of Failure:

14 “The standardized middle school can result from the same forces that produced that standardized hs…different relatively little from the school of a quarter-century earlier.” William Alexander

14: the middle schools of the 1965-2000 era were, in many cases, exciting in instructional centers.  With time, most -8 programs adopted a block-of time schedule, teaching teams, integrated subject areas, group guidance, more electives, and increased student  participation in physical activity and intramural sports.

  Effective Middle School Models: Matrix:

            The emphasis of changing the curriculum of the middle school academic programs arrived to be known as the standards-based education movement. The upshot of this movement placed an incredible amount of pressure on the schools to collect and analyze tests and other documents as a means for assessing academic performance of students of all ages.  An outcome of the standards movement requires students to pass performance tests in all states in the United States as a way of comparing individual performances of students as they continue with the state mandated assessment process from first through twelve grades until they graduate from high school. The rationale of the standards-based-education in the state of California marks the importance of standardized examination process in all of the states:

            “a shortcoming of school reform up to this point has been the lack of focus on rigorous academic standards. The desire to improve student achievement….lacked a comprehensive, specific vision of what students actually needed to know and be able to do… For the first time we are stating explicitly the content that students need to acquire at each grade level… these standards are rigorous. With student master of this content, California schools will be on a par with those in the best educational systems in other states and nations…Fifteen years from now, we are convinced, the adoption of standards will be viewed as the signal event that began “a rising tide of excellence” in our schools. No more will the critical questions “What should my child be learning?”be met with uncertainty of knowledge, purpose, and resolve.  These standards answer the question. They are comprehensive and specific.  They represent our commitment to excellence.” Middle Grades Task Force, 2001, p.1) exemplary ms page 75

            Standards-based reform, will focus educators’ attention on the gaps in the knowledge of their students, as well as the teaching deficiencies of the teaching practices. The advocates of standards-based reform believe that students have been confined to a classroom where fragmented curriculum is dominated by textbooks, where immense amounts of time are wasted in unproductive activities that go unmonitored, and where curriculum, instruction , an assessment have no connection to each other. The community has no real knowledge of what was occurring, advocates alleged, until the standards-based reform got under way and assessment results became public knowledge. When the knowledge of what appeared to be poor performance became widely recognized the public demanded reform measures. ((exemplary ms page 75-76). 

            Even loyal defenders of middle school academic programs with a commitment to the young adolescent can provide a comfortable learning environment that is indicative of learner-based , integrated curriculum  and seems to come to grips with the power of the standards-based  reform movement. There appears to be a sense of agreement where middle school educators can “reap both the benefits of genuine student-centered, integrative curriculum and instruction and also develop student competencies in state-mandated standards so that students can make acceptable scores of typical standards-based tests” (Vars and Beane, 2000, p. 1) exemplary ms. Page 92

Methodology

      As stated earlier the purpose of this dissertation is to determine what constitutes an effective and efficient middle school model. The conceptual framework utilized in this approach includes two publications; This We Believe and The Advocacy Design Center (ADC). This We Believe is a position paper designed to demonstrate fourteen characteristics which entail an effective middle school model. The ADC design includes IOGA as a pneumonic device which categorizes the characteristics of effective middle school programs into instruction, organization, governance, and accountability. Earlier, it is apparent that there were written four major position papers emanating from conferences in the papers of Breaking Ranks, this We Believe, and turning Points, as well as an in depth study and survey which Dr. Frank Smith utilized in order to create the ADC Design and the IOGA model. The Conferences in the former conferences were useful to encourage the participants to engage in dialogue in order to arrive at a consensus in developing characteristics in order to describe an effective middle school model.  Thus, as a comprehensive approach in this search for a quintessential middle school, a matrix is heretofore constructed in the literature review chapter of this dissertation which compares the four basic categories from the IOGA model as it relates to the overall characteristics which constitutes an effective middle school model.

         While this paper demonstrates a comprehensive approach in connoting similar characteristics apparent in an effective middle school model, the actual findings of this dissertation will utilize the overall characteristics of This We Believe and the ADC Design as a conceptual framework conveying an effective middle school model. Once the overall characteristics of each of the four main domains are explained, the next step in the methodology will include utilizing the effective middle model from the conceptual framework and compare them to the actual academic programs in operation from each of the middle schools in Suffolk County, New York.

          Presently, there are 64 school districts in Suffolk County, New York.  Not every school district has three levels of student learning organizations, meaning an elementary school, middle level grade school and high school. Once the task of determining an effective middle school has been determined above, the step of discerning which school districts identify the actual programs in operation in the designated middle schools. The manner in which effectiveness will be qualified is determined by a color coordinated approach: this researcher will find out how many programs middle schools operate in Suffolk county, New York. A color scheme will be utilized to differentiate the level of effectiveness ranging from highly effective to moderate to ineffective.  The color green will be used to convey that the middle school has many programs of 70%-100% that are similar to the ones in the conceptual framework and green will be used to identify that middle school as highly effective. The middle schools with 50% to 70% of the programs in operation moderately effective as identified with the color yellow. The middle schools found to have few or none of the programs that are similar to the conceptual framework will be designated as being ineffective or not effective and the color red will be utilized as the color to identify that category.

 SCHOOL DISTRICTS OF SUFFOLK COUNTY, New York and Middle  Schools

I.                BABYLON AREA

1.    AMITYVILLE: Edmund W. Miles Middle School (7,8,9)

2.    BABYLON: Babylon Junior-Senior High School

3.    COPIAGUE: Copiague Middle School

4.    DEER PARK: Robert F. Frost Middle School and John F. Kennedy Intermediate School

5.    LIDENHURST: Lindenhurst middle school

6.    NORTH BABYLON: Robert Moses middle school

7.    WEST BABYLON: West Babylon  Junior high school

8.    WYANDANCH: Milton olive middle school

II.              ISLIP AREA

9.    BAY SHORE: Bay Shore Middle School

10.BAYPORT-BLUE-POINT: James Wilson Young Middle School

11.BRENTWOOD: East MS, North MS, South MS, West MS, Freshman Center

12.CENTRAL ISLIP: Ralph G. Reed Middle School, Mulligan Intermediate School

13.CONNETQUOT: Oakdale Bohemia Middle school &Ronkonkoma Middle School

14.EAST ISLIP: East Islip Middle School

15.FIRE ISLAND: Woodhull School (1 school)

16.ISLIP: Islip middle school

17.SACHEM: Sagamore ms, Samoset ms, Seneca ms, Sequoya ms

18.SAYVILLE: Sayville middle school

19.WEST ISLIP: Beach street Middle school, Udall Road middles school

III.            HUNTINGTON AREA

20.COLD SPRING HARBOR: Lloyd Harbor School or West Side School

21.COMMACK: Commack Middle School –Sawmill Intermediate School

22.ELWOOD: Elwood Middle school

23.HALF HOLLOW HILLS: Candlewood middle school, west hollow middle school

24.HARBORFIELDS: Oldfield middle school

25.HAUPPAUGE: Hauppauge middle school

26.HUNTNGTON: J. Taylor Finley middle school (Woodhull intermediate school).

27.KINGS PARK: RJ O  intermediate school , William Rogers Middle school

28.NORTHPORT: East Northport middle school; Northport middle school

29.SMITHTOWN: Accompsett ms, Great hollow middle school, Nesaquake middle school,

30.SOUTH HUNTINGTON: Birchwood intermediate sch, Henry L Stimson middle school,

IV.            NORTH BROOKHAVEN

31.(Brookhaven-Comsewogue UFSD): John F. Kennedy Middle School

32.MILLER PLACE: north country road school, sound beach school, primary& hs 4 schls

33.MOUNT SINAI: Mt. Sinai middle school

34.PORT JEFFERSON: earl l Vandermeulen HS, port Jefferson ms & Edna Louise spear el. schl

35.ROCKY POINT: Joseph A. Edgar Intermediate sch, rocky point middle school

36.SHOREHAM-WADING RIVER: Albert G. Prodell Middle school

37.THREE VILLAGE: Paul J. Gelinas M. Junior HS, Robert Cushman Murphy JrHs

V . SOUTH BROOKHAVEN

38.CENTER MORICHES: Center Moriches Middle School

39.EAST MORICHES: East Moriches Elementary Sch and East Moriches School (2 Schools)

40.EASTPORT/SOUTH MANOR: Eastport South Manor Junior-Senior High School

41.LONGWOOD: Longwood junior high school, Longwood middle school

42.MIDDLE COUNTRY: Dawnwood middle school, Selden middle school

43.PATCHOGUE-MEDFORD: Oregon m schl, Saxton m schl, south ocean middle school

44.SOUTH COUNTRY: Bellport Middle school, Frank p. long intermediate school

45.WILLIAM FLOYD: William Floyd middle school, and Wililam Paca middle school

VI.            RIVERHEAD AREA

46.EAST QUOGUE: East Quogue School (1 school)

47.HAMPTON BAYS:  Hampton bys el Hampton bays middle school & Hampton HS (3 schls)

48.QUOGUE: Quogue elementary school (1 school)

49.REMSENBERG: Remsemburg-Speonk elementary school (one school)

50.RIVERHEAD: Riverhead middle school

51.WESTHAMPTON: Westhampton middle school

Vii NORTH FORK AREA

52.FISHERS ISLAND: fishers Island School (1 school )

53.GREENPORT: Greenport elementary school; Greenport high school

54.MATTITUCK/CUTCHOGUE: Mattituck junior senior high school (mc elem school) 2 schls

55.NEW SUFFOLK: New Suffolk  school (1 school)

56.OSTERPONDS: Oysterponds elementary school (one school)

57.SHELTER ISLAND: shelter island school

58.SOUTHOLD:

VIII.        SOUTH FORK AREA

59.AMAGANSETT: Amagansett School (1 school)1

60.BRIDGEHAMPTON: Bridge-Hampton School (1 School)7

61.EAST HAMPTON: East Hampton Middle School

62.MONTAUK:  Montauk school

63.SAG HARBOR: Pierson Middle/High school and sag harbor elementary school

64.SAGAPONIC: Sagaponack school

65.SOUTHAMPTON: Southampton intermediate school (elementary and high school) 3 schools

66.SPRINGS: springs school (1 school).

67.TUCKAHOE COMMONS: Tuckahoe school (1 school)

68.WAINSCOTT common school district: wainscot school (1 school).

69.Little flower UFSD little Flower school (1 school)

Now that highly effective, moderately effective, and ineffective middle school programs have been identified in Suffolk County, New York, the next step will be to explain the reasons for the similar traits as well as the dissimilar traits accordingly. In other words, why do some schools have in operation most of the programs and others do not operate the programs that would make them effective as it relates to the conceptual framework.  Another step in the process of identifying an effective middle school is to compare a middle school as it relates to the characteristics to This We Believe and ADC Design to how well students perform according to the most recent 8^th grade ElA and Math exams.    

Chapter 4: Data

Chapter 5: Summary

SO WHAT!!?

Thus far, there is a conception that middle schools provide the basis for supporting young adolescents as they traverse the hallways of their schools while they attempt to clumsily negotiate their time in primarily 6,7, and 8^th grades. Ideally, there are several different types of programs at the middle school level which can help young adolescents so they may enter the 9^th grade at the high school and mature enough socially, emotionally, and physically in order to grasp the intellectual concepts and graduate from the individual high school. However, do young adolescents actually get the necessary support they need as they attend their middle school experience/ or would they perform just as well or better if they had the necessary cognitive support alone and get the grades needed to demonstrate what the know and can do while in the junior high school and/or parley their experience at the high school level and beyond.

      In order to gauge what young adolescents may need, this dissertation was designed to present a descriptive analysis of the emotional, social, intellectual, and physical programs as it relates to the conceptual framework of the National Middle School Association in terms of aligning the programs necessary for the above support so the young adolescents may perform well in their academic pursuits.  The predominate manner in which to categorize these programs is by utilizing Dr. Smith’s IOGA in presenting the various instructional, organizational, governance, and accountability standards and programmatic idiosyncrasies as presented by the Advocacy Design Center, utilizing the mathematics curriculum as a means for discourse in  categorizing the various programs in providing the necessary support.  

Bibliography

Knowles,Trudy and Brown, Dave F. (2000). What Every Middle School Teacher Schould Know. New Hampshire: Reed Elsevier

Knowles, Trudy and Brown, Trudy, F. (2000) What Every Middle School Teacher Should Know. New Hampshire: Reed Elsevier, Inc.

George, Paul S. and Alexander, William M. (2003). The Exemplary Middle School. California. Wadsworth/Thomson Learning Inc.

Swaim, Sue, Executive Director, (2003) This We Believe: Successful Schools for Young Adolescents. Westerville, Ohio. National Middle School Association.

Dickinson, Thomas, S., Editor. (2001). Reinventing the Middle School. New York. Routledge Falmer.

Wiles, Jon, Bondi, Bondi, Joseph, and Wiles, Michele Tillier. (2206).  The Essential Middle School. Upper Saddle River: New Jersey. Merrill Prentice Hall.

Anfara, Vincent A. Editor. (2001).  Reforming Middle Level Education: Considerations for Policymakers. Information Age Publishing, Inc.

Effective Middle School Models

EFFECTIVE MIDDLE SCHOOL MATRIX

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