Sample records for middle school educators

  1. Middle Years. For Middle Level Educators.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hechinger, Fred M.; And Others

    1992-01-01

    This supplement offers 10 articles focusing on middle school education. Topics include remembering adolescence, resources and teaching tips, active middle school students, adolescent development, challenges in middle school education, integrated studies, planning middle school special events, a writing-science-consumerism miniunit on popcorn,…

  2. Leadership in Middle Level Education. Volume I: A National Survey of Middle Level Leaders and Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Valentine, Jerry W.; And Others

    The National Association of Secondary School Principals periodically studies practices and characteristics of secondary schools to help inform educators and shape policy. Such studies of middle-level education were conducted in 1966 and 1981. As middle-level education moved into the 1990s, many new questions about education and leadership needed…

  3. Spotlight on the Middle: Report of the Texas Task Force on Middle School Education. Executive Summary and State Board of Education Policy Statement on Middle Grade Education and Middle Grade Schools. Revised.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Texas Education Agency, Austin.

    This summary highlights implementation strategies from the full report for restructuring middle grade education in Texas. The task force was guided by a central theme--a vision of Texas schools using each other as resources and the campus planning process as a vehicle for implementing research-based concepts and practices in the middle grades.…

  4. Recruiting and Retaining African American Students for Gifted Education and Accelerated Programs in Middle School: A Qualitative Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roberson, Ivory S.

    2017-01-01

    Recruiting and retaining African American students in middle school gifted education continues to be challenging in American schools. African American students continue to be underrepresented in middle school gifted education and accelerated programs, even when they qualify to be gifted education participants. The case study that follows focuses…

  5. Stuck in the Middle: How and Why Middle Schools Harm Student Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rockoff, Jonah E.; Lockwood, Benjamin B.

    2010-01-01

    Could middle schools be bad for student learning? Could something as simple as changing the grade configuration of schools improve academic outcomes? That's what some educators have come to believe. States and school districts across the country are reevaluating the practice of educating young adolescents in stand-alone middle schools, which…

  6. Renewing the Middle School: The Early Success of Middle School Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    George, Paul S.

    2009-01-01

    Renewing the Middle School is a special three-part series in which the author, an eminent scholar in the field of middle grades education, offers his view on the status of middle grades education and its prospects for the future. In this part of the series, he responds strongly to some of the criticism that has been aimed at American public…

  7. Family and Consumer Sciences Delivers Middle School Multicultural Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clauss, Barbara A.

    2006-01-01

    In this article, the author talks about valuing individual and group differences and knowing how to interact effectively with a variety of people in school through multicultural education in a middle school family and consumer sciences setting. Here, she answers the questions: (1) Why multicultural education? (2) Why middle school? and (3) Why…

  8. Examining Differences in Middle School Student Achievement on a Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) in Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rich, Jamie; Duncan, Dennis W.; Navarro, Maria; Ricketts, John C.

    2009-01-01

    Many authors have posited that agricultural education curriculum in middle schools may enhance student performance in science. To determine the effect that agricultural education curriculum has upon Georgia middle schools' student performance in science, this descriptive study compared science knowledge among middle school students in Georgia who…

  9. Find Meaning in Middle School Physical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pagnano, Karen

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to provide readers with several suggestions and ideas for promoting meaning and meaningfulness for middle school students in physical education based on their unique developmental characteristics. To help physical educators create movement experiences that are meaningful for middle school students, the author…

  10. Relationship of Teacher Training and School Characteristics to Middle School State Assessment Results

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hall, Tina J.; Hicklin, Lori K.; French, Karen E.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: To examine the relationship between the South Carolina middle school physical education assessment results and the school characteristics. In addition, the relationship between teacher training attendance and student achievement were determined. Method: Student performance on four physical education indicators in 63 middle schools (and…

  11. Middle School Handbook.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Finks, Harry

    The middle school provides a planned transition from childhood to young adulthood: it moves a student from the protective nurture of elementary school to the more depersonalized high school setting gradually, sensitively, and by design. Composed of the ideas from middle school education that each of the educators who choose this wonderful level of…

  12. Changes in Urban-Rural Social Structure and Distribution of High School Educational Opportunities--An Analysis Based on Middle School Graduation Education Tracking in Q County, Gansu

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baoyan, Yang; Minggang, Wan

    2015-01-01

    To a certain extent, the distribution of high school education opportunities among the population determines the stratification of high school education opportunities. The researchers examined the distribution of high school education opportunities within the county region based on survey data on middle school graduation education tracking in Q…

  13. Moving Middle Schooling Reform from Policy to Practice: Issues for Queensland Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bryer, Fiona; Main, Katherine

    2005-01-01

    Three well-established issues for educational reform to insert middle schooling into the traditional primary-secondary tiers are (a) lack of preservice training of specialist middle school teachers, (b) the absence of clear positive educational outcomes linked to the promotion of middle schooling policy as a philosophy of teaching, and (c) the ad…

  14. A New Extension Model: The Memorial Middle School Agricultural Extension and Education Center

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Skelton, Peter; Seevers, Brenda

    2010-01-01

    The Memorial Middle School Agricultural Extension and Education Center is a new model for Extension. The center applies the Cooperative Extension Service System philosophy and mission to developing public education-based programs. Programming primarily serves middle school students and teachers through agricultural and natural resource science…

  15. Preliminary Exploration of the Mental Health Education Competency Survey of Primary and Middle School Head Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Chunyu; Liu, Yanling; Guo, Cheng; Lan, Haiying

    2014-01-01

    Despite a recent focus on the mental health of students, primary and middle school mental health education in China has been hampered by a lack of resources and inadequate professional training. This study assessed the mental health education competency of primary and middle school head teachers using the Mental Health Education Competency…

  16. Urban Middle School African American Girls' Attitudes toward Physical Education and Out-of-School Physical Activity Levels

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ramsey, Victor

    2012-01-01

    The purposes of this two-part study were (1) to investigate urban middle school African American girls' physical activity levels and their relationships to attitudes and, (2) to explore urban middle school African American girls' attitude toward physical education. A total of (N = 649) African American girls from 14 New York City middle schools…

  17. Integrated Curriculum in the Middle School. ERIC Digest.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beane, James

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

  18. Injecting Computational Thinking into Computing Activities for Middle School Girls

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Webb, Heidi Cornelia

    2013-01-01

    Advances in technology have caused high schools to update their computer science curricula; however there has been little analogous attention to technology-related education in middle schools. With respect to computer-related knowledge and skills, middle school students are at a critical phase in life, exploring individualized education options…

  19. Developmental Characteristics of Middle Schoolers and Middle School Organization.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thornburg, Hershel D.

    The extent to which the middle school becomes a true educational alternative is directly related to the ability of middle school educators and researchers to identify and investigate the developmental needs and learning capacities of students. Three important developmental characteristics of early adolescents are a high need for peer friendships,…

  20. Rescuing Middle School Astronomy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mayo, L. A.; Janney, D.

    2010-12-01

    There is a crisis in education at the middle school level (Spellings, 2006). Recent studies point to large disparities in middle school performance in schools with high minority populations. The largest disparities exist in areas of math and science. Astronomy has a universal appeal for K-12 students but is rarely taught at the middle school level. When it is taught at all it is usually taught in isolation with few references in other classes such as other sciences (e.g. physics, biology, and chemistry), math, history, geography, music, art, or English. The problem is greatest in our most challenged school districts. With scores in reading and math below national averages in these schools and with most state achievement tests ignoring subjects like astronomy, there is little room in the school day to teach about the world outside our atmosphere. Add to this the exceedingly minimal training and education in astronomy that most middle school teachers have and it is a rare school that includes any astronomy teaching at all. In this presentation, we show how to develop and offer an astronomy education training program for middle school teachers encompassing a wide range of educational disciplines that are frequently taught at the middle school level. The prototype for this program was developed and launched in two of the most challenged and diverse school systems in the country; D.C. Public Schools, and Montgomery County (MD) Public Schools.

  1. Effects of Education on Breastfeeding Knowledge and Attitudes among Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zeller, Cynthia Lee

    2016-01-01

    Objective: The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the impact of a school health module on the breastfeeding knowledge and attitudes of middle school students. Method: A convenience sample of 39 middle school students received education related to breastfeeding and completed a pre-test and a post-test. The School Survey on Breastfeeding…

  2. Teens, Power Tools, and Green Schools: Education for Sustainability through a University Environmental Design Program and Middle School Partnership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Derr, Victoria

    2017-01-01

    This article explores the role of green schools in promoting education for sustainability by reflecting on a university-middle school partnership focused on sustainable design. Undergraduates and middle school students met weekly for a semester to learn about sustainability through simple design projects and activities that focused on…

  3. Educating At-Risk Urban African American Children: A Comparison of Two Types of Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fenzel, L. Mickey; Domingues, Janine; Raughley, Brigid C.

    2006-01-01

    Evidence is clear that urban high poverty public schools are failing to meet the educational needs of its students, particularly students of color. The present study examines the effectiveness of two types of high poverty parochial schools for 354 African American middle school students. Results show that alternative middle schools, known as…

  4. Middle School Teacher Education: Staying the Course during Trying Times

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    George, Paul S.

    2004-01-01

    In the context of today's turbulent university life, public education debates, and highly charged political milieu, the phrase "middle school teacher education" might be said to describe a less-than-quiet target of opportunity for a whole host of groups who despise the values, meanings, and the central goals of the middle school movement…

  5. Preparing for the Educational Black Hole? Teachers' Learning in Two Pathways into Middle School Social Studies Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Conklin, Hilary G.

    2010-01-01

    The author presents findings from the first phase of a longitudinal, comparative case study that investigates what teachers learn about intellectually demanding social studies teaching at the middle school level from two distinctive teacher education pathways: a specialized middle school teacher education program and a secondary social studies…

  6. A Case Study of the Efficacy of Middle College on Educational Advancement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilson, Piper

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to examine the role of a middle college as a viable educational alternative to the traditional school environment and as one that supported student transition from high school into post-secondary education. Middle college is a unique transitional program in which students can participate in high school and college…

  7. Guess Again: Will Changing the Grades Save Middle-Level Education?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beane, James; Lipka, Richard

    2006-01-01

    Blaming unsatisfactory student achievement on the middle school concept is a case of mistaken identity. Too many middle schools have failed to fully implement the middle school concept. Based on statements from the Carnegie Council and the National Middle School Association, the middle school concept calls for improved academic achievement for all…

  8. Data-Based Decision-Making Teams in Middle School: Observations and Implications from the Middle School Intervention Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crone, Deanne A.; Carlson, Sarah E.; Haack, Marcia K.; Kennedy, Patrick C.; Baker, Scott K.; Fien, Hank

    2016-01-01

    The use of data-based decision making (DBDM) in schools to drive educational improvement and success has been strongly promoted by educational experts and policymakers, yet very little is documented about the actual DBDM practices used in schools. This study examines DBDM practices in 25 middle schools through 80 standardized observations of data…

  9. How Professional Organizations Can Help Meet the Professional Development Needs of Middle School Business and Technology Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crews, Tena B.

    2007-01-01

    Middle school business and technology educators were surveyed to examine how professional organizations could meet their professional development needs. A 26 percent response rate (n = 148) was received from middle school educators in 37 states. This research was designed to identify the business and technology courses being taught at the middle…

  10. An Examination of Middle School Agricultural Education and FFA Programs: Survey Results from State FFA Executive Secretaries.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rossetti, Rosemarie; McCaslin, N. L.

    A study collected information from 52 of the 53 state Future Farmers of America (FFA) executive secretaries who were sent questionnaires on middle school student enrollment in agricultural education and membership in the national FFA organization. Results showed that 30 states have agricultural education programs in the middle school level, with a…

  11. Activity Preferences of Middle School Physical Education Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Greenwood, Michael; Stillwell, Jim; Byars, Allyn

    2001-01-01

    Investigated the physical education activity preferences of middle school students who completed a checklist featuring a variety of activities. Overall, middle school boys and girls both differed and agreed on their interests for specific activities. Most students liked basketball, bicycling, roller skating, soccer, swimming, and volleyball but…

  12. Stability and Change in Rural Youths' Educational Outcomes through the Middle and High School Years

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Witherspoon, Dawn; Ennett, Susan

    2011-01-01

    There is a dearth of literature that examines rural youths' school transition and adaptation over the middle and high school years. Given rural education challenges, this study examines rural youths' developmental trajectories of self-reported grades and affective and behavioral educational outcomes (i.e., school belonging, value of education,…

  13. Effects of Daily Physical Education on Physical Fitness and Weight Status in Middle School Adolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Erfle, Stephen E.; Gamble, Abigail

    2014-01-01

    Background: In 2009, the Pennsylvania Department of Health developed the Active Schools Program (ASP) which required 30?minutes of daily physical education (PE) in middle schools to reduce childhood obesity. This investigation evaluated the ASP effects on physical fitness and weight status in middle school adolescents throughout 1 academic year.…

  14. School-Based Experiential Outdoor Education: A Neglected Necessity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    James, Joan K.; Williams, Theresa

    2017-01-01

    In this research study, we hear the voices of middle school students, preservice teachers, and practicing middle school teachers in support of school-based experiential outdoor education. The benefits of engaging youth in memorably relevant learning, immersing them in physically active, field-based education, and providing them with authentic,…

  15. It's Not Just in High School--Agriculture Education in Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gibbs, Hope J.

    2005-01-01

    Traditionally, students have been strongly encouraged at the high school level to consider careers and choose courses that would fortify occupations of interest. Today, administrators and educators across the nation realize that developing students' interest must be addressed earlier--at the middle school level. Agriculture educators believe this…

  16. The Rationale for the Middle Level School. Practitioner's Monograph No. 9.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lake, Sara

    Almost from the beginning, the junior high school was based on the same vision driving today's middle level schooling: the creation of a unique middle tier of education that bridges the gap between elementary and secondary education and focuses on meeting early adolescent students' academic and personal needs. In the 1950s and 1960s, middle school…

  17. Teaching in Middle School Technology Education: A Review of Recent Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sherman, Thomas M.; Sanders, Mark; Kwon, Hyuksoo

    2010-01-01

    We review articles published between 1995 and 2008 in four journals that are the primary scholarly resources for Technology Education middle school teaching. This descriptive study identified four main issues that scholars addressed: what should be taught in middle school, the structure and content of curriculum transformation, integrating…

  18. The Educational Attitudes of Private School Educators.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cookson, Peter W., Jr.

    Values about education held by private school educators tend to be those best suited to preparing their mostly middle- and upper-middle-class students for managerial and professional careers. Social scientists have hypothesized that schools readying students for social leadership will stress internalized student behavior norms instead of obedience…

  19. Educational Quality Differences in a Middle-Income Country: The Urban-Rural Gap in Malaysian Primary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Othman, Mariam; Muijs, Daniel

    2013-01-01

    Shortcomings of educational quality in rural schools remain a key focus in the literature related to developing countries. This paper studies whether rural primary schools in Malaysia, an upper middle-income developing country, are still experiencing lower levels of educational resources, school climate, school leadership, and parental involvement…

  20. Open Education: A Look at the Subtleties. A Guide for the Unfamiliar Observer of Intermediate Education. Occasional Paper 90-1.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hager, Ronald A.

    The open classroom model, enthusiastically adopted in American elementary schools based on the evident success of the British open primary schools, seemed to be an ideal educational concept for implementation into the middle school. But in the past 2 years, a growing number of educators, both at the middle school and the primary school level, have…

  1. What Is Quality Education? How Can It Be Achieved? The Perspectives of School Middle Leaders in Singapore

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ng, Pak Tee

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents the findings of a research project that examines how middle leaders in Singapore schools understand "quality education" and how they think quality education can be achieved. From the perspective of these middle leaders, quality education emphasises holistic development, equips students with the knowledge and skills…

  2. Toward Middle-Level Manpower Education for Colombia. A Report to USAID Colombia.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, B. Lamar

    Education for middle-level manpower, a high-priority need in Colombia, is discussed. The current programs of five educational agencies--universities, university institutes, SENA (National Apprentice Service), industrial schools, and agricultural schools--that are providing some preparation for middle-level manpower positions are described. A…

  3. The Relationship of Practice, Attitude, and Perception of Competence in Middle School Physical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scrabis-Fletcher, Kristin; Rasmussen, Jennifer; Silverman, Stephen

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: Grounded in social cognitive theory this study examined attitude and perception of competence and their relationship with skill practice in middle school physical education. Method: Participants (N = 81) were randomly selected from nine teachers' classes. Two lessons were videotaped and students completed a middle school perception of…

  4. Creating Healthy Active Minds for Personal Success (CHAMPS) in Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shawley, Jessica

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to provide support for middle school physical education programs that meet the developmental needs of students while providing for student choice. With its health and physical education program called Creating Healthy Active Minds for Personal Success (CHAMPS), Moscow Middle School is striving to cultivate student…

  5. Controversial Books in the Middle School: Can They Make a Difference?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whittingham, Jeff; Rickman, Wendy

    2007-01-01

    One of the basic principles of middle school education is trying to meet the needs of "all" young adolescents (National Middle School Association, 1995, 2003). Meeting those needs includes protection from and education about discrimination. Using juvenile and young adult literature containing homosexual themes and characters appears to be one…

  6. Pros and Cons: Compulsory 12 Year Education Reform in Turkey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kasa, Basak; Ersöz, Yasemin

    2016-01-01

    Turkey has undergone two significant education reforms in the last two decades. In 1997, the compulsory education period was increased from five years to eight years with the unification of primary school (five years) and middle school (three years) and vocational middle schools were dismissed. In 2012, compulsory education was increased from…

  7. What Are Middle-School Girls Looking for in Physical Education?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gibbons, Sandra L.; Humbert, Louise

    2008-01-01

    Many young women become disillusioned with physical education in their high-school years. Mounting evidence suggests that this disillusionment starts in early adolescence. This article discusses the experiences of female students in coeducational, middle-school, physical education classes. Focus group interviews, individual interviews, and…

  8. Parental influences on students' self-concept, task value beliefs, and achievement in science.

    PubMed

    Senler, Burcu; Sungur, Semra

    2009-05-01

    The aim of this study was twofold: firstly, to investigate the grade level (elementary and middle school) and gender effect on students' motivation in science (perceived academic science self-concept and task value) and perceived family involvement, and secondly to examine the relationship among family environment variables (fathers' educational level, mothers' educational level, and perceived family involvement), motivation, gender and science achievement in elementary and middle schools. Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) showed that elementary school students have more positive science self-concept and task value beliefs compared to middle school students. Moreover, elementary school students appeared to perceive more family involvement in their schooling. Path analyses also suggested that family involvement was directly linked to elementary school students' task value and achievement. Also, in elementary school level, significant relationships were found among father educational level, science self-concept, task value and science achievement. On the other hand, in middle school level, family involvement, father educational level, and mother educational level were positively related to students' task value which is directly linked to students' science achievement. Moreover, mother educational level contributed to science achievement through its effect on self-concept.

  9. Indicators of Middle School Implementation: How Do Kentucky's Schools to Watch Measure Up?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cook, Christopher M.; Faulkner, Shawn A.; Kinne, Lenore J.

    2009-01-01

    High-performing middle schools are a critical link in the educational continuum. In an effort to stimulate the sluggish reform efforts of middle schools, the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform established the Schools to Watch recognition program. Using responses of school personnel to a statewide survey, this study examined the…

  10. Are They All Language Learners?: Educational Labeling and Raciolinguistic Identifying in a California Middle School Dual Language Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hernandez, Sera J.

    2017-01-01

    This manuscript draws from a 2-year multiple-case ethnography on the educational experiences of Mexican immigrant families with California middle schools. The article explores the influence of the political landscape and raciolinguistic ideologies surrounding the nature and implementation of a middle school dual language bilingual program, and it…

  11. Middle Schools Preparing Young People for 21st Century Life and Work

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kay, Ken

    2009-01-01

    In this article, the author describes how middle schools can prepare young people for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. Integrating 21st century skills deliberately and systematically into middle school education will empower educators to accomplish many of the elusive goals they have tried to reach for years. Twenty-first…

  12. Middle School Girls: Experiences in a Place-Based Education Science Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shea, Charlene K.

    2016-01-01

    The middle school years are a crucial time when girls' science interest and participation decrease (Barton, Tan, O'Neill, Bautista-Guerra, & Brecklin, 2013). The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of middle school girls and their teacher in an eighth grade place-based education (PBE) science classroom. PBE strives to increase…

  13. Examination of Classroom Observations and Educator Perceptions of Classroom Interventions of Middle School Gifted Students Exhibiting Unhealthy Perfectionist Tendencies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Drawdy, LaTease

    2013-01-01

    Unhealthy perfectionist tendencies plague many gifted middle school students, and this type of perfectionism can lead to a lack of classroom success. Identifying effective interventions that educators can utilize is important in assisting middle school gifted students who demonstrate these maladaptive tendencies in their achievement in the…

  14. Middle School Teachers' Descriptions of Their Level of Competency in the National Education Technology Standards for Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sam, Daisy

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate urban middle school teachers' descriptions of their competency in the current National Education Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T). The study also investigated how urban middle school teachers currently use technology to support their teaching and student learning. Research…

  15. Influence of Middle School Pupils' Acculturation on Their Readings of and Expectations for Physical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    George, Meredith L.; Curtner-Smith, Matthew D.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of middle school pupils' acculturation on their readings of and expectations for physical education. Participants were 94 pupils attending one public middle school. Data were collected using five qualitative techniques. They were analysed by employing analytic induction and constant…

  16. Preservice Elementary and Middle School Teachers' Conceptions of Algebra Revealed through the Use of Exemplary Curriculum Materials.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stump, Sheryl; Bishop, Joyce

    One of the greatest challenges for mathematics teacher educators committed to reforming and improving mathematics education is to help preservice elementary and middle school teachers develop an appreciation for algebraic reasoning. Preservice teachers' views of algebra are typically derived from their experiences in middle school and high school…

  17. Transforming Middle Level Education: Perspectives and Possibilities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Irvin, Judith L., Ed.

    This book addresses the critical issues of curriculum and instruction as they pertain to the restructuring of middle-level education. The first part deals with developing a sense of identity both with the middle-school movement and with young adolescents. Chapters include the following: "Perspectives on the Middle School Movement" (John H.…

  18. Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ride, Sally

    2008-01-01

    Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle School Students (EarthKAM), an education activity, allows middle school students to program a digital camera on board the International Space Station to photograph a variety of geographical targets for study in the classroom. Photos are made available on the web for viewing and study by participating schools around the world. Educators use the images for projects involving Earth Science, geography, physics, and social science.

  19. Afterschool: Supporting Career and College Pathways for Middle School Age Youth. MetLife Foundation Afterschool Alert. Issue Brief No. 46

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Afterschool Alliance, 2011

    2011-01-01

    In order to ensure that middle school youth are on a path toward higher education and careers, an early introduction to the importance of continuing education past high school is necessary. The middle school years are a vital time to teach the importance of college and career readiness and the linkages to success in life. This issue brief…

  20. In the Beginning of the Middle: Curriculum Considerations for Middle School General Music

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Giebelhausen, Robin

    2015-01-01

    Middle school general music is an experience that numerous music educators feel underprepared to teach. Because many undergraduate programs spend little time on this teaching scenario and because the challenges of middle school general music are different from those of elementary general music or middle school ensembles, teachers often lack the…

  1. Teaching Middle School Language Arts: Incorporating Twenty-First Century Literacies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Small Roseboro, Anna J.

    2010-01-01

    "Teaching Middle School Language Arts" is the first book on teaching middle school language arts for multiple intelligences and related twenty-first-century literacies in technologically and ethnically diverse communities. More than 670,000 middle school teachers (grades six through eight) are responsible for educating nearly 13 million students…

  2. Influences of High-Stakes Testing on Middle School Mission and Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Musoleno, Ronald R.; White, George P.

    2010-01-01

    This study explored the effects of high-stakes testing and accountability on the fundamental practices associated with middle school philosophy. Participants were middle school educators, including administrators and teachers, from Pennsylvania middle schools. An online survey was used to collect data for this study. The survey addressed the…

  3. Vocational Education Grades 6-12. Program Evaluation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davitt, Bob; And Others

    Vocational education programs were offered in 10 middle schools, 5 area high schools, 2 alternative high schools, and at the central campus of Des Moines Public Schools (Iowa). The major curricular focus at the middle school was career exploration. At the area high school level, the program was broad based to meet the needs of a high percentage of…

  4. A School Improvement Model for Motivating Adolescents to Achieve Success in Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hutchinson, Stuart R.

    2012-01-01

    Effectively addressing the unique developmental and academic needs of adolescents is a challenge that educators have been grappling with since the mid-1960's when school systems began to convert junior high schools into middle schools. While educators have recognized the need to create developmentally responsive schools that help children to form…

  5. Sewing a Seamless Education System. Preschool through Postsecondary.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCabe, Robert H.

    Today's educational systems work as separate parts with little coordination between academic levels or long-range planning. The transition from elementary school to middle school, middle school to high school, and high school to college is disjointed and often traumatic, producing unneeded anxiety and stress on top of the need to adapt to new…

  6. Instructor Middle Years. September 1993.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Robin; And Others

    1993-01-01

    This "Instructor" Supplement on middle school education, presents articles on new research and materials, adolescent development, reasons for teaching middle school, moving toward a middle school curriculum, peer teaching, multimedia software, murder mysteries, ancient China, geometry, teamwork, descriptive writing, literature, problem solving,…

  7. An Overview of Environmental Education in Middle School Natural Science Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhanbao, Shu

    2004-01-01

    Environmental education in middle school natural science courses is based on integrating environmental knowledge into natural science education. Therefore, environmental education objectives should be set as an extension of the objectives for natural science education. However, in order to reach the objectives laid out for environmental education…

  8. Mayhem in the Middle: How Middle Schools Have Failed America--And How to Make Them Work. Compact Guides to Education Solutions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yecke, Cheri Pierson

    2005-01-01

    The author defines "middle schoolism" as "an approach to educating children in the middle grades (usually grades 5-8), popularized in the latter half of the 20th century, that contributed to a precipitous decline in academic achievement among American early adolescents." She argues that many middle schools are on the right…

  9. Female Students' Perceptions about Gender-Role Stereotypes and Their Influence on Attitude toward Physical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Constantinou, Phoebe; Manson, Mara; Silverman, Stephen

    2009-01-01

    Why girls' participation in physical education (PE) dramatically changes once girls reach middle school has been of interest to many researchers. Studying how middle school girls perceive things at this age helps ensure a greater understanding of how to better meet girls' needs. The purpose of this study was to determine how middle school girls…

  10. Protective Effects of Middle School Comprehensive Sex Education with Family Involvement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grossman, Jennifer M.; Tracy, Allison J.; Charmaraman, Linda; Ceder, Ineke; Erkut, Sumru

    2014-01-01

    Background: School-based comprehensive sex education programs can reduce early adolescents' risky sexual behavior. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a 3-year comprehensive sex education program in delaying vaginal sex for middle school students and whether the family component of the intervention contributes to its…

  11. Learning from Japanese Middle School Math Teachers. Fastback.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whitman, Nancy C.

    This document reviews the Japanese educational system and examines middle school education in particular to identify cultural differences and help improve educational quality in the United States. Contents include: (1) "An Overview of Japanese Education"; (2) "Teacher Behavior in the Classroom"; (3) "Teacher Behavior…

  12. Dry Creek Joint Elementary School District. Educational Specifications: Dry Creek Middle School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dry Creek Joint Elementary School District, Roseville, CA.

    An Educational Specification Committee was convened to determine the design specifications required for a new middle school in Roseville, California's Dry Creek District. This report presents revisions to an earlier document that examined school room specifications for each grade level and administrative area. Specification considerations are…

  13. Are Middle Schools More Effective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bedard, Kelly; Do, Chan

    2005-01-01

    While nearly half of all school districts have adopted middle schools, there is little quantitative evidence of the efficacy of this educational structure. We estimate the impact of moving from a junior high school system, where students stay in elementary school longer, to a middle school system for on-time high school completion. This is a…

  14. In the Middle: Do We Share the Vision? Do Principals and Teachers Agree about the Middle School Concept?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Watts, Cherry; Seed, Allen H.; Franceschini, Louis A., III

    2013-01-01

    In 2009, the Tennessee Professors of Middle Level Education (TPOMLE) examined how Tennessee schools implemented the middle school concept. Of concern was the impact that emphasis on accountability and achievement had on the middle school concept which emphasizes the development of the whole child. A survey was developed based on the tenets of…

  15. Student Achievement and Fidelity of Implementation of the Middle School Concept in Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jackson, Delilah A.

    2013-01-01

    This study, using qualitative, multiple case methodology, examined four middle schools within a Local Education Agency (LEA) in eastern North Carolina to determine whether the implementation of key middle school features; (a) interdisciplinary teaming, (b) flexible scheduling, (c) advisor/advisee relationships, and (d) an integrative, exploratory…

  16. A Case Study Exploring the Transition to Middle School from the Perspective of Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rappa, Kelly A.

    2012-01-01

    The transition to middle school is often associated with negative effects on academic achievement, motivation, self-esteem, and psychological well-being. Educators at a Grade 6 through 8 middle school in the northeastern United States observed students struggle with the adjustment to middle school. Research suggests that developmentally responsive…

  17. NREL: News - Students Recognized for Creativity during Energy Education

    Science.gov Websites

    Middle School, third place; Horizon Community Middle School's car, "Bueblur," fourth place; and technology, craftsmanship and innovation were given to teams from Moore Middle School, first place; Manning Army, Xcel Energy and the Kaiser-Hill Company. As part of the K'NEX Design Contest, nine middle-school

  18. WWC Review of the Report "Evaluation of a Two-Year Middle-School Physical Education Intervention: M-SPAN"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2013

    2013-01-01

    The study reviewed in this paper examined the effect of the "Middle School Physical Activity and Nutrition" ("M-SPAN)" intervention on the physical activity level of middle school students. For this 2-year study, 24 middle schools from six districts in southern California were stratified by school district and then randomly…

  19. Parents' views on sex education in schools: How much do Democrats and Republicans agree?

    PubMed

    Kantor, Leslie; Levitz, Nicole

    2017-01-01

    More than 93 percent of parents place high importance on sex education in both middle and high school. Sex education in middle and high school is widely supported by parents regardless of their political affiliation. Using data from a large diverse sample of 1,633 parents of children aged 9 to 21 years, we examined whether views on sex education differed by parents' political affiliation. More than 89 percent of parents that identified as Republicans or Democrats support including a wide range of topics in sex education including puberty, healthy relationships, abstinence, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and birth control in high school. In middle school, 78 percent or more of both parents that identified as Republicans and Democrats support the inclusion of those topics. Controlling for key demographic factors, parents that identified as Democrats are more likely than those that identified as Republicans to support the inclusion of the topics of healthy relationships, birth control, STDs, and sexual orientation in both middle and high school. However, a strong majority of Republican parents want all these topics included in sex education. Sex education which includes a broad set of topics represents an area of strong agreement between parents of both political parties.

  20. Teacher Preferences for Middle Grades: Insights into Attracting Teacher Candidates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Radcliffe, Rich A.; Mandeville, Thomas F.

    2007-01-01

    Shortages of middle-level teacher candidates may cause teacher educators to recruit candidates by focusing on what attracts and discourages candidates about teaching at the middle level. The authors used a survey approach (n = 110) to investigate why preservice middle school and high school teachers and in-service middle school teachers chose the…

  1. The Impact of Achievement Goals on the Help-Seeking Attitudes, Perceptions, and Behaviors of Middle-School Science Students Participating in Inquiry-Based Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schmidt, Kimi Lynn

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate how mastery-oriented inquiry-based education influences the help-seeking attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors of middle-school students after participating in a 5-week intervention program. Four eighth-grade science classes consisting of 123 students in one middle-school in the San Francisco Bay…

  2. Tablets in Education: Outcome Expectancy and Anxiety of Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gorhan, Meryem Fulya; Oncu, Semiral; Senturk, Aysan

    2014-01-01

    It is planned that every student in all primary, middle, and high schools (public schools) under the administration of the Turkish Ministry of National Education receive a tablet through the FATIH Project. Research shows that many teachers hold reservations toward students using tablets for educational purposes. The purpose of this study is to…

  3. The Status of Environmental Education in Latin American Middle and High Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cronin-Jones, Linda; Penwell, Rebecca; Hakverdi, Meral; Cline, Shannon; Johnson, Courtney; Scales, Ingrid

    This research investigated the status of environmental education (EE) in private American and international middle and high schools throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. The study population consisted of all 50 dues-paying member schools in the Association of American Schools of Central America, Columbia-Caribbean, and Mexico (the…

  4. Pathways to Systemic Reform: Case Studies of Ohio Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kahle, Jane Butler, Ed.; Kelly, Mary Kay, Ed.

    This document presents five case studies of Ohio schools in order to discuss ongoing systemic reform in Ohio. Papers include: (1) "Steele Middle School: 'The Best Education for the Best Is the Best Education for All'" (Jane Butler Kahle, Kathryn Scantlebury, Arta Damnjanovic, and Mary Kay Kelly); (2) "Urban Middle School: 'How Much…

  5. [Distribution and main influential factors of mental workload of middle school teachers in Nanchang City].

    PubMed

    Xiao, Yuanmei; Li, Weijuan; Ren, Qingfeng; Ren, Xiaohui; Wang, Zhiming; Wang, Mianzhen; Lan, Yajia

    2015-01-01

    To investigate the distribution and main influential factors of mental workload of middle school teachers in Nanchang City. A total of 504 middle school teachers were sampled by random cluster sampling from middle schools in Nanchang City, and the mental workload level was assessed with National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) which was verified in reliability and validity. The mental workload scores of middle school teachers in Nanchang was approximately normal distribution. The mental workload level of middle school teachers aged 31 -35 years old was the highest. For those no more than 35 years old, there was positive correlation between mental workload and age (r = 0.146, P < 0.05). For those more than 35 years old, the levels of their mental workload had no statistically significant difference. There was a negative correlation between mental workload and educational level(r = -0.172, P < 0.05). The middle school teachers with lower educational level seemed to have a higher mental workload (P < 0.01). The longer a middle school teacher worked per day, the higher the mental workload was. Working hours per day was the most influential factor on mental workload in all influential factors (P < 0.001). Mental workload of middle school teachers was closely related to age, educational level and work hours per day. Working hours per day was the important risk factor of mental workload. Reducing working hours per day, especially reducing it to be no more than 8 hours per day, may be a significant and useful approach alleviating mental workload of middle school teachers in Nanchang City.

  6. The Intersection between 1:1 Laptop Implementation and the Characteristics of Effective Middle Level Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Downes, John M.; Bishop, Penny A.

    2015-01-01

    The number of middle level schools adopting 1:1 laptop programs has increased considerably during the past decade (e.g., Lowther, Strahl, Inan, & Bates, 2007; Storz & Hoffman, 2013; Texas Center for Educational Research, 2009). The cornerstone practices of the middle school concept (National Middle School Association, 2010), therefore,…

  7. Three frameworks to predict physical activity behavior in middle school inclusive physical education: a multilevel analysis.

    PubMed

    Jin, Jooyeon; Yun, Joonkoo

    2013-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine three frameworks, (a) process-product, (b) student mediation, and (c) classroom ecology, to understand physical activity (PA) behavior of adolescents with and without disabilities in middle school inclusive physical education (PE). A total of 13 physical educators teaching inclusive PE and their 503 students, including 22 students with different disabilities, participated in this study. A series of multilevel regression analyses indicated that physical educators' teaching behavior and students' implementation intentions play important roles in promoting the students' PA in middle school inclusive PE settings when gender, disability, lesson content, instructional model, and class location are considered simultaneously. The findings suggest that the ecological framework should be considered to effectively promote PA of adolescents with and without disabilities in middle school PE classes.

  8. STEM integration in middle school career and technical education programs: A Delphi design study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu-Rorrer, Billy Ray

    The purpose of this qualitative method study with a Delphi research design sought to determine how STEM programs can be effectively integrated into middle school career and technical education programs by local, state, and national educators, administrators, directors, specialists, and curriculum writers. The significance of the study is to provide leaders in CTE with a greater awareness, insight, and strategies about how CTE programs can more effectively integrate academics into career and technical education programs through STEM-related programming. The findings will increase the limited amount of available literature providing best practice strategies for the integration of STEM curriculum into middle school CTE programs. One basic question has guided this research: How can STEM programs be effectively integrated into middle school career and technical education programs? A total of twelve strategies were identified. The strategies of real-world applications and administrative buy-in were the two predominant strategies consistently addressed throughout the review of literature and all three sub-questions in the research study. The Delphi design study consisted of pilot round and three rounds of data collection on barriers, strategies, and professional development for STEM integration in middle school career and technical education programs. Four panelists participated in the pilot round, and 16 panel members not involved in the pilot round participated in the three rounds of questioning and consensus building. In the future, more comprehensive studies can build upon this foundational investigation of middle school CTE programs.

  9. The Historical and Social Context of U.S. Middle School Education a Practical Guidebook for School Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harley, Sue

    2010-01-01

    The six chapters in this research involve the history and development of middle schools from the early conceptions of junior high school to the ground breaking research by the Carnegie Foundation on changes in how young adolescent students develop, are taught and transitioned from elementary levels to high school. Professional literature reporting…

  10. Character Education as a Bridge from Elementary to Middle School: A Case Study of Effective Practices and Processes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Khoury, Ruba

    2017-01-01

    This qualitative single-case study illuminates the significance of effective character education implementation during elementary school years as students transition into middle school. The researcher conducted the study in an American school that consisted of two divisions: K-6 lower division and 7-12 upper division. The lower-school division was…

  11. Delivering Food Safety Education to Middle School Students Using a Web-Based, Interactive, Multimedia, Computer Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lynch, Rebecca A.; Steen, M. Dale; Pritchard, Todd J.; Buzzell, Paul R.; Pintauro, Stephen J.

    2008-01-01

    More than 76 million persons become ill from foodborne pathogens in the United States each year. To reduce these numbers, food safety education efforts need to be targeted at not only adults, but school children as well. The middle school grades are ideal for integrating food safety education into the curriculum while simultaneously contributing…

  12. Preschool, Primary School, and Middle School Educational Practices in the People's Republic of China Today: A First Hand Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karlson, Alfred Lennart

    This paper records observations made on a tour of educational settings in the People's Republic of China. Discussed are the philosophy and aims of current Chinese education, curriculum practices in the preschool, primary and middle school and in teacher training institutions, The Little Red Soldiers programs and the Children's Palaces. Educational…

  13. Factors Associated with Middle School Students' Perceptions of the Quality of School-Based Sexual Health Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Byers, E. Sandra; Sears, Heather A.; Foster, Lyndsay R.

    2013-01-01

    This paper examines factors associated with middle school students' perceptions of the quality of the sexual health education (SHE) they received at school. Participants were 478 predominately White young people (256 girls, 222 boys) in grades 6-8 who completed a survey assessing their demographic characteristics; dating and sexual experience; and…

  14. The Creation and Implementation of a Dream: Lessons Learned from a Unique Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wheat, Kevin

    2017-01-01

    Many educational leaders dream of the opportunity to begin a new school. New schools provide opportunities for innovation, change, and creativity, which most educators believe is needed to improve current middle school practice. This study follows the process of planning for and opening a new and innovative middle school program designed to offer…

  15. Untapped Potential: The Status of Middle School Science Education in California. Strengthening Science Education in California

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hartry, Ardice; Dorph, Rena; Shields, Patrick; Tiffany-Morales, Juliet; Romero, Valeria

    2012-01-01

    Despite the expressed need for high-quality science education, very little research has been conducted on what middle school science learning opportunities look like in practice. This study was conducted in support of "Strengthening Science Education in California", a research, policy, and communications initiative. Partners in this…

  16. The influence of family context on life, educational and occupational ideal among middle school students in China.

    PubMed

    Yao, Benxian; Zhang, Ling; Zhen, Rui; Zhou, Xiao

    2016-06-01

    This study examined the relationship between family context of middle school students on their educational and occupational ideals. Middle school students (N = 2000) responded to questions assessing family location, family structure, parental educational level and family economic status, as well as to the Middle School Students' Ideals Questionnaire. Multivariate analysis of variance indicated that life, educational and occupational ideals of female students and students in lower grades were higher than that of male students and students in higher grades. Regression analysis indicated that paternal education level have a positive association with educational and occupational ideals, but not life ideals, and family economic status have a positive relation to life ideals, but not educational and occupational ideals. Moreover, the interaction between family economic status and family location has a negative association with students' life, educational and occupational ideals. These results suggest that different factors predicted different ideals of adolescents, and that family economic status had a negative moderating effect on the relationship between family location and ideals of students. © 2015 International Union of Psychological Science.

  17. Follow-up of an elementary school intervention for asthma management: do gains last into middle school?

    PubMed

    Greenberg, Cindy; Luna, Pamela; Simmons, Gretchen; Huhman, Marian; Merkle, Sarah; Robin, Leah; Keener, Dana

    2010-06-01

    Albuquerque Public Schools (APS), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, conducted an evaluation to examine whether students who were exposed to the APS asthma program in elementary school retained benefits into middle school. APS middle school students who participated in the APS asthma program in elementary school, including the Open Airways for Schools (OAS) education curriculum, responded to a follow-up questionnaire (N = 121) and participated in student focus groups (N = 40). Asthma management self-efficacy scores from the follow-up questionnaire were compared to scores obtained before and after the OAS education component. Additional items assessed students' asthma symptoms, management skills, avoidance of asthma triggers, and school impact. Although asthma management self-efficacy scores declined in middle school among students exposed to the asthma program in elementary school, they remained significantly higher than scores obtained during elementary school prior to the OAS intervention. The results indicate that although students benefited from the asthma program delivered in elementary school, they need booster sessions and continued school support in middle school.

  18. Schools to Watch: School Transformation Network, a U.S. Deparment of Education Investing in Innovation (i3) Development Grant. Final Evaluation Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grantee Submission, 2015

    2015-01-01

    The Schools to Watch: School Transformation Network Project is a whole school reform model designed to improve the educational practices, experiences, and outcomes of low-performing middle-grades schools. Developed by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform, the four-year project was funded in 2010 by a U.S. Department of Education…

  19. Collaborative Action Research for Middle Grades Improvement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Downes, John M.; Bishop, Penny A.; Swallow, Meredith; Olofson, Mark; Hennessey, Susan

    2016-01-01

    Technology's rapid evolution applies constant pressure to educational organizations, suggesting a need to continually re-envision schools for the digital age. Yet educators often struggle to understand the growing chasm between students' out-of-school and in-school technology lives. This gap is particularly noticeable during the middle grades…

  20. Evidence Based Education Request Desk. EBE #131

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Regional Educational Laboratory Southeast, 2007

    2007-01-01

    To complement the information gathered on middle school and high school literacy initiatives as reported in "Middle and High School Literacy across the Curriculum" (Task 1.2 Fast Response Project), the Regional Educational Laboratory Southeast (REL-SE) staff conducted a scan of the six southeast states to gather the following information…

  1. Middle-Class School Choice in Urban Spaces: The Economics of Public Schooling and Globalized Education Reform. Routledge Research in Education Policy and Politics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rowe, Emma E.

    2016-01-01

    "Middle-class School Choice in Urban Spaces" examines government funded public schools from a range of perspectives and scholarship in order to examine the historical, political and economic conditions of public schooling within a globalized, post-welfare context. In this book, Rowe argues that post-welfare policy conditions are…

  2. Hidden student voice: A curriculum of a middle school science class heard through currere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Crooks, Kathleen Schwartz

    Students have their own lenses through which they view school science and the students' views are often left out of educational conversations which directly affect the students themselves. Pinar's (2004) definition of curriculum as a 'complicated conversation' implies that the class' voice is important, as important as the teacher's voice, to the classroom conversation. If the class' voice is vital to classroom conversations, then the class, consisting of all its students, must be allowed to both speak and be heard. Through a qualitative case study, whereby the case is defined as a particular middle school science class, this research attempts to hear the 'complicated conversation' of this middle school science class, using currere as a framework. Currere suggests that one's personal relationship to the world, including one's memories, hopes, and dreams, should be the crux of education, rather than education being primarily the study of facts, concepts, and needs determined by an 'other'. Focus group interviews were used to access the class' currere: the class' lived experiences of science, future dreams of science, and present experiences of science, which was synthesized into a new understanding of the present which offered the class the opportunity to be fully educated. The interview data was enriched through long-term observation in this middle school science classroom. Analysis of the data collected suggests that a middle school science class has rich science stories which may provide insights into ways to engage more students in science. Also, listening to the voice of a science class may provide insight into discussions about science education and understandings into the decline in student interest in science during secondary school. Implications from this research suggest that school science may be more engaging for this middle school class if it offers inquiry-based activities and allows opportunities for student-led research. In addition, specialized academic and career advice in early middle school may be able to capitalize on this class' positive perspective toward science. Further research may include using currere to hear the voices of middle school science classes with more diverse demographic qualities.

  3. Parents’ views on sex education in schools: How much do Democrats and Republicans agree?

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    More than 93 percent of parents place high importance on sex education in both middle and high school. Sex education in middle and high school is widely supported by parents regardless of their political affiliation. Using data from a large diverse sample of 1,633 parents of children aged 9 to 21 years, we examined whether views on sex education differed by parents’ political affiliation. More than 89 percent of parents that identified as Republicans or Democrats support including a wide range of topics in sex education including puberty, healthy relationships, abstinence, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and birth control in high school. In middle school, 78 percent or more of both parents that identified as Republicans and Democrats support the inclusion of those topics. Controlling for key demographic factors, parents that identified as Democrats are more likely than those that identified as Republicans to support the inclusion of the topics of healthy relationships, birth control, STDs, and sexual orientation in both middle and high school. However, a strong majority of Republican parents want all these topics included in sex education. Sex education which includes a broad set of topics represents an area of strong agreement between parents of both political parties. PMID:28672027

  4. Gaining Ground in the Middle School Grades: Why Some Schools Do Better. A Large-Scale Study of Middle Grades Practices and Student Outcomes. The Informed Educator Series

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Educational Research Service, 2011

    2011-01-01

    This "Informed Educator" draws content from several reports as well as a PowerPoint presentation that describe findings from a study conducted by EdSource and its research partners from Stanford University and the American Institutes for Research. The project--Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades: Why Some Schools Do Better--focused on…

  5. Middle Level Education in Rural Communities: Implications for School Leaders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thomas, Douglas D.

    2005-01-01

    Middle level teachers and administrators working in small or rural schools often face unique obstacles in implementing recommended middle level practices. From sharing staff and schedules with other school sites, to inappropriate instructional techniques, to a general lack of understanding of the middle level philosophy, these obstacles can be a…

  6. Middle School Concept Helps High-Poverty Schools Become High-Performing Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Picucci, Ali Callicoatte; Brownson, Amanda; Kahlert, Rahel; Sobel, Andrew

    2004-01-01

    The results of a study conducted by the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin for the U.S. Department of Education during the 2001-02 school year showed that elements of the middle school concept can lead to improved student performance, even in high-poverty schools. This article describes common elements of the middle school…

  7. Contrasts in Openness toward Mobile Learning in the Classroom: A Study of Elementary, Middle and High School Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Christensen, Rhonda; Knezek, Gerald

    2017-01-01

    In a study involving 1414 elementary, middle school, and high school teachers from a large school district in the southwestern USA, the authors examine the similarities and differences among teachers at the three levels of K-12 education common in US school systems: elementary, middle school and high school. Major findings are that elementary…

  8. Engaging Students in Quality Games

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henninger, Mary L.; Richardson, Karen Pagnano

    2016-01-01

    Promoting student engagement for all students in physical education, and specifically in game play, is a challenge faced by many middle and high school physical education teachers. Often, the games we play in physical education are not "good games" because, as early as middle school, some students are already resistant to playing…

  9. Relevance, New Literacies, & Pragmatic Research for Middle Grades Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burns, Leslie David

    2008-01-01

    This article describes how scholarship from the New Literacy Studies can shed "more light" (Florio-Ruane, 2002) on middle school education and youth literacies, allowing users to examine claims about students, schools, policy, and research. Hypothesizing that shortcomings in early adolescent literacy education have less to do with lack of…

  10. Middle School Physical Education Teachers' Perspectives on Overweight Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Doolittle, Sarah A.; Rukavina, Paul B.; Li, Weidong; Manson, Mara; Beale, Angela

    2016-01-01

    Using the Social Ecological Constraints model, a qualitative multiple case study design was used to explore experienced and committed middle school physical education teachers' perspectives on overweight and obese students (OWS), and how and why they acted to include OWS in physical education and physical activity opportunities in their school…

  11. Education-Career Planning and Middle School Counselors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Trusty, Jerry; Spenser, Niles; JoLynn, Camey V.

    2005-01-01

    In this article, the authors emphasize a comprehensive and developmental view of education career planning, with special emphasis on middle schools. Research findings that underscore the need for effective education-career planning are presented, followed by the variables and data that are salient for planning. The article includes a framework for…

  12. On Being a Second Banana.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Perry, William M.

    1981-01-01

    The article discusses the role of middle managers in an independent school setting and their relation to school heads. It suggests 14 principles of operation to meet the needs of school middle managers and to help clarify the role of the educational middle manager. (SB)

  13. Impact of an Immunization Education Program on Middle School Adolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glik, Deborah; Macpherson, Fiona; Todd, Wendy; Stone, Kathleen; Ang, Alfonso; Jones, Marcy Connell

    2004-01-01

    Objectives : To raise middle school student awareness, attitudes, and proactive behaviors about immunization, and to increase immunization rates among middle school students through implementation of a comprehensive integrated immunization promotion curriculum ( Immunization Plus! ) Methods: Evaluation used a quasi-experimental non-equivalent…

  14. Teaching Mathematical Problem Solving to Middle School Students in Math, Technology Education, and Special Education Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bottge, Brian A.; Heinrichs, Mary; Mehta, Zara Dee; Rueda, Enrique; Hung, Ya-Hui; Danneker, Jeanne

    2004-01-01

    This study compared two approaches for teaching sixth-grade middle school students to solve math problems in math, technology education, and special education classrooms. A total of 17 students with disabilities and 76 students without disabilities were taught using either enhanced anchored instruction (EAI) or text-based instruction coupled with…

  15. Selected Federal Education Programs That Can Help Middle and High School Students Get an Excellent Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alliance for Excellent Education, 2006

    2006-01-01

    This document presents a chart titled "Selected Federal Education Programs That Can Help Middle and High School Students Get an Excellent Education." It divides into five columns: (1) "No Child Left Behind" Programs (and Other Reauthorizations); (2) FY 2006 Final Appropriation; (3) FY 2007 Bush Budget; (4) FY 2007 House…

  16. Success Stories: Minimum Competencies for Early Adolescents. Family & Consumer Education: Home Economics in the Middle School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Frances M.; And Others

    This guide, which is intended to help middle-level home economics teachers satisfy the Iowa Vocational Education Standards and Requirements, consists of descriptions of 51 successful learning activities developed by Iowa teachers for helping middle school students master 17 minimum competencies in the following major content areas: personal and…

  17. The Middle School Mess: If You Love Bungee Jumping, You're the Middle School Type

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meyer, Peter

    2011-01-01

    Suspended "between childhood and the adult world, pre-teens have been called the toughest to teach." Indeed, one can't touch middle school without hearing about "raging hormones." By all accounts, middle schools are a weak link in the chain of public education. Is it the churn of ill-conceived attempts at reform that's causing all the problems? Is…

  18. The Middle Level Principalship. Volume I: A Survey of Middle Level Principals and Programs. Report of National Study of Schools in the Middle.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Valentine, Jerry; And Others

    A national questionnaire survey of 1,413 principals of middle-level schools (those offering any combination of grades 5 through 9) gathered data on principals' personal and professional traits, tasks, problems, and opinions on selected educational issues; on school programs; and on student, school, staff, and community characteristics. The data…

  19. Effects of Same-Sex versus Coeducational Physical Education on the Self-Perceptions of Middle and High School Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lirgg, Cathy D.

    1993-01-01

    Students from coeducational classes were assigned to a same-sex or a new coeducational physical education class for a 10-lesson unit of basketball. Group and individual analyses indicated that middle school students preferred same-sex classes, whereas high school students preferred coeducational classes. (SM)

  20. Transition Strategies at the School Level: Reforming Middle Grades' Organization and Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bentley, Ernest L., Jr.; Campbell, Beverly

    This paper presents organizational strategies and implementation methods for conversion to middle school organization (scheduled to take place in 1988) in the Johnson City, Tennessee, school system. Carried out by the district in partnership with local institutions of higher education, the study focuses on what is educationally best for the child…

  1. Alternative Education Programmes and Middle School Dropout in Honduras

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marshall, Jeffery H.; Aguilar, Claudia R.; Alas, Mario; Castellanos, Renán Rápalo; Castro, Levi; Enamorado, Ramón; Fonseca, Esther

    2014-01-01

    Honduras has made steady progress in expanding post-primary school coverage in recent years, but many rural communities still do not provide a middle (lower secondary) school. As a result, Honduras has implemented a number of middle school alternative programmes designed to meet the needs of at-risk populations throughout the country. This article…

  2. From the Mouths of Middle-Schoolers: Important Changes for High School and College

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bushaw, William J.

    2007-01-01

    Three highly regarded organizations, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) International, and the Lumina Foundation for Education, undertook an important project to collect the opinions of middle school students using a scientific polling process. The idea to poll middle school students took shape…

  3. Middle School Teacher and Student Ethnicity in Texas: A MultiYear Statewide Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bone, Jamie; Slate, John R.; Martinez-Garcia, Cynthia

    2011-01-01

    In this investigation, relationships between teacher ethnicity and student ethnicity in Texas public middle schools were examined. Through the Texas Education Agency Academic Excellence Indicator System, publicly available data on all public middle schools in Texas for the 1999-2000 through 2009-2010 school years were downloaded. Statistically…

  4. RTI in Middle School Classrooms: Proven Tools and Strategies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Esteves, Kelli J.; Whitten, Elizabeth

    2014-01-01

    "RTI in Middle School Classrooms" provides practical, research-based instructional techniques and interventions--geared especially to middle school teachers and administrators--that target and address specific needs of individual students. Response to intervention allows educators to assess and meet the needs of struggling students…

  5. The Middle School of Tomorrow. Chapter 15, The American Middle School: An Organizational Analysis.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Popper, Samuel H.

    The future development of the middle school depends on its continued commitment to the social value of a differentiated early adolescent education and on its adoption of innovations aimed at the institutional integration of its values with a changing society. Flexibility of programs and self-concept development of adolescents are key middle school…

  6. Middle school girls: Experiences in a place-based education science classroom

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shea, Charlene K.

    The middle school years are a crucial time when girls' science interest and participation decrease (Barton, Tan, O'Neill, Bautista-Guerra, & Brecklin, 2013). The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of middle school girls and their teacher in an eighth grade place-based education (PBE) science classroom. PBE strives to increase student recognition of the importance of educational concepts by reducing the disconnection between education and community (Gruenewald, 2008; Smith, 2007; Sobel, 2004). The current study provides two unique voices---the teacher and her students. I describe how this teacher and her students perceived PBE science instruction impacting the girls' participation in science and their willingness to pursue advanced science classes and science careers. The data were collected during the last three months of the girls' last year of middle school by utilizing observations, interviews and artifacts of the teacher and her female students in their eighth grade PBE science class. The findings reveal how PBE strategies, including the co-creation of science curriculum, can encourage girls' willingness to participate in advanced science education and pursue science careers. The implications of these findings support the use of PBE curricular strategies to encourage middle school girls to participate in advance science courses and science careers.

  7. Florida Educational Facilities, 2000.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Florida State Dept. of Education, Tallahassee. Office of Educational Facilities.

    This publication describes Florida school and community college facilities completed in 2000, including photographs and floor plans. The facilities profiled are:J. R. Arnold High School (Bay County); Falcon Cove Middle School (Broward); Floranada Elementary School (Broward); Lyons Creek Middle School (Broward); Parkside Elementary School…

  8. Education Empowerment Zones: Revitalizing Ohios Cities through School Choice.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hall, Joshua C.; Staley, Samuel R.; Hisrich, Matthew S.; Barry, Aengus L.

    This study proposes the creation of Education Empowerment Zones (EEZs) in Ohio's major cities as part of a strategy to reestablish the competitive advantage of the inner city. Combining community schools and an expanded education voucher available to the middle class, EEZs could lead revitalizing efforts by enticing middle-income families with…

  9. A Case Study of Private Middle School Principals' and Parents' Perceptions of Student Bullying

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taylor, David

    2013-01-01

    Student bullying is an ongoing educational, social, and public health phenomenon facing countless students, parents, and educators. Educators and parents are challenged with distinguishing student bullying from normal student conflict. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to compare private middle school principals' and middle…

  10. The Effects of a Rational-Emotive Affective Education Program for High-Risk Middle School Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    LaConte, Michael A.; And Others

    1993-01-01

    Investigated effects of participation in developmentally appropriate affective education program. Middle school students (n=23), identified as high risk for dropping out and also as learning disabled or emotionally disturbed, were assigned to experimental and control conditions. Participants in affective education group met for 15 weeks.…

  11. Introduction to Computers in Education for Elementary and Middle School Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moursund, David

    Designed to help elementary and middle school teachers increase their level of computer-education literacy, this book discusses the capabilities, limitations, applications, and possible impact of computers in education. Chapter 1 briefly defines what a computer is and explains the book's goals and applications. Chapter 2 provides a technical…

  12. Inclusion Professional Development Model and Regular Middle School Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Royster, Otelia; Reglin, Gary L.; Losike-Sedimo, Nonofo

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a professional development model on regular education middle school teachers' knowledge of best practices for teaching inclusive classes and attitudes toward teaching these classes. There were 19 regular education teachers who taught the core subjects. Findings for Research Question 1…

  13. Inclusive Education in the United States: Middle School General Education Teachers' Approaches to Inclusion

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mackey, Megan

    2014-01-01

    Research examined how three middle school teachers included students with disabilities in their general education classrooms. Purposive sampling was used to select a sixth grade science teacher, seventh grade social studies teacher, and eighth grade math teacher whose classrooms were identified as exemplifying the characteristics of inclusive…

  14. Word Generation in Boston Public Schools: Natural History of a Literacy Intervention. The Senior Urban Education Research Fellowship Series. Volume III

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Snow, Catherine E.; Lawrence, Joshua F.

    2011-01-01

    When the Strategic Education Research Partnership (SERP) began working with Boston Public Schools (BPS) in 2005, the most pressing need articulated by the district was research and development in the area of middle school literacy. Thus SERP researchers undertook to specify more precisely what the middle school literacy problem in BPS was by…

  15. To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to award grants to eligible entities to establish, expand, or support an existing school-based mentoring program to assist at-risk middle school students with the transition from middle school to high school.

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Rep. Carson, Andre [D-IN-7

    2010-07-15

    House - 10/13/2010 Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  16. The Impact of Supplemental Education Services Program on Middle School At-Risk Learners' Math and Reading Scores

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maxwell, June B.

    2010-01-01

    In the state of Georgia, local school systems are under pressure to increase at-risk middle school students' state scores in reading and math. At the data site, the local school system implemented a supplemental education service (SES) program for at-risk students in order to pass the Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) in reading…

  17. Agriscience Education for the Middle School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henrico County Public Schools, Glen Allen, VA. Virginia Vocational Curriculum and Resource Center.

    This curriculum guide, which is intended for middle school agriculture teachers in Virginia, outlines a three-course competency-based agriscience program to give middle school students an understanding of basic science concepts through agriculture. The guide begins with a program description that includes descriptions of the program's three…

  18. "Go over There and Look at the Pictures in the Book": An Investigation of Educational Marginalisation, Social Interactions and Achievement Motivation in an Alternative Middle School Setting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Best, Marnie; Price, Deborah; McCallum, Faye

    2015-01-01

    The middle years of school represent a time of educational turbulence, serving to marginalise some students from educational opportunities. Much research has focussed on individual cognitive factors influencing educational engagement, with less attention directed towards social interactions. Theoretically positioned within an expectancy-value…

  19. Filling the Gap: Integrating STEM into Career and Technical Education Middle School Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wu-Rorrer, Ray

    2017-01-01

    The field of STEM education is an educational framework that has surged in application over the past decade. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) is infused in nearly every facet of our society. Filling the gap of current research in middle school career and technical education (CTE) and STEM programs is important as traditional CTE…

  20. School-to-Work and Inclusion in General Education Teacher Preparation Programs: Instructional Modules for Middle Childhood Subject Area Methods Courses.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hamill, Lee B.; Geer, Cindy H.

    Six instructional modules for middle childhood subject area methods courses are designed to target students in preservice middle childhood general education programs. The modules have been developed for each of the content area methods courses to ensure all preservice teachers have ample exposure to the school-to-work (STW) philosophy and…

  1. Parental Involvement in Education during Middle School: Perspectives of Ethnically Diverse Parents, Teachers, and Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hill, Nancy E.; Witherspoon, Dawn P.; Bartz, Deborah

    2018-01-01

    Maintaining productive partnerships between families and schools is more complex when youth enter middle school. A systematic and inclusive understanding of the strategies parents use, youth want and need, and teachers' desire is needed to broaden our conceptualization and deepen our understanding of parental involvement in education. The authors…

  2. Effects of Modern Educational Game Play on Attitudes towards Mathematics, Mathematics Self-Efficacy, and Mathematics Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ritzhaupt, Albert; Higgins, Heidi; Allred, Beth

    2011-01-01

    This study investigated the effects of modern educational game playing on middle school students' attitudes towards mathematics, mathematics self-efficacy, and mathematics achievement. Two hundred twenty-five middle school students from four different Title 1 schools in two different counties in the southeastern United States were recruited.…

  3. How School Leaders Perceive the Leadership Role of Middle Leaders in Singapore Primary Schools?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koh, Hak Hiang; Gurr, David; Drysdale, Lawrie; Ang, Li Li

    2011-01-01

    Middle leaders are "recognised as a significant source in ensuring that quality education reaches out to pupils" (Low and Lim "1997", p. 77) for they are "the human link between national education policy as manifested in school-level strategic planning...and the teaching staff whose "field tactics" are used to…

  4. Engaging Middle School Students in Physical Education and Physical Activity Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Doolittle, Sarah

    2016-01-01

    With school-based physical activity emerging as a public health issue, it is more important than ever to understand what keeps children and adolescents interested and participating in physical education and physical activity. As the research on physical activity patterns indicates, the middle school years may be a watershed moment in the lives of…

  5. College Students' Experiences and Attitudes regarding Middle and High School-Based Breastfeeding Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spear, Hila J.

    2007-01-01

    This study examined the attitudes and experiences of male and female college students relative to breastfeeding education within middle and high school programs of study. Findings revealed that 36.7% of the participants were taught about breastfeeding while enrolled in a specific course in high school; 11.3% received information about…

  6. Co-Teaching in Middle School Classrooms: Quantitative Comparative Study of Special Education Student Assessment Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reese, De'borah Reese

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this quantitative comparative study was to determine the existence or nonexistence of performance pass rate differences of special education middle school students on standardized assessments between pre and post co-teaching eras disaggregated by subject area and school. Co-teaching has altered classroom environments in many ways.…

  7. Hallways Paved with Good Intentions: Analyzing Rules and Procedures in Non-Classroom Middle School Spaces

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wellenreiter, Benjamin R.

    2018-01-01

    Non-classroom school spaces such as cafeterias, hallways, and locker rooms have complex structures that require analysis to maintain or improve school climate. Middle level educators are encouraged to observe, question, and evaluate rules and procedures to ensure these spaces are safe and socially just. Educators should work to view these spaces…

  8. Early Awareness Strategies and Their Measurement: Use of Hierarchical Loglinear Analysis To Assess the Effects of Michigan's Project Awareness on Middle School Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flores, Antonio

    This paper reviews and critiques empirical evidence concerning knowledge gaps and misconceptions among secondary school students, parents/guardians, and educators about postsecondary education and student financial assistance opportunities and prerequisites, in particular, how Michigan's middle school based Project Awareness may affect student…

  9. Efficacy of a School-Based Treatment Program for Middle School Youth With ADHD: Pilot Data

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Evans, Steven W.; Axelrod, Jennifer; Langberg, Joshua M.

    2004-01-01

    The effects of a set of behavioral and educational interventions provided in a middle-school-based mental health program on the behavior and academic performance of 7 students diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were studied. The treatments included educational, social skills and family interventions designed to target…

  10. Fostering Literacy Learning with Three Middle School Special-Education Students Using Therapy Dogs as Reading Partners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lamkin, Donna

    2017-01-01

    This case study explored dog-assisted reading with three middle-school special education students in a self-contained alternative school. Data collection conducted over a 15-month period included observations, interviews, and artifacts. In this study, reading with therapy dogs and their handlers, helped three adolescent readers with their reading…

  11. Opinions of Secondary School Science and Mathematics Teachers on STEM Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yildirim, Bekir; Türk, Cumhur

    2018-01-01

    In this study, the opinions of middle school science teachers and mathematics teachers towards STEM education were examined. The research was carried out for 30 hours with 28 middle school science and mathematics teachers who were working in Istanbul during the spring semester of 2016-2017 academic year. 75% of these teachers are female teachers…

  12. Building Level Administrators' Attitudes toward Teacher Effectiveness at the High School and Middle School Levels

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hanson, Nathan K.

    2010-01-01

    This study investigated the attitudes of administrators about differences and similarities between middle and high school teachers. The research question that guided the study was, "Do attitudes about what makes an effective educator differ between building administrators at the middle and high school levels?" A formal, sequential, mixed-methods…

  13. Lost Opportunities: The Status of Science Education in California Middle Schools. CenterView

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning at WestEd, 2012

    2012-01-01

    California's middle schools have a critical role to play in furthering their students' pursuit of science learning, in high school and beyond. The rapidly changing economy, advances in technology, and the press of global challenges only increase the importance of this responsibility. The potential is there for California's middle schools to…

  14. Student Perceptions of Instructional Choices in Middle School Physical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Agbuga, Bulent; Xiang, Ping; McBride, Ron E.; Su, Xiaoxia

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: Framed within self-determination theory, this study examined relationships among perceived instructional choices (cognitive, organizational, and procedural), autonomy need satisfaction, and engagement (behavioral, cognitive, and emotional) among Turkish students in middle school physical education. Methods: Participants consisted of 246…

  15. Technology in Middle School Reading Education: Opportunities to Transform the Classroom.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blanchard, Jay; And Others

    1995-01-01

    Discusses the uses of multimedia, telecommunications, and word processing and desktop publishing in middle school reading education and examines three issues that affect teachers' opportunities to compete with popular culture's media: implementation, integration, and impact on achievement. (Author/LRW)

  16. Teacher Perspectives on Career-Relevant Curriculum in Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akos, Patrick; Charles, Pajarita; Orthner, Dennis; Cooley, Valerie

    2011-01-01

    Relevant, challenging, integrative, and exploratory all describe the curriculum desirable in middle school (National Middle School Association, 2010). Career-relevant curriculum is one prominent strategy used since the 1970s to achieve these goals. Systematic, integrated, and contemporary efforts at career education often engage core teachers who…

  17. The Peril of Ignoring Middle School Student Speech Rights

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hassenpflug, Ann

    2016-01-01

    Analysis of two recent federal court cases in which principals violated student speech rights offers guidance to middle school administrators as they attempt to address student expression. Characteristics of a successful school from the Association for Middle Level Education provide a framework for analyzing these cases in order to prevent…

  18. How Engineering Standards Are Interpreted and Translated for Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Judson, Eugene; Ernzen, John; Krause, Stephen; Middleton, James A.; Culbertson, Robert J.

    2016-01-01

    In this exploratory study we examined the alignment of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) middle school engineering design standards with lesson ideas from middle school teachers, science education faculty, and engineering faculty (4-6 members per group). Respondents were prompted to provide plain language interpretations of two middle…

  19. The Cumulative Disadvantages of First- and Second-Generation Segregation for Middle School Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mickelson, Roslyn Arlin

    2015-01-01

    Middle schools are important because they launch students on trajectories that they are likely to follow throughout their formal educations. This study explored the relationship of first-generation segregation (elementary and middle school racial composition) and second-generation segregation (racially correlated academic tracks) to reading and…

  20. Analysis of food irradiation education for elementary, middle, and high school students for three years in South Korea.

    PubMed

    Choi, Yoonseok; Kim, Jaerok; Han, Eunok

    2016-04-01

    The current South Korean government policy on food irradiation technology should be reformed based on an in-depth investigation of the communications aspect, because the issue is no longer of a technological nature, given the proven safety and efficacy of the processes. The target population of the education program consisted of elementary, middle, and high school students attending 310 schools in South Korea (2013: 63 schools, 2014: 104 schools, 2015: 143 schools). Data subjected to analysis were 13,327 pre-education and 12,641 post-education questionnaires received from 7,582 elementary, 2,671 middle, and 3,249 high school students who participated in the education program from May 2012 to April 2015 (n = 12,831), after the exclusion of inadequately filled-in questionnaires. Analysis of the three-year educational effect trend was conducted by comparing levels of variables before and after food radiation education. The analysis yielded the finding that the post-education levels were significantly higher for all variables. That is, for interest in education, perception (necessity, safety, subjective knowledge, and information acquisition), objective knowledge, and attitude, with the sole exception of objective knowledge in 2013. Given that post-education levels of perception, knowledge, and attitude concerning irradiated foods increased considerably compared to pre-education levels, behavior change should be induced by providing continuous education to enhance, these primary variables.

  1. Best Practice in Middle-School Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oliveira, Alandeom W.; Wilcox, Kristen C.; Angelis, Janet; Applebee, Arthur N.; Amodeo, Vincent; Snyder, Michele A.

    2013-01-01

    Using socio-ecological theory, this study explores best practice (educational practices correlated with higher student performance) in middle-school science. Seven schools with consistently higher student performance were compared with three demographically similar, average-performing schools. Best practice included instructional approaches…

  2. A case study of a mathematics teacher's and science teacher's use of teacher wisdom in integrating middle school mathematics and science content

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saam, Julie Reinhardt

    The National Science Education Standards, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Curriculum Standards, the Interdisciplinary Team Organization structure and the Middle School movement collectively suggest to teachers to make connections between their subject areas. This case study of a middle school mathematics teacher and science teacher utilizes the framework of teacher wisdom to bring a unique perspective to the process of developing and implementing integrated curriculum. Data collection consisted of interviews with the teachers, students, and their principal; documents such lesson plans, team meeting minutes and teacher journal entries; and field notes acquired within team meetings and classroom instruction. The interpretations of this study reveal that teacher development of integrated curriculum occurs in two ways: naturally and intentionally. The natural label used to describe when teachers comfortably share information that could serve as connections between subjects. The intentional label used to describe when the teachers purposely plan integrated lessons and units. These findings also provide an image of middle school integration. This image exhibits more than connections between subject area content; it also shows connections with away-from-school skills and events, lifeskills, and lifelong guidelines. Although these teachers found it frustrating and overwhelming to meet the many views of integration, they assembled integration curriculum that followed their philosophy of education, coincided with their personal characteristics and met the needs of their students. The interpretations of this study reveal a new model of middle school integration. Teachers can use this model as a collection of integration examples. Integration researchers can use this model as a conceptual framework to analyze the integration efforts of middle level teachers. Additional research needs to focus on: developing new modeling and evaluation tools for teachers, evaluating middle school professional development programs, investigating middle school teachers' characteristics, and continuing the study of integration's worth. The results of this study and additional research may help: (a) administrators to target specific teachers for middle school positions, (b) educators to plan and implement new programs for inservice and preservice middle school teachers, and (c) teachers to experiment with new and innovative strategies for middle school integration.

  3. Rethinking Middle School Physical Education: Combining Lifetime Leisure Activities and Sport Education to Encourage Physical Activity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mohr, Derek J.; Townsend, J. Scott; Pritchard, Tony

    2006-01-01

    Physical education represents an area of the middle school curriculum that has the potential to impact adolescents' developing knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors in positive and meaningful ways that may endure across the lifespan. Despite the well-documented benefits of engaging in regular physical activity (e.g., American Heart…

  4. An Analysis of Middle School Students Physical Education Physical Activity Preferences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hill, Grant; Hannon, James C.

    2008-01-01

    The idea of providing student's choice over curricular offerings in physical education has gained a considerable amount of attention in recent years. The purpose of this study was to determine which physical education activities middle school students would like to have included in the yearly curriculum and if there were differences in responses…

  5. Middle/Junior High School Parenthood Education Curriculum Guide for Consumer and Homemaking Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hadley, Sharon; And Others

    Intended for use by teachers on the middle or junior high school level in Kentucky, this curriculum guide outlines a four-week course in parenthood education. The eight units included are as follow: (1) responsibilities of parenthood, including parental roles and financial responsibilities; (2) human reproduction; (3) family planning and birth…

  6. Collaboration and Near-Peer Mentoring as a Platform for Sustainable Science Education Outreach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pluth, Michael D.; Boettcher, Shannon W.; Nazin, George V.; Greenaway, Ann L.; Hartle, Matthew D.

    2015-01-01

    Decreased funding for middle and high school education has resulted in reduced classroom time, which, when coupled with an increased focus on standardized testing, has decreased the exposure of many middle school students to hands-on science education. To help address these challenges, we developed an integrated outreach program, spanning grades…

  7. A Case Study of Career Change Professionals in Middle School Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cutler, Jessica Lynn

    2017-01-01

    The entrance of second-career professionals to the middle grades math/science education field indicates a shift from the typical work avenues to the field of Education. School culture/climate may also be affected by the insertion of older, experienced second-career professionals. Many educators will refer to the feeling of a "calling" to…

  8. Middle School Children's Thinking in Technology Education: A Review of Literature

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sherman, Thomas M.; Sanders, Mark; Kwon, Hyuksoo; Pembridge, James

    2009-01-01

    In 2006, the authors began a project to understand what happens in middle school technology education classrooms in order to document the goals that technology education teachers pursue, the instructional strategies they use to teach children to meet these outcomes, the measures they use to assess achievement of these goals, and the learning…

  9. Digital Fabrication as an Instructional Technology for Supporting Upper Elementary and Middle School Science and Mathematics Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tillman, Daniel

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this three-paper manuscript dissertation was to study digital fabrication as an instructional technology for supporting elementary and middle school science and mathematics education. Article one analyzed the effects of digital fabrication activities that were designed to contextualize mathematics education at a summer mathematics…

  10. Influence of a Physical Education Teacher's Disability on Middle School Pupils' Learning and Perceptions of Teacher Competence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bryant, Lance G.; Curtner-Smith, Matthew D.

    2009-01-01

    Limited research has investigated the problems encountered by physical education teachers who have disabilities and instruct able-bodied pupils. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of a physical education teacher's disability on middle school pupils' perceptions of the teacher's competence and their learning. Participants were…

  11. Teaching Environmental Awareness in Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jianguo, Mao

    2004-01-01

    This article is all about the integration of environmental education to the middle school mathematics in China. To raise environmental awareness and improve environmental quality, environmental education is a must. Environment-related materials can be found in middle school algebra and geometry textbooks. In order to provide environmental…

  12. Concrete Masonry Designs: Educational Issue.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hertzberg, Randi, Ed.

    2001-01-01

    This special journal issue addresses concrete masonry in educational facilities construction. The issue's feature articles are: (1) "It Takes a Village To Construct a Massachusetts Middle School," describing a middle school constructed almost entirely of concrete masonry and modeled after a typical small New England village; (2)…

  13. Latino Students' Transition to Middle School: Role of Bilingual Education and School Ethnic Context.

    PubMed

    Hughes, Jan N; Im, MyungHee; Kwok, Oi-Man; Cham, Heining; West, Stephen G

    2015-09-01

    Participants were 204 academically at-risk Latino students recruited into a study when in first grade and followed for 9 years. Using piecewise latent growth curve analyses, we investigated trajectories of teacher-rated behavioral engagement and student-reported school belonging during elementary school and middle school and the association between trajectories and enrollment in bilingual education classes in elementary school and a change in school ethnic congruence across the transition to middle school. Overall, students experienced a drop in school belonging and behavioral engagement across the transition. A moderating effect of ethnic congruence on bilingual enrollment was found. A decline in ethnic congruence was associated with more positive trajectories for students previously enrolled in bilingual classes but more negative trajectories for non-bilingual students.

  14. Latino Students' Transition to Middle School: Role of Bilingual Education and School Ethnic Context

    PubMed Central

    Hughes, Jan N.; Im, MyungHee; Kwok, Oi-man; Cham, Heining; West, Stephen G.

    2014-01-01

    Participants were 204 academically at-risk Latino students recruited into a study when in first grade and followed for 9 years. Using piecewise latent growth curve analyses, we investigated trajectories of teacher-rated behavioral engagement and student-reported school belonging during elementary school and middle school and the association between trajectories and enrollment in bilingual education classes in elementary school and a change in school ethnic congruence across the transition to middle school. Overall, students experienced a drop in school belonging and behavioral engagement across the transition. A moderating effect of ethnic congruence on bilingual enrollment was found. A decline in ethnic congruence was associated with more positive trajectories for students previously enrolled in bilingual classes but more negative trajectories for non-bilingual students. PMID:26347591

  15. The Influence of Grade-Span Configuration on Student Performance in K-8 Schools and Middle Schools in New Jersey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keegan, Edward W.

    2010-01-01

    Recent literature casts unfavorable light upon the middle school as the most appropriate grade configuration in which to effectively educate young adolescents. The current criticism of middle schools may be fueled, in part, by "A Nation at Risk," the "No Child Left Behind Act," and a growing subsequent emphasis on…

  16. Maintaining Parental Involvement in Their Children's Education: Examining Parent and Teacher Perceptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gilbert, Ailia S.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of teachers and parents and factors that developed and maintained parental involvement among middle and high school parents. The research included eight teachers (four middle school teachers and four high school teachers) and eight parents (four whose children were in middle school and four…

  17. Factors Associated with Adolescent Physical Activity during Middle School Physical Education: A One-Year Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Senne, Terry; Rowe, David; Boswell, Boni; Decker, James; Douglas, Shaun

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this descriptive component of a larger, exploratory case study was to examine associations among lesson contexts, teacher behaviors, and adolescent physical activity over a year of physical education (PE) at one school. Middle school students (n = 206) and their PE teachers (n = 4) were observed twice-weekly across one academic…

  18. Outdoor Education Opportunities for Middle School Students: Academic and Social Impacts of Adventure Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gordon, Lisa

    2011-01-01

    This study examines components of outdoor adventure programs for middle school students, using a school with a successful program as a model. Outdoor education is often left out of these years for financial and safety reasons, however the benefits of adventure programs are both measurable and profound to self-concept, confidence, identity growth,…

  19. Mathematical Contributions of the Mayas, Aztecs & Incas: A Native American Curriculum Unit for Middle and High School. NATAM XIX.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stodola, Janet

    Written to fulfill the requirements for a University of Minnesota College of Education off-campus Indian education course for public school teachers, this Native American curriculum unit for middle and high school reflects the mathematical achievements of the Maya, Aztec, and Inca Indians. The number systems, notation, and calendar techniques of…

  20. The Impact of the Social Order to Increase Enrollment in Programs of Additional Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zolotareva, Angelina V.; Bayborodova, Liudmila V.; Lehomzeva, Elena N.; Sukhanova, Yulia V.; Razumova, Anzhelika B.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of the study is to examine the social demand impact on increasing the children's enrollment of supplementary education programs. The survey has involved children of younger and middle school age (n = 2,206), high school students (n = 2,162), and parents of children of preschool (n = 313), younger and middle school age (n = 262). The…

  1. Attitudes and Perceptions of Middle School Students toward Competitive Activities in Physical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bernstein, Eve; Phillips, Sharon Rose; Silverman, Stephen

    2011-01-01

    The attitudes and perceptions of middle school students toward competitive activities in physical education were examined. Ten boys and 14 girls volunteered (11-high-skilled, 11 moderate-skilled, and 2 low skilled students) in 6th and 7th grade from a total of 6 schools, all offering competitive activities. Data collection was conducted over…

  2. Missouri School Health Education Profile, 1998.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Missouri State Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education, Jefferson City.

    This publication shows gains and losses for health education in Missouri's public schools. Data come from the School Health Education Profile, a survey that monitors the status of health education in public schools, including education to prevent HIV infection and other important health problems, at the middle, junior, and senior high school…

  3. 78 FR 34385 - Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-07

    ... elementary, middle, and high school levels: health education, physical education, health services, mental... Physical Education 685 1 40/60 and Activity. District Health Services... 685 1 40/60 District Nutrition... School Recruitment Script.. 821 1 60/60 School Health Education.... 640 1 20/60 School Physical Education...

  4. Orientation to Middle School: A Guidance Play.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Childress, Natalie Wilson

    1982-01-01

    Presents a play that gives elementary school students a lighthearted but informative overview of middle school life. The play presents information about curriculum, lockers, physical education, materials, and classwork. Notes student reactions to the presentation. (RC)

  5. Medical students help bridge the gap in sexual health education among middle school youth.

    PubMed

    Adjei, Naomi; Yacovelli, Michael; Liu, Dorothy; Sindhu, Kunal; Roberts, Mary; Magee, Susanna

    2017-01-06

    School-based programs are important in addressing risky teenage sexual behavior. We implemented a sex education program using trained medical student volunteers. Medical students (n=30) implemented a seven-session curriculum, designed by medical students and faculty, to 7th and 8th grade students (n=310) at a local school. Middle school students completed pre- and post-assessments. Teachers and medical students completed questionnaires relating their perceptions of students' attitudes and understanding of sexual health. Students completing the curriculum scored 5% higher on post- versus pre-assessment (84% vs 78.7%, p<0.001). Statistically significant gains were noted in knowledge of reproductive system anatomy, community resources, and sexual decision making. Sixty percent of middle school teachers compared to only 16.7% of medical student volunteers reported discomfort teaching sexual health. Sexual education delivered by trained medical student volunteers may improve middle schoolers' understanding of sexual health. [Full article available at http://rimed.org/rimedicaljournal-2017-01.asp].

  6. Policies and Opportunities for Physical Activity in Middle School Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Young, Deborah R.; Felton, Gwen M.; Grieser, Mira; Elder, John P.; Johnson, Carolyn; Lee, Jung-Sun; Kubik, Martha Y.

    2007-01-01

    Background: This study examined physical activity opportunities and barriers at 36 geographically diverse middle schools participating in the Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls. Methods: Principals, physical education and health education department heads, and program leaders were interviewed to assess policies and instructional practices that…

  7. Vallecito Middle School's Educational Television.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dixie Elementary School District, San Rafael, CA.

    Vallecito Middle School in San Rafael (California) has been using video production techniques since 1981, and the staff has observed many positive changes in learning, attitudes, and behavior resulting from the use of television. Videotaping has facilitated learning in science, physical education, English, and social studies classes. Guest experts…

  8. Comprehensive Guide for Middle School Programs. Instructor's Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hansen, Joan

    This instructor's guide contains materials for use in teaching a middle school exploratory home economics course. Addressed in the individual units of the guide are the following topics: nutrition education and food management, parenting education, resource management, clothing management, and personal management. Each section contains a unit…

  9. Splash! Water Resource Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Southwest Florida Water Management District, Brooksville.

    This set of activities is designed to bring water resource education into the middle school classroom using an interdisciplinary approach. The packet contains timely, localized information about the water resources of west central Florida. Each activity is aligned to middle-school Sunshine State Standards. These hands-on, minds-on activities can…

  10. Building Critical Community in Middle School Learning Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dowdy, Josh; Dore, Elizabeth

    2017-01-01

    Research pertaining to institutions of public education reveals that curricular structures often function to produce and reproduce systemic inequalities. The following personal statement outlines a middle school teacher's attempt to address social reproduction in public education. By situating issues of inequity within a local context of…

  11. Intelligent Web-Based English Instruction in Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jia, Jiyou

    2015-01-01

    The integration of technology into educational environments has become more prominent over the years. The combination of technology and face-to-face interaction with instructors allows for a thorough, more valuable educational experience. "Intelligent Web-Based English Instruction in Middle Schools" addresses the concerns associated with…

  12. Defense Intelligence Agency: Service Resistance from Pre-Establishment through the 1970s

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-03-01

    Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, (215) 662-5606. The Commission on Higher... Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...The U.S. Army War College is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market

  13. The Effects of Various Middle-Grade Configurations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sailor, Perry

    This paper summarizes research relevant to the Austin Independent School District's proposal to move sixth graders from an elementary school (K-6 or K,4-6) to a middle school (6-8) grade grouping. A summary of the evolution of middle-grade education is presented. Three areas affected by grade organization are discussed: academic achievement,…

  14. Gender Equity in Middle School Science Teaching: Being "Equitable" Should Be the Goal.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Subrahmanyan, Lalita; Bozonie, Heath

    1996-01-01

    Examines level at which gender issues are addressed in middle school science classes. Argues that in the crucial area of science education, particularly for girls at the middle school level, "equal" rather than "equitable" as a dominant teacher attitude may be inadequate to ensure that gender imbalances are rectified. (SD)

  15. Meeting the Needs of Middle Grade Science Learners through Pedagogical and Technological Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yerrick, Randy; Johnson, Joseph

    2009-01-01

    This mixed methods study examined the effects of inserting laptops and science technology tools in middle school environments. Working together with a local university, middle school science teaching faculty members wrote and aligned curricula, explored relevant science education literature, tested lessons with summer school students, and prepared…

  16. Using Teaching Portfolios to Revise Curriculum and Explore Instructional Practices of Technology and Engineering Education Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lomask, Michal; Crismond, David; Hacker, Michael

    2018-01-01

    This paper reports on the use of teaching portfolios to assist in curriculum revision and the exploration of instructional practices used by middle school technology and engineering education teachers. Two new middle school technology and engineering education units were developed through the Engineering for All (EfA) project. One EfA unit focused…

  17. Mobile Math: Math Educators and Students Engage in Mobile Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Franklin, Teresa; Peng, Li-Wei

    2008-01-01

    The public and educational communities are aware of the continuing crisis in math education in our middle schools and the convergence of technologies for teaching and learning. This paper presents a case study in which iPod Touch[R] was used to help middle school students learn about algebraic equations and, in particular, the concept of slope,…

  18. The Role of ICT Infrastructure in Its Application to Classrooms: A Large Scale Survey for Middle and Primary Schools in China

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lu, Chun; Tsai, Chin-Chung; Wu, Di

    2015-01-01

    With the ever-deepening economic reform and international trend of ICT application in education, the Chinese government is strengthening its basic education curriculum reform and actively facilitating the application of ICT in education. Given the achievement gap of ICT infrastructure and its application in middle and primary schools between urban…

  19. Middle School Special Education Teachers' Perceptions and Use of Assistive Technology in Literacy Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flanagan, Sara; Bouck, Emily C.; Richardson, Jennifer

    2013-01-01

    In this research the authors examined middle school special education teachers' perceptions of assistive technology during literacy instruction with students with high incidence disabilities. A survey explored the use, effectiveness, and factors impacting use or effectiveness of assistive technology for literacy teaching and learning. Results…

  20. Students' Perspectives of Urban Middle School Physical Education Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dyson, Ben; Coviello, Nicole; DiCesare, Emma; Dyson, Lisa

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore and interpret students' perspectives of their experiences in four urban middle school physical education programs. Focus group interviews with 76 students were supported by field notes and researchers' reflective journals. Researchers used constant comparison methods (Lincoln & Guba, 1985) to identify seven…

  1. Explorations of Metacognition among Academically Talented Middle and High School Mathematics Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Young, Adena Elizabeth

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this dissertation was to examine metacognition among academically talented middle and high school mathematics students from both educational psychology and mathematics education perspectives. A synthesis of the literatures and three studies employing quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methodologies were used to address three…

  2. Melvin at Eliot Hine Middle School

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2013-03-01

    Leland Melvin (on stage), NASA Associate Administrator for Education and former astronaut, addresses an assembly at Eliot Hine Middle School in celebration of Black History Month on Friday, March 1, 2013 in Washington. Melvin spoke about his journey to become a NASA astronaut stressing education as key. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

  3. Melvin at Eliot Hine Middle School

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2013-03-01

    Leland Melvin, NASA Associate Administrator for Education and former astronaut, addresses an assembly at Eliot Hine Middle School in celebration of Black History Month on Friday, March 1, 2013 in Washington. Melvin spoke about his journey to become a NASA astronaut stressing education as key. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

  4. Solar Energy: A Middle School Unit. Environmental Education Occasional Paper No. 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mason, Jack L.; Cantrell, Joseph S.

    This collection of teaching activities was developed to provide teachers with guidance in presenting solar energy education to students of middle school age. The unit provides activities presenting learning opportunities involving: (1) passive solar collectors, (2) active solar collectors, (3) concentrating collectors, and (4) photovoltaic cell…

  5. Inviting Parents to the Middle: A Proactive Stance for Improving Student Performance.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peel, Henry A.; Foster, Elizabeth S.

    1993-01-01

    Explores the challenge of keeping parents involved in their children's education beyond the elementary school years. Suggests the invitational model as proactive approach for keeping parents involved in the lives of their children, particularly during the transition years of middle school education. As background, discusses nature of…

  6. Life Skills Training for Middle and High School Students with Autism.

    PubMed

    Chiang, Hsu-Min; Ni, Xinyu; Lee, Young-Sun

    2017-04-01

    This study investigated the extent to which life skills training was offered to middle and high school students with autism and life skills training needs after high school. A secondary analysis of the National Longitudinal Training Study-2 (NLTS-2) data was conducted in this study. This study found that the majority of the middle and high school students with autism (77.4%) had received life skills training in school. Receipt of life skills training differed across students' gender, age, diagnosis of intellectual disability, and functional mental skills. Students received life skills training in general education classrooms, special education classrooms, individual instruction, and community settings. Life skills training was needed for the majority of the high school leavers with autism (78%).

  7. Gender Gap in Mathematics and Physics in Chinese Middle Schools: A Case Study of A Beijing's District

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Li, Manli; Zhang, Yu; Wang, Yihan

    2017-01-01

    This study examines the gender gaps in mathematics and physics in Chinese middle schools. The data is from the Education Bureau management database which includes all middle school students who took high school entrance exam in a district of Beijing from 2006-2013. The ordinary least square model and quantile regression model are applied. This…

  8. Analysis of food irradiation education for elementary, middle, and high school students for three years in South Korea

    PubMed Central

    Choi, Yoonseok; Kim, Jaerok

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES The current South Korean government policy on food irradiation technology should be reformed based on an in-depth investigation of the communications aspect, because the issue is no longer of a technological nature, given the proven safety and efficacy of the processes. SUBJECTS/METHODS The target population of the education program consisted of elementary, middle, and high school students attending 310 schools in South Korea (2013: 63 schools, 2014: 104 schools, 2015: 143 schools). Data subjected to analysis were 13,327 pre-education and 12,641 post-education questionnaires received from 7,582 elementary, 2,671 middle, and 3,249 high school students who participated in the education program from May 2012 to April 2015 (n = 12,831), after the exclusion of inadequately filled-in questionnaires. RESULTS Analysis of the three-year educational effect trend was conducted by comparing levels of variables before and after food radiation education. The analysis yielded the finding that the post-education levels were significantly higher for all variables. That is, for interest in education, perception (necessity, safety, subjective knowledge, and information acquisition), objective knowledge, and attitude, with the sole exception of objective knowledge in 2013. CONCLUSIONS Given that post-education levels of perception, knowledge, and attitude concerning irradiated foods increased considerably compared to pre-education levels, behavior change should be induced by providing continuous education to enhance, these primary variables. PMID:27087909

  9. The Effects of Federal Legislation on Middle School Science Education in Connecticut Public Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brzozowy, Sarah Elizabeth

    2011-01-01

    The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 was proposed by President George W. Bush as a means of closing the achievement gap across the United States. While the President and lawmakers have put this law in place, the affects of the legislation on middle school science education has not been evaluated. Issues of funding, the lack of available resources,…

  10. Diabetes Awareness of Low-Income Middle School Students Participating in the Help a Friend, Help Yourself Youth Diabetes Awareness Education Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wroten, Kathryn; Reames, Elizabeth S.; Tuuri, Georgianna

    2012-01-01

    The study reported here investigated the effectiveness of the LSU AgCenter Help a Friend, Help Yourself youth diabetes education curriculum to increase knowledge and awareness of diabetes and its symptoms in low-income middle school students participating in the Boys and Girls Club after-school program. The curriculum includes four lessons with…

  11. Antidote: Civic Responsibility. Connecticut Law.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity International, Washington, DC.

    Designed for middle school through high school students, this unit contains eight lesson plans that focus on Connecticut state law. The state lessons correspond to lessons in the volume, "Antidote: Civic Responsibility. Drug Avoidance Lessons for Middle School & High School Students." Developed to be presented by educators, law…

  12. Ohio's Middle Childhood Licensure Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    White, Paula M.; Ross, Diane; Miller, Jennifer; Dever, Robin; Jones, Karen A.

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe middle level prepared teachers' perceptions of their practices after completing an Ohio Middle Childhood: Grades 4-9 teacher education program. Using the National Middle School Association/National Council of Accreditation of Teacher Education Initial Level Teacher Preparation Standards (2001)…

  13. Epidemiology as a liberal art: from graduate school to middle school, an unfulfilled agenda.

    PubMed

    Bracken, Michael B

    2014-03-01

    Calls by Lilienfeld, Fraser, and others some three decades ago to introduce epidemiology into undergraduate college education remain largely unfulfilled. Consideration of epidemiology as a "liberal art" has also led to exploring possibilities for introducing epidemiology into early education: to high and even middle schools. Adding epidemiology to school curricula should help educate the public to understand science-based evidence concerning the causes and treatments of disease, help inoculate them against a tsunami of biased and fraudulent media messaging, and permit advancing postgraduate education in epidemiology to even higher levels of scholarship. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Video-Conferencing Technology Brings a Homebound Middle Grades Student to the Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beeman, Robin Y.; Henderson, Caleb J.

    2012-01-01

    The middle grades are a time of transitions for teenagers. Attending a new school, developing new friendships, meeting new teachers, and becoming more independent are all part of the middle school experience. This article is a case report of a school district's experience using interactive video-conferencing technology to educate and socialize a…

  15. Urban Middle-School Science Teachers Beliefs about the Influence of Their Astronomer-Educator Partnerships on Students' Astronomy Learner Characteristics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miranda, Rommel J.

    2012-01-01

    This qualitative study investigates the extent to which urban middle-school science teachers' beliefs about their students' astronomy learner characteristics were influenced by their partnership with an astronomer in their classroom. Twelve urban middle-school science teachers were interviewed after their participation in Project ASTRO during the…

  16. Drama and Theatre in the Junior High/Middle School...Striving for New Heights and Insight.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schindel, Dorothy Napp

    1989-01-01

    Outlines the mission of the American Alliance for Theatre and Education's Committee on Junior High/Middle School Theatre Programs. Describes the committee's seminars and workshop activities, and mentions ideas under consideration for future projects. Invites readers to join the network of Junior High/Middle School teachers, and calls for articles…

  17. Videos for Teachers: Successful Teaching Strategies in Middle and High School Classrooms. [CD-ROM].

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Teachers Network, New York, NY.

    This CD-ROM presents six videos that feature veteran middle and high school teachers in action in their classrooms. Each video offers links to supplemental education resources, including innovative lesson plans. The six videos are: "Monsters and Myths" (a humanities unit for middle school students); "The Bleeding Edge" (a thematic…

  18. Academic Achievement and Transcendental Meditation: A Study with At-Risk Urban Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nidich, Sanford; Mjasiri, Shujaa; Nidich, Randi; Rainforth, Maxwell; Grant, James; Valosek, Laurent; Chang, Walter; Zigler, Ronald L.

    2011-01-01

    The middle school level is of particular concern to educators because of poor standardized test performance. This study evaluated change in academic achievement in public middle school students practicing the Transcendental Meditation[R] program compared to controls. A total of 189 students who were below proficiency level at baseline in English…

  19. America's Middle Schools: Practices and Progress. A 25 Year Perspective.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McEwin, C. Kenneth; And Others

    The 1990s will likely be a watershed period for middle level education, as the real challenges surrounding making "second level" changes replace the euphoria that accompanied early growth of the middle school movement. Yet, zealousness still characterizes reform efforts at the middle level. This study, the most comprehensive ever…

  20. Middle school children's game playing preferences: Case studies of children's experiences playing and critiquing science-related educational games

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Joseph, Dolly Rebecca Doran

    The playing of computer games is one of the most popular non-school activities of children, particularly boys, and is often the entry point to greater facility with and use of other computer applications. Children are learning skills as they play, but what they learn often does not generalize beyond application to that and other similar games. Nevertheless, games have the potential to develop in students the knowledge and skills described by national and state educational standards. This study focuses upon middle-school aged children, and how they react to and respond to computer games designed for entertainment and educational purposes, within the context of science learning. Through qualitative, case study methodology, the game play, evaluation, and modification experiences of four diverse middle-school-aged students in summer camps are analyzed. The inquiry focused on determining the attributes of computer games that appeal to middle school students, the aspects of science that appeal to middle school children, and ultimately, how science games might be designed to appeal to middle school children. Qualitative data analysis led to the development of a method for describing players' activity modes during game play, rather than the conventional methods that describe game characteristics. These activity modes are used to describe the game design preferences of the participants. Recommendations are also made in the areas of functional, aesthetic, and character design and for the design of educational games. Middle school students may find the topical areas of forensics, medicine, and the environment to be of most interest; designing games in and across these topic areas has the potential for encouraging voluntary science-related play. Finally, when including children in game evaluation and game design activities, results suggest the value of providing multiple types of activities in order to encourage the full participation of all children.

  1. Self-Education, Class and Gender in Edwardian Britain: Women in Lower Middle Class Families

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sutherland, Gillian

    2015-01-01

    Once societies embarked on programmes of mass education home schooling became essentially a middle-class project and remains so. This paper looks at the educational experiences of some lower middle class women at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries for whom the resources of the middle-class home were simply not available. It…

  2. The influence of Mayan education on middle school students in Guatemala.

    PubMed

    Falbo, Toni; de Baessa, Yetilú

    2006-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of Mayan education on the academic achievement of Indian and Ladino middle school students (N = 353) in Guatemala. This study also examined changes in ethnic identity achievement and the effects of changes in ethnic identity achievement on gains in self-esteem and other-group attitudes. Superior gains in academic skills for both Ladino and Indian students attending Mayan schools were found. The results also suggested that those students who increased their ethnic identity scores during their first year of middle school also increased their other-group attitudes. These results are discussed in terms of the benefits of Mayan education and ethnic identity achievement for both Indian and Ladino students. (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved.

  3. Antidote: Civic Responsibility. Maine Law.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity International, Washington, DC.

    Designed for middle school through high school students, this unit contains eight lesson plans that focus on Maine state law. The state lessons correspond to lessons in the volume, "Antidote: Civic Responsibility. Drug Avoidance Lessons for Middle School & High School Students." Developed to be presented by educators, law student, or…

  4. Antidote: Civic Responsibility. Illinois Law.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity International, Washington, DC.

    Designed for middle school through high school students, this unit contains eight lesson plans that focus on Illinois state law. The state lessons correspond to lessons in the volume, "Antidote: Civic Responsibility. Drug Avoidance Lessons for Middle School & High School Students." Developed to be presented by educators, law student,…

  5. Antidote: Civic Responsibility. Alaska Law.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity International, Washington, DC.

    Designed for middle school through high school students, this unit contains eight lesson plans that focus on Alaska state law. The state lessons correspond to lessons in the volume, "Antidote: Civic Responsibility. Drug Avoidance Lessons for Middle School & High School Students." Developed to be presented by educators, law student,…

  6. Development of a Food Safety and Nutrition Education Program for Adolescents by Applying Social Cognitive Theory.

    PubMed

    Lee, Jounghee; Jeong, Soyeon; Ko, Gyeongah; Park, Hyunshin; Ko, Youngsook

    2016-08-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop an educational model regarding food safety and nutrition. In particular, we aimed to develop educational materials, such as middle- and high-school textbooks, a teacher's guidebook, and school posters, by applying social cognitive theory. To develop a food safety and nutrition education program, we took into account diverse factors influencing an individual's behavior, such as personal, behavioral, and environmental factors, based on social cognitive theory. We also conducted a pilot study of the educational materials targeting middle-school students (n = 26), high-school students (n = 24), and dietitians (n = 13) regarding comprehension level, content, design, and quality by employing the 5-point Likert scale in May 2016. The food safety and nutrition education program covered six themes: (1) caffeine; (2) food additives; (3) foodborne illness; (4) nutrition and meal planning; (5) obesity and eating disorders; and (6) nutrition labeling. Each class activity was created to improve self-efficacy by setting one's own goal and to increase self-control by monitoring one's dietary intake. We also considered environmental factors by creating school posters and leaflets to educate teachers and parents. The overall evaluation score for the textbook was 4.0 points among middle- and high-school students, and 4.5 points among dietitians. This study provides a useful program model that could serve as a guide to develop educational materials for nutrition-related subjects in the curriculum. This program model was created to increase awareness of nutrition problems and self-efficacy. This program also helped to improve nutrition management skills and to promote a healthy eating environment in middle- and high-school students.

  7. Analysis of Scientific Attitude, Computer Anxiety, Educational Internet Use, Problematic Internet Use, and Academic Achievement of Middle School Students According to Demographic Variables

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bekmezci, Mehmet; Celik, Ismail; Sahin, Ismail; Kiray, Ahmet; Akturk, Ahmet Oguz

    2015-01-01

    In this research, students' scientific attitude, computer anxiety, educational use of the Internet, academic achievement, and problematic use of the Internet are analyzed based on different variables (gender, parents' educational level and daily access to the Internet). The research group involves 361 students from two middle schools which are…

  8. Citizen Schools: An After-Hours Adventure--Professionals Mentoring Middle-Grades Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cavanagh, Sean

    2007-01-01

    Citizen Schools is an apprenticeship program offered outside school hours that seeks to build students' academic and leadership skills by connecting them with professionals from various fields. Launched in Boston in 1994, the program targets what some say is an underserved population in after-school education--middle school students--through a…

  9. Factors That Influence Middle School Mathematics Teachers' Willingness to Collaborate with School Librarians

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schnabel, Stephanie L.

    2017-01-01

    Collaboration between school libraries and classroom teachers can have a powerful impact on student learning. School librarians routinely collaborate with English language arts and social studies curriculum and less frequently with areas in STEM education. This research examines middle school mathematics teachers' extent of or willingness to…

  10. Change in physical education motivation and physical activity behavior during middle school.

    PubMed

    Cox, Anne E; Smith, Alan L; Williams, Lavon

    2008-11-01

    To test a mediational model of the relationships among motivation-related variables in middle-school physical education and leisure-time physical activity behavior. Sixth- and seventh-grade physical education students from five middle schools in the midwest United States completed a survey containing measures of study variables on two occasions, 1 year apart. Motivation-related constructs positively predicted leisure-time physical activity behavior. Enjoyment of activities in physical education and physical activity during class mediated the relationship between self-determined motivation in physical education and leisure-time physical activity. Perceived competence, autonomy, and relatedness were important antecedent variables in the model, with autonomy and relatedness showing less stability over time and positively predicting self-determined motivation. Students' leisure-time physical activity is linked to motivation-related experiences in physical education. Perceptions of competence, autonomy, and relatedness, self-determined motivation, enjoyment, and physical activity in the physical education setting directly or indirectly predict leisure-time physical activity. The associations suggest that more adaptive motivation corresponds to transfer of behavior across contexts. Also, the findings suggest that the efficacy of school-based physical activity interventions, within and outside of school, is linked to the degree of support for students' self-determined motivation.

  11. The Quality Improvement Management Approach as Implemented in a Middle School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bayless, David L.; And Others

    1992-01-01

    The Total Quality Management Theory of W. E. Deming can be adapted within an educational organization to build structures that support educators' beliefs. A case study of the implementation of Deming principles at the LeRoy Martin Middle School in Raleigh (North Carolina) illustrates the effectiveness of this management approach. (SLD)

  12. The Italian Middle School in a Deregulation Era: Modernity through Path-Dependency and Global Models

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mincu, Monica E.

    2015-01-01

    In the current context of intensified moves towards educational deregulation, the configuration of the Italian middle school and its relationship to education governance is an interesting case. Historically, it represents a unique example of the successful "decision-making" model of the welfarist era. Despite some internal constraints,…

  13. Validating Pedometer-Based Physical Activity Time against Accelerometer in Middle School Physical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gao, Zan; Lee, Amelia M.; Solmon, Melinda A.; Kosma, Maria; Carson, Russell L.; Zhang, Tao; Domangue, Elizabeth; Moore, Delilah

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to validate physical activity time in middle school physical education as measured by pedometers in relation to a criterion measure, namely, students' accelerometer determined moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Participants were 155 sixth to eighth graders participating in regularly scheduled physical…

  14. Professional Learning with Action Research in Innovative Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Netcoh, Steven; Olofson, Mark W.; Downes, John M.; Bishop, Penny A.

    2017-01-01

    This article illustrates how action research can be used as a model for professional development with middle grades educators in rapidly changing and technology-intensive schools. Drawing upon ten years of using this model, the authors present three examples of educator action research to highlight five characteristics of effective projects: (1)…

  15. A True Middle School Physical Education Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tenoschok, Mike

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to describe the various ways in which the developmental needs of middle school students can be met in a physical education program. The themes of exploration and individualization appear throughout the article to emphasize the importance of providing a variety of sports, games and physical activity options for middle…

  16. Agriscience Education for the Middle School. Instructional Units. Grade 7: Agriscience Exploration.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henrico County Public Schools, Glen Allen, VA. Virginia Vocational Curriculum and Resource Center.

    Designed to supplement the Agriscience Education for the Middle School curriculum guide, this instructional packet provides lessons to enable agriscience teachers to bring basic science concepts into the classroom through practical, hands-on activities and experiments. The course is designed to assist seventh-grade students in exploring science as…

  17. An Analysis of School Anti-Bullying Laws in the United States

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kueny, Maryellen T.; Zirkel, Perry A.

    2012-01-01

    Bullying, a pattern of physical or emotional abuse that students intentionally inflict on their peers, exists throughout secondary education, but is most prevalent during the middle grades. To inform the practice of middle level educators, this study canvassed school anti-bullying laws in each state and compared them with relevant research…

  18. Using Educative Assessments to Support Science Teaching for Middle School English-Language Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buxton, Cory A.; Allexsaht-Snider, Martha; Suriel, Regina; Kayumova, Shakhnoza; Choi, Youn-jeng; Bouton, Bobette; Baker, Melissa

    2013-01-01

    Grounded in Hallidayan perspectives on academic language, we report on our development of an educative science assessment as one component of the language-rich inquiry science for English-language learners teacher professional learning project for middle school science teachers. The project emphasizes the role of content-area writing to support…

  19. Agriscience Education for the Middle School. Instructional Units. Grade 6: Introduction to Agriscience.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henrico County Public Schools, Glen Allen, VA. Virginia Vocational Curriculum and Resource Center.

    Designed to supplement the Agriscience Education for the Middle School curriculum guide, this instructional packet provides lessons to enable agriscience teachers to bring basic science concepts into the classroom through practical, hands-on activities and experiments. The course is designed to develop in sixth-grade students an awareness of the…

  20. Teacher Technology Acceptance and Usage for the Middle School Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stone, Wilton, Jr.

    2014-01-01

    According to the U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics, students in the United States routinely perform poorly on international assessments. This study was focused specifically on the problem of the decrease in the number of middle school students meeting the requirements for one state's standardized tests for…

  1. Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades. Education Outlook. No. 1

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Trish; Rosin, Matthew; Kirst, Michael W.

    2011-01-01

    Educators and policymakers have debated in recent years how best to improve academic performance in the middle grades. In the absence of outcomes-based research about what works, school districts have reshuffled grade configurations, bolstered their focus on "academic rigor," and worked to ensure that students are engaged in school as…

  2. Perception of Competence in Middle School Physical Education: Instrument Development and Validation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scrabis-Fletcher, Kristin; Silverman, Stephen

    2010-01-01

    Perception of Competence (POC) has been studied extensively in physical activity (PA) research with similar instruments adapted for physical education (PE) research. Such instruments do not account for the unique PE learning environment. Therefore, an instrument was developed and the scores validated to measure POC in middle school PE. A…

  3. Videos for Teachers: Successful Teaching Strategies in Elementary and Middle School Classrooms. [CD-ROM].

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Teachers Network, New York, NY.

    This CD-ROM provides information on successful teaching strategies for elementary and middle school teachers. One section offers links to curriculum and lesson planning strategies in the areas of English as a Second Language, library, arts, classroom management, English/language arts, foreign languages, global education, health/physical education,…

  4. AIDS Education in the Middle School Language Arts Program? YES!

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sumpter, R. David; Benson, Tammy

    1995-01-01

    AIDS education should not only focus on prevention but also promote decision-making skills and values as a basis for adolescent behavior. Activities that can be integrated with language arts for rural middle school students include role playing, reading and writing assignments about famous people afflicted with AIDS, round-table discussions, and…

  5. Exploration: An Important Middle Level Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brewer, Warren W.

    1985-01-01

    Describes a middle school program in Wisconsin that has a curriculum based on basic skills and provides exposure to special areas such as art, business, education, foreign language, music, home economics, physical education, and industrial education. (MD)

  6. Middle School Student Records as Dropout Indicators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gregg, William Sherman

    2010-01-01

    Dropping out of school is associated with a wide array of negative outcomes and the extraordinarily high United States dropout rate has brought the issue to the forefront of American education. This study investigated normally collected middle school data from a suburban Colorado school district to determine the predictive value toward students…

  7. YourSELF. Middle School Nutrition Education Kit [Multimedia].

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.

    This multimedia kit provides information and materials for teaching nutrition to middle school students (grades 7 and 8). The kit supports schools' efforts to make school meals healthier and more appealing to students. The materials provide information about the relationships between food, nutrition, growth, and health. The kit speaks directly to…

  8. Implementing Open Approaches in the School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Brien, E.

    Describing implementation procedures for an open educational approach in a rural English middle school (Necton Middle School located 25 miles outside Norwich, England), this paper presents the philosophies of the school's Head Mistress as she reflects upon the first year of operation. Emphasizing community involvement and sensitivity to the human…

  9. Safety Check

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hurst, Marianne D.

    2005-01-01

    The Columbine High School shootings were still fresh in the minds of educators across the nation in May 1999, when school district officials in the small, quiet town of Port Huron, Michigan, unearthed a similarly violent student plot targeted for one of their middle schools. Four students from Holland Woods Middle School had allegedly written out…

  10. Piedmont City School District: Piedmont Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    EDUCAUSE, 2015

    2015-01-01

    At Piedmont Middle School, the future for students is changing through relevant, engaging learning opportunities, a school culture filled with hope, and a redesigned teaching and learning environment that utilizes blended learning, project-based learning, and competency-based learning to personalize education. The academic model is anchored by a…

  11. Schooling of girls in pre-partition Punjab.

    PubMed

    Chanana, K

    1997-01-01

    This study examines female school enrollment during 1920-47 in the Punjab, India, prepartition. Data were obtained from reports, such as the Progress of Education in the Punjab. This period includes an active social reform movement. Punjabi Hindu men changed their attitudes toward purdah and seclusion and the education of women. Educated wives were in demand. Educational institutions were initially religiously affiliated. Schools for girls were set up by British missionaries and American Presbyterians in the late 1800s. The most active missionary societies were the Zenana Bible and Medical Mission and its precursor, the Indian Female Normal School and Instruction Society. Education was expanded by private organizations. The 1916-17 Report on Education in the Punjab indicates substantial public support for girls' education. The demand for education was strongest initially in urban areas. Government secondary schools for girls were set up in each district of the Punjab by 1931-32. By 1936-37 there was one girl school for every 46.3 sq. miles. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s the government established high or middle schools in smaller towns. Almost all large cities had colleges for women. Demand for girls' education rose at the same time as constraints neutralized the attitude changes. Constraints included a lack of trained women teachers, shortages of resources, poor infrastructural facilities, irrelevant curricula, and prejudice against women becoming teachers. Two measures encouraged the advancement of education. The growth of middle and high schools did not keep pace with the growth of primary schools. Female enrollments increased from 62,571 to 237,446 during 1921-45. Primary and middle coeducational school enrollment of girls declined during the 1940s. Muslim and Sikh enrollments increased. High-caste Hindu enrollments declined, but still represented half of all girls in colleges and universities.

  12. Protective effects of middle school comprehensive sex education with family involvement.

    PubMed

    Grossman, Jennifer M; Tracy, Allison J; Charmaraman, Linda; Ceder, Ineke; Erkut, Sumru

    2014-11-01

    School-based comprehensive sex education programs can reduce early adolescents' risky sexual behavior. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a 3-year comprehensive sex education program in delaying vaginal sex for middle school students and whether the family component of the intervention contributes to its effectiveness. This longitudinal evaluation followed a cohort of 6th graders (N = 2453) through the end of 8th grade. The design used random assignment of 24 schools into treatment and comparison conditions. The analysis included multiple-group logistic regression to assess differences in delay of sex between intervention and comparison groups. In schools where the program was taught, 16% fewer boys and 15% fewer girls had had sex by the end of 8th grade compared to boys and girls at comparison schools. Completing family activities during the first year of the program predicted delayed sexual debut for boys. Theory-based, developmentally appropriate, comprehensive sex education programs that include parent involvement can be effective in delaying vaginal sex for middle school students. Parent involvement is particularly important for boys, as family activities may encourage parents to talk with their sons earlier and more frequently. © 2014, American School Health Association.

  13. Stuck in the Middle: Career Progress, Motivation, and Engagement among Urban Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brogan, Deirdre T.

    2010-01-01

    The process of educational and vocational development does not occur at a single point in time. Many indicators of dropping out of high school, for example, are present by middle school (Alexander et al., 1997; Balfanz et al., 2007). Yet, research and practice focus almost exclusively on enriching the learning and work experiences of high school…

  14. Model Wind Turbine Design in a Project-Based Middle School Engineering Curriculum Built on State Frameworks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cogger, Steven D.; Miley, Daniel H.

    2012-01-01

    This paper proposes that project-based active learning is a key part of engineering education at the middle school level. One project from a comprehensive middle school engineering curriculum developed by the authors is described to show how active learning and state frameworks can coexist. The theoretical basis for learning and assessment in a…

  15. Mapping Our City: Learning To Use Spatial Data in the Middle School Science Classroom.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McWilliams, Harold; Rooney, Paul

    Mapping Our City is a two-year project in which middle school teachers and students in Boston explore the uses of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in project-based science, environmental education, and geography. The project is funded by the National Science Foundation and is being field tested in three Boston middle school science classrooms.…

  16. A Study of the Relationship between the Developmental Assets Framework and the Academic Success of At-Risk Elementary to Middle School Transitioning Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jackson, Courtney

    2010-01-01

    The transitional period between elementary and middle school remains an area of concern for educators. Many middle schools are plagued with retention issues, core class failures, increased discipline problems, and decreased attendance rates among students during their transitional period. The issues increase for students labeled as at-risk…

  17. Physical Science Activities for Elementary and Middle School. CESI Sourcebook V. An Occasional Sourcebook of the Council for Elementary Science International.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Malone, Mark R., Comp.

    Mounting research evidence has shown that an activity centered approach to elementary and middle school science education can be quite effective. This sourcebook, developed for teachers by teachers, presents many activity oriented science lessons that could be done in any elementary or middle school classroom with minimal additional experience.…

  18. Middle Start Schools Striving for Excellence: Steadily Improving High-Poverty Schools in the Mid South Delta

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rose, Lea Williams

    2006-01-01

    As part of a national Middle Start initiative led by the Academy for Educational Development (AED), Mid South Middle Start is committed to working with high-poverty schools in the Mid South Delta region to build their capacity to foster students' academic excellence, support the development of young adolescents, and achieve social equity in…

  19. "Who Stays and Who Leaves?" Findings from a Three-Part Study of Teacher Turnover in NYC Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marinell, William H.; Coca, Vanessa M.

    2013-01-01

    This paper synthesizes findings from the Research Alliance's investigation of teacher turnover in New York City's public middle schools. These years are widely recognized as a critical turning point for students, and the NYC Department of Education (DOE) is pursuing a range of middle school improvement initiatives. The stability of the middle…

  20. Survey of Parents of Middle/High School Students. Beliefs and Attitudes Regarding HIV/AIDS Prevention Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rutt, Dan

    This study, commissioned by the Lucas County (Ohio) Health Department, was designed to assess parental beliefs and attitudes related to HIV/AIDS prevention for youth, particularly in middle and high schools. In November 1996, 400 telephone interviews were completed with parents of middle/high school students in Lucas County. Names were randomly…

  1. What Counts When it Comes to School Enjoyment and Aspiration in the Middle Grades.

    PubMed

    Smith, Megan L; Mann, Michael J; Georgieva, Zornitsa; Curtis, Reagan; Schimmel, Christine J

    2016-01-01

    Young adolescents, and the middle level educators who work with them, face many exciting but demanding challenges during this key period of development. According to stage-environment fit theory, the degree to which middle grades students perceive a good fit between their school environment and their needs impacts their academic and life outcomes. The authors endeavored to build on middle level research by studying the extent to which students' needs are supported by school environment factors and how this "fit" relates to two academic outcome variables: school enjoyment and aspiration. The sample consisted of middle grades students ( N = 1,027) between the ages of 10 and 14. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses were conducted. After controlling for age, ethnicity, and gender, four subscales (Social Skills Needs, Mental Health Needs, Academic and Career Needs, and School Support) were entered as potential predictors. Both models were significant and accounted for ~20% of the variance. This study suggests that middle level educators, counselors, and administrators may benefit from considering ways to enhance the match between students' and the middle grades' learning environment, especially by considering non-academic factors as a way to provide indirect, but powerful, support for academic and life success.

  2. Middle-Level Reform in High- And Low-Performing Middle Schools: A Question of Implementation?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roney, Kathleen; Brown, Kathleen M.; Anfara, Vincent A., Jr.

    2004-01-01

    Although reports calling for middle level schooling reform first appeared in the mid-1970s, change has been slow to come. In Turning Points: Preparing American Youth for the 21st Century (1989), the Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development outlined eight essential elements of middle level education. Drawing from the Carnegie Council's…

  3. New Middle Schools for New Futures

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jackson, Anthony

    2009-01-01

    In 2000, Gayle Andrews and this author published "Turning Points 2000: Educating Adolescents in the 21st Century," in which they summarized their analysis of the conditions of middle grades education at the turn of the century. Now, nearly a decade later, what is the state of middle grades education? On the one hand, federal mandates…

  4. Building a Successful Middle School Outreach Effort: Microscopy Camp

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Penn, Lee R.; Flynn, Leslie; Johnson, Page

    2007-01-01

    Microscopy Camp program is designed to introduce acceptable representations of crystalline particles and their atomic structure to twelve-year-old middle school students at a developmental and educational stage.

  5. Understanding Male Underachievement in Middle School Science: Challenging the Assumptions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holbrooks, Marilyn Jane

    The overall purpose of this collaborative action research study was to explore the experiences of eight middle school science teachers. This collaborative action research study concerned itself with male student underachievement in science at the middle school level. The study was conducted at Sherwood Forest Middle School (a pseudonym) with sixth through eighth grade science teachers with more than three years of experience, various teaching backgrounds within academic subjects as well as special education, and different grade levels. The interviews probed the teachers' personal experiences and insights regarding male underachievement in science. This collaborative action research study relied on qualitative data from interviews and other pieces of evidence that might support the teachers' observations, specifically standardized test data and class grades. In addition, four of the seven teachers participated in a focus group, developing strategies for more effective teaching in science for all students. Understanding the experiences of science educators for sixth through eighth grade students can assist local, state, and federal policymakers in educational decision-making processes for the future.

  6. Value recognition and eating patterns of Kimchi in female middle school students and their mothers

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Min-June; Yoon, In-Kyung

    2007-01-01

    This study analyzed Kimchi eating culture in 178 households with female middle school children located in Incheon and Seosan areas, investigated the Kimchi eating patterns of female middle school students, and also analyzed the differences in value recognition for Kimchi between mothers and their female middle school students. Results showed that 23.0% of subject households answered eat Kimchi at every meal and the main reason for eating Kimchi in most households was good for taste. Most households made their own Kimchi, and only 12.3% of households bought Kimchi. Subject households preferred hot and spicy taste (34.8%) and pleasing taste (20.2%), and 44.4% of middle school children answered as eating Kimchi at every meal, and the source for information on Kimchi was home in 51.6% and mass media in 33.7%, suggesting the lack of school education. Both mothers and their female middle school students placed high value on Kimchi for its nutritional aspect and on Kimchi from the market for its convenience. Mothers showed significantly higher value (p<0.05) on the storage aspect of Kimchi compared to their middle school students, and female middle school students showed significantly higher value (p<0.05) on the value recognition for Kimchi as an international food compared to their mothers. Also, the value for hot pepper powder was high among other additional ingredients, and both mothers and middle school students had high values for Kimchi stew among other food dishes using Kimchi, and middle school students showed higher values (p<0.001) on foreign dishes using Kimchi such as Kimchi pizza and Kimchi spaghetti compared to the mothers group. Therefore, based on these results, the development of educational programs on Kimchi is needed not only at home but also at schools, by re-emphasizing the importance of value recognition for KImchi in our food culture. PMID:20535401

  7. Sleep Habits of Elementary and Middle School Children in South Texas

    PubMed Central

    Surani, Salim; Hesselbacher, Sean; Surani, Saherish; Sadasiva, Sreevidya; Surani, Zoya; Surani, Sara S.; Khimani, Amina; Subramanian, Shyam

    2015-01-01

    Background. Sleep difficulties, including insufficient sleep and inadequate sleep hygiene, have been prevalent among children. Sleep deprivation can lead to poor grades, sleepiness, and moodiness. We undertook this study to assess the prevalence of sleep abnormalities among elementary and middle school students in South Texas and how the groups compare with one another. Method. After approval from the appropriate school district for a sleep education program, a baseline survey was taken of elementary and middle school students, using the Children's Sleep Habit Questionnaire-Sleep Self-Report Form, which assessed the domains of bedtime resistance, sleep onset delay, sleep anxiety, sleep duration, night awakening, and daytime sleepiness. Results. The survey was completed by 499 elementary and 1008 middle school children. Trouble sleeping was reported by 43% in elementary school, compared with 29% of middle school children. Fifty percent of middle school children did not like sleeping, compared with 26% in elementary school. Bedtime resistance, sleep onset delay, and nighttime awakening were more common among elementary school students. Daytime sleepiness was more common among the middle school children when compared to elementary school children. Conclusions. Sleep abnormalities are present in elementary school children with changes in sleep habits into middle school. PMID:26770835

  8. Sleep Habits of Elementary and Middle School Children in South Texas.

    PubMed

    Surani, Salim; Hesselbacher, Sean; Surani, Saherish; Sadasiva, Sreevidya; Surani, Zoya; Surani, Sara S; Khimani, Amina; Subramanian, Shyam

    2015-01-01

    Background. Sleep difficulties, including insufficient sleep and inadequate sleep hygiene, have been prevalent among children. Sleep deprivation can lead to poor grades, sleepiness, and moodiness. We undertook this study to assess the prevalence of sleep abnormalities among elementary and middle school students in South Texas and how the groups compare with one another. Method. After approval from the appropriate school district for a sleep education program, a baseline survey was taken of elementary and middle school students, using the Children's Sleep Habit Questionnaire-Sleep Self-Report Form, which assessed the domains of bedtime resistance, sleep onset delay, sleep anxiety, sleep duration, night awakening, and daytime sleepiness. Results. The survey was completed by 499 elementary and 1008 middle school children. Trouble sleeping was reported by 43% in elementary school, compared with 29% of middle school children. Fifty percent of middle school children did not like sleeping, compared with 26% in elementary school. Bedtime resistance, sleep onset delay, and nighttime awakening were more common among elementary school students. Daytime sleepiness was more common among the middle school children when compared to elementary school children. Conclusions. Sleep abnormalities are present in elementary school children with changes in sleep habits into middle school.

  9. Expectations and Anticipations of Middle and High School Special Education Teachers in Preparing Their Students with Intellectual Disability for Future Adult Roles Including Those as Partner and Parent

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pedersen, Mette

    2012-01-01

    Through a series of individual ethnographic interviews and focus groups, I explored the expectations and anticipations of middle and high school special education teachers as they carry out their professional charge of educating their students with intellectual disability for lives in the least restrictive environment, including possible adult…

  10. Educational Intervention/Case Study: Implementing an Elementary-Level, Classroom-Based Media Literacy Education Program for Academically At-Risk Middle-School Students in the Non-Classroom Setting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Draper, Michele; Appregilio, Seymour; Kramer, Alaina; Ketcherside, Miranda; Campbell, Summer; Stewart, Brandon; Rhodes, Darson; Cox, Carol

    2015-01-01

    Media literacy education teaches youth to critically examine the influence of media messages on health and substance use behavior. A small group of low-achieving middle school students at high risk for substance abuse attending an afterschool academic remediation program received a media literacy intervention intended for elementary students in a…

  11. [Evaluation on the effects of education regarding road safety among middle school students].

    PubMed

    Jin, Hui-Qing; Li, Ying-Chun; Zhang, Shu-Lin; Yu, Wan-Sheng

    2009-08-01

    To evaluate the intervention effects for road traffic accident prevention among middle school students through understanding their knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) on road safety. Students in Grade 1 and Grade 2 from 7 junior and senior middle schools in Ji'nan city were selected as intervention group and students from a middle school in Hefei city served as control group. Education was provided to the intervention group and all the middle school students in Ji'nan city. Changes of KAP on road safety were measured for both groups during the follow-up period, and comparison on KAP for the two groups was carried statistically. The mean scores of road safety knowledge for intervention group improved significantly during the follow-up period (from 0.9 - 3.8), while these indices did not change much in the control group (from 0 - 0.2). Negative attitude on road safety was found in both groups, but less in the intervention group. More students started to admit that middle school students themselves should be responsible for most of the RTAs. Per week frequency of violating traffic rules did not improve, however during the follow-up period on both groups as still 75% to 80% of the students violating the traffic rules less than 2 times per week. Although three kinds and one kind of traffic rules violation seemed to have improved in the intervention group and in the control group, there were still two and three other kinds turned worse in the intervention and in the control group, respectively. Program on road safety education significantly improved the relative knowledge for middle school student and it exerted positive effects in road safety attitude to some extent. However, no significant effect was found in the improvement on their behavior. Education on road safety should be carried out in the early stage of childhood with newer and more effective intervention approaches.

  12. Surveillance for characteristics of health education among secondary schools--school health education profiles, 1998.

    PubMed

    Grunbaum, J A; Kann, L; Williams, B I; Kinchen, S A; Collins, J L; Baumler, E R; Kolbe, L J

    2000-08-18

    School health education (e.g., classroom instruction) is an essential component of school health programs; such education promotes the health of youth and improves overall public health. February-May 1998. The School Health Education Profiles monitor characteristics of health education in middle or junior high schools and senior high schools in the United States. The Profiles are school-based surveys conducted by state and local education agencies. This report summarizes results from 36 state surveys and 10 local surveys conducted among representative samples of school principals and lead health education teachers. The lead health education teacher coordinates health education policies and programs within a middle/junior high school or senior high school. During the study period, most schools in states and cities that conducted Profiles required health education in grades 6-12. Of these, a median of 91.0% of schools in states and 86.2% of schools in cities taught a separate health education course. The median percentage of schools in each state and city that tried to increase student knowledge in selected topics (i.e., prevention of tobacco use, alcohol and other drug use, pregnancy, human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] infection, other sexually transmitted diseases, violence, or suicide; dietary behaviors and nutrition; and physical activity and fitness) was >73% for each of these topics. The median percentage of schools with a health education teacher who coordinated health education was 38.7% across states and 37.6% across cities. A median of 41.8% of schools across states and a median of 31.0% of schools across cities had a lead health education teacher with professional preparation in health and physical education, whereas a median of 6.0% of schools across states and a median of 5.5% of schools across cities had a lead health education teacher with professional preparation in health education only. A median of 19.3% of schools across states and 21.2% of schools across cities had a school health advisory council. The median percentage of schools with a written school or school district policy on HIV-infected students or school staff members was 69.7% across states and 84.4% across cities. Many middle/junior high schools and senior high schools require health education to help provide students with knowledge and skills needed for adoption of a healthy lifestyle. However, these schools might not be covering all important topic areas or skills sufficiently. The number of lead health education teachers who are academically prepared in health education and the number of schools with school health advisory councils needs to increase. The Profiles data are used by state and local education officials to improve school health education.

  13. Classroom Learning Environment & Student Motivational Differences between Exemplary, Recognized, & Acceptable Urban Middle Level Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Waxman, Hersh C.; Garcia, Andres; Read, Lisa L.

    2008-01-01

    One of the essential principles for improving middle grade education is to establish a safe and healthy school environment (Jackson & Davis, 2000; Price & Waxman, 2005). The overall quality of the school climate or school environment has been argued to be one of the central problems of urban schools (Waxman & Huang, 1997). Several…

  14. Students' Perception of School Violence and Math Achievement in Middle Schools of Southern Italy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caputo, Andrea

    2013-01-01

    This study aims at both investigating bullying episodes occurring at school across different grades (from 6 to 8) and evaluating whether educational achievement in math can be predicted on the ground of students' perception of school violence. The sample was composed of 11,064 students coming from middle schools of Southern Italy. Standardized…

  15. Beyond the Classroom: Involving Students with Disabilities in Extracurricular Activities at Levy Middle School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walker, Pam; And Others

    Six students in a special education classroom at Levy Middle School (Syracuse, New York) became involved in a variety of after-school activities with nondisabled students. The students participated in the school computer club, cross-country skiing, volleyball, stage crew, intramural basketball, the Spanish Club, and after-school programs at two…

  16. Cultural Astronomy in Elementary and Secondary School

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jafelice, Luiz Carlos

    2015-07-01

    This work is addressed to educators and geography, science, biology and physics teachers who deal with elementary, middle and high school education. It discusses the importance of adopting the anthropological perspective regarding issues that are considered within the astronomy area. It also presents practical proposals for those who intend to introduce cultural astronomy in elementary, middle and high school education - from the beginning of the 1st grade in Elementary school to the end of the 3rd grade in Secondary school, in formal as well as in informal education. This work is proposed within the context of the holistic and transdisciplinary environmental education. Our approach values above all the experience and aims at a humanistic education that includes epistemological and cultural diversities. The suggested practical proposals can be also beneficially used to address works that include contents related to Brazilian indigenous and Afro-descent cultures in the school curriculum, as the new law requires. The guidelines presented here were tested in real school situations.

  17. Misalignment of Career and Educational Aspirations in Middle School: Differences across Race, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Status

    PubMed Central

    Perry, Brea L.; Martinez, Elizabeth; Morris, Edward; Link, Tanja C.; Leukefeld, Carl

    2017-01-01

    Misalignment of educational and career goals (i.e., educational aspirations expressed are inadequate for attaining one’s desired occupation) is associated with lower educational attainment and a lack of college readiness, and may contribute to persistent educational and employment disparities. Drawing on data from 249 sixth graders in low-income schools, this research examines misalignment between educational and career aspirations across racial and ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Findings indicate that students in low-income schools aspire to middle and upper middle class careers, but sometimes lack an understanding of the educational degrees required to achieve their goals. Latinos are significantly more likely than other groups to report misaligned aspirations, as are students in the free and reduced lunch program and those without a college-educated parent. Consequently, early gaps in misaligned career and educational goals for disadvantaged students may set them on a trajectory that perpetuates educational and occupational inequalities in this population. We discuss the programmatic implications of these findings in light of the elevated college and career planning needs of students traditionally underrepresented in higher education. PMID:28540080

  18. Misalignment of Career and Educational Aspirations in Middle School: Differences across Race, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Status.

    PubMed

    Perry, Brea L; Martinez, Elizabeth; Morris, Edward; Link, Tanja C; Leukefeld, Carl

    2016-09-01

    Misalignment of educational and career goals (i.e., educational aspirations expressed are inadequate for attaining one's desired occupation) is associated with lower educational attainment and a lack of college readiness, and may contribute to persistent educational and employment disparities. Drawing on data from 249 sixth graders in low-income schools, this research examines misalignment between educational and career aspirations across racial and ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Findings indicate that students in low-income schools aspire to middle and upper middle class careers, but sometimes lack an understanding of the educational degrees required to achieve their goals. Latinos are significantly more likely than other groups to report misaligned aspirations, as are students in the free and reduced lunch program and those without a college-educated parent. Consequently, early gaps in misaligned career and educational goals for disadvantaged students may set them on a trajectory that perpetuates educational and occupational inequalities in this population. We discuss the programmatic implications of these findings in light of the elevated college and career planning needs of students traditionally underrepresented in higher education.

  19. The "Learning for Leadership" Project: Education That Makes a Difference. Final Evaluation. A Project Involving Middle Schools in the Upper Arlington, Ohio and Worthington, Ohio School Districts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bradley, L. Richard

    Recent national studies have pointed out the changing educational needs of young people as the United States moves from an industrial society to an information society. Selected middle school students in Ohio were involved in a two-year federally-funded program entitled "Learning for Leadership." The objectives of the program were: (1)…

  20. All in the Family: Award-Winning New York Band Director Builds a Nurturing Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olson, Catherine Applefeld

    2008-01-01

    This article profiles Evonne Michel, a band director at Heim Middle School in Williamsville, New York, who received a Music Education Excellence award from the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Erie County Music Educators Association. Evonne Michel was so passionate about her experience in middle school band that she decided, while still in…

  1. Secondary Prevention Efforts at the Middle School Level: An Application of the Behavior Education Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lane, Kathleen Lynne; Capizzi, Andrea M.; Fisher, Marisa H.; Ennis, Robin Parks

    2012-01-01

    In this study we examine the impact of the Behavior Education Program (BEP; Hawken, MacLeod, & Rawlings, 2007) with four middle school students who were not responsive to a comprehensive primary prevention program including academic, behavioral and social components. To extend this line of inquiry we (a) conducted a functional behavioral…

  2. Here Is What Interests Us! Students' Reconceived Physical Education Activity Offerings in an Inner-City Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kahan, David

    2013-01-01

    Urban middle school physical education teachers undertook action research to understand activity preferences of their sixth and seventh graders (n = 701) as they sought to modify curriculum for enhancing student engagement. Students completed an anonymous survey of basic demographic characteristics and interest in participating in 24 physical…

  3. Teacher Education Matters: A Study of Middle School Mathematics Teacher Preparation in Six Countries

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schmidt, William H.; Blomeke, Sigrid; Tatto, Maria Teresa

    2011-01-01

    Based on a major international teacher education research project--the Mathematics Teaching in the 21st Century Study (MT21)--this book investigates the pre-service preparation of middle school mathematics teachers in the United States, South Korea, Taiwan, Germany, Bulgaria, and Mexico. The study was funded by the National Science Foundation and…

  4. Teaching Reading Comprehension to Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Social Studies Classrooms: Middle School Teacher Perceptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burke, Lisa; Hsieh, Wu-Ying; Lopez-Reyna, Norma; Servilio, Kathryn

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the perceptions of general education middle school social studies teachers related to their teaching practices and the inclusion of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in their classrooms. More specifically, an in-depth exploration of general education social studies teachers'…

  5. Implementing Culturally Responsive Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports in Middle School Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cramer, Elizabeth D.; Bennett, Kyle D.

    2015-01-01

    The task of providing all students an engaging education is a particularly difficult challenge in the middle grades as young adolescents are on the cusp of intellectual thought. Because they are forming their identities as students who will or will not go on to successfully complete high school or postsecondary education, their experiences with…

  6. A Design for the Teacher Education Center.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCrory, David L., Ed.

    The Middle School in Beachwood is a unique site for a teaching center due to its open-space architecture, its team teaching organization, and its flexible curriculum. The faculty of the Middle School are utilized as supervisors of teacher education students with the belief that such work is of tangible benefit for the children in the Middle…

  7. Tensions in Teacher Community: Competing Commitments in the Teaching of US Middle School Physical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Craig, Cheryl J.; You, JeongAe; Oh, Suhak

    2014-01-01

    In this article, tensions in teacher community arose when the school's "rainy day" policy was invoked in the middle of a class period, disturbing instruction on the athletic field and subsequently in the gymnasium. The narrative inquiry takes a multiperspectival stance towards competing commitments to educational policy, on one hand, and…

  8. Using Issues-Based Art Education to Facilitate Middle School Students' Learning in Racial Issues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Li, Dan

    2018-01-01

    Issues-based art education encourages students to express their perspectives on different social issues through art making. In this article, the author discusses racial issues with middle school students through contemporary artwork discussion and hands-on poster making. The difficulties that students encounter in their poster making session will…

  9. Breaking the Silence: Teaching the Next Generation about Mental Illness. For Middle School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Susin, Janet; Kaplan, Lorraine; Slater, Louise

    As part of a campaign to end discrimination against mentally ill persons, this educational packet is designed to provide health educators with the material necessary to teach the facts about mental illness. The objectives of the lesson plans are for middle school students to: (1) identify the stigmatizing words associated with mental illness and…

  10. A Systematic Literature Review of Alcohol Education Programmes in Middle and High School Settings (2000-2014)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dietrich, Timo; Rundle-Thiele, Sharyn; Schuster, Lisa; Connor, Jason P.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: Social marketing benchmark criteria were used to understand the extent to which single-substance alcohol education programmes targeting adolescents in middle and high school settings sought to change behaviour, utilised theory, included audience research and applied the market segmentation process. The paper aims to discuss these issues.…

  11. Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades: Why Some Schools Do Better

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Education Digest: Essential Readings Condensed for Quick Review, 2010

    2010-01-01

    There has been a great deal of focus in recent years on high school reform as a way to ensure all students graduate ready for a skilled job or additional postsecondary education. As expectations for a more highly educated American citizenry rise, what happens in the middle grades--the beginning of the secondary-to-postsecondary education…

  12. "The Best Education for the Best is the Best Education for All"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arambula-Greenfield, Teresa; Gohn, A. Janelle

    2004-01-01

    Webster Middle School, situated in a large Midwestern city, serves primarily an African-American, lower-to middle-class population. As with many other schools in similar geographic and demographic situations, the academic performance of its students was very poor, the physical facilities were in decay, and enrollments were dropping, with only 250…

  13. "No Child Left Untested [sic]" Battle or Battle Cry Guiding Research and Practice? Making Research User-Friendly.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hough, David L.

    2003-01-01

    Critiques five articles from an online research journal in middle-level education on mathematical problem solving, social inclusion of students with disabilities in physical education, school and dispositional aggression among middle school boys, problem-based learning, and students' views of futuristics. Asserts that embracing the view that all…

  14. The Impact of Video Self-Modeling on Middle School Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Krumeich, Kristen L.

    2013-01-01

    A growing number of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are being educated in general education classes, their least restrictive environment. Many middle school students with ASDs have difficulty with academic, social, and communication needs in this type of environment. Over the last 2 decades, researchers have promoted the benefits of…

  15. A Study of Urban Middle School Teachers' Reports on How Instruction in Character Education Contributes to Students' Leadership Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haye, Henry H.

    2012-01-01

    This qualitative study investigated urban middle school teachers' reports regarding the relationship between character education and student leadership practices of being honest, forward-looking, being inspiring, and being competent. This study utilized a conceptual framework derived from Kouzes' and Posner's (2002, 2008) extensive research, which…

  16. Perceptions of 8th Grade Students in Middle School towards Citizenship Values

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arslan, Seyfettin

    2016-01-01

    The principal aim of this study is to highlight how students in 8th grade of middle school perceive the principal concepts present in Citizenship Education (lessons), namely the values of: citizenship, (personal) rights, responsibility, the state, the law, military service, the right to education, the right to vote and participate in the political…

  17. Food Safety Knowledge and Beliefs of Middle School Children: Implications for Food Safety Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Byrd-Bredbenner, Carol; Abbot, Jaclyn Maurer; Quick, Virginia

    2010-01-01

    To create effective educational interventions that address the food safety informational needs of youth, a greater understanding of their knowledge and skills is needed. The purposes of this study were to explore, via focus groups, the food-handling responsibilities of middle school youth and obstacles they face in practicing safe food handling…

  18. The Introduction of Middle Schools in the Northern Territory: Processes and Reality

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Palmer, Bill

    2006-01-01

    The year 2006 has been a year in which a decision on the introduction of middle schools has been made by the Labor government of the Northern Territory. The initial impetus for the change came from the 2003 Secondary Education Review "Future Directions for Secondary Education in the Northern Territory," chaired by Gregor Ramsay. There…

  19. Family-School Connections and the Transitions of Low-Income Youth and English Language Learners from Middle School into High School

    PubMed Central

    Crosnoe, Robert

    2010-01-01

    The theoretical and policy focus on parental involvement in education has evolved into a consideration of two-way connections between families and schools. Working from a social capital perspective emphasizing the importance of information in periods and domains of uncertainty, this study tested a specific application of this reconceptualization. Multilevel models of the National Education Longitudinal Study (n = 17,899) revealed that youth started high school in higher-level math when parents, middle school personnel, and high school personnel were in contact with each other and when middle school personnel bridged the other two. The observed effects of other family-school patterns on math and of all family-school patterns on science were driven by selection, including adolescents' characteristics selecting them into different family-school configurations. Importantly, multiple forms of family-school communication were related to reduced income and language disparities in math and science coursework, regardless of their associations with coursework in the general population. PMID:19586180

  20. Relationships between Character Education and School Climate

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karaburk, Hasan

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between character education and school climate based on the lived experiences and beliefs of teachers. The research was conducted in a public middle school to explore understandings and beliefs of teachers about character education and its perceived impact on school climate. Social…

  1. [Impact of an intervention improving the food supply (excluding school meals) with educational support in middle and high schools].

    PubMed

    Carriere, C; Lorrain, S; Langevin, C; Barberger Gateau, P; Maurice, S; Thibault, H

    2015-12-01

    Within the Nutrition, Prevention, and Health Program for children and teenagers in Aquitaine, an experimental intervention was implemented in 2007-2008 in the middle and high schools in Aquitaine (southwest France). This intervention aimed to improve the eating habits of adolescents, combining actions to improve the food supply sold during recreational times (remove/limit fat and sugar products sold and promote the sale of fruits and bread) and health education actions to make adolescents aware of the concept of nutritional balance and steer their choice towards recommended products. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the impact of the intervention on the eating behavior of adolescents and the food supply sold during recreational times in middle and high schools in Aquitaine. A survey was conducted before and after the implementation of the intervention in seven middle and high schools that have implemented actions (intervention group) and eight middle and high schools that have not implemented actions (control group). In these schools, 1602 adolescents answered the survey before and 1050 after the intervention (samples were independent because of the anonymity of responses). The impact of the intervention on the dietary behavior of teenagers was modeled using logistic regression adjusted on potential confounding variables (sex, age, and educational status). In multivariate analyses, the intervention was associated with more frequent daily intake of breakfast (OR=2.63; 95% CI [1.89; 3.66]) and lower intake of morning snacks (OR=0.66; 95% CI [0.48; 0.90]), higher consumption of starchy foods (OR=1.77; 95% CI [1.30; 2.42]), bread at breakfast, morning snacks, and a light afternoon meal (OR=1.43; 95% CI [1.07; 1.90]), and the food supply sold at recreational times (OR=1.34 95% CI [1.01; 1.78]). These results show that the "Improving food supply in middle and high schools associated with educational support actions" project led to the sales of recommended foods during recreational times and improved students' eating behavior. These results encourage partners to pursue these actions in all volunteer middle and high schools. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  2. Applying Hope Theory to Support Middle School Transitions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akos, Patrick; Kurz, Maureen Shields

    2016-01-01

    Middle grades transitions pose challenges to many students who meet these tasks with varying levels of success. Contemporary developmental and strengths-based literature offers Hope Theory (Snyder, 2002), a research supported approach that can mitigate risks in school transitions. This article describes how middle grades educators can apply the…

  3. Interplay among School Climate, Gender, Attitude toward Mathematics, and Mathematics Performance of Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Choi, Namok; Chang, Mido

    2011-01-01

    This research examined the important factors influencing the mathematics achievement of students in middle schools by hierarchically specifying the personal and contextual variables. The study focused on the effect of school climate at the class level and the effects of student gender, attitude toward mathematics, educational aspiration, parent…

  4. AP as an Intervention for Middle School Hispanic Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kettler, Todd; Shiu, Alexandra; Johnsen, Susan K.

    2006-01-01

    This article focuses on two education-related factors that appear to contribute to the schooling aspirations and self-efficacy of Hispanic youth: (1) sense of belonging at school; and (2) composition of the student's peer group. In particular, middle school students whose home language was Spanish were given an opportunity to participate in the…

  5. The Northcote Network of Schools and the Middle Years of Schooling.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kruse, Darryn

    Recognizing the necessity of examining the needs of early adolescents and changing the focus of middle grades education in Australia, this report describes the findings from the Northcote Network of Schools, 8 primary and 2 secondary schools collaborating to develop continuity and coherence across grades 5 through 8. The paper outlines activities…

  6. Learning Declines Linked to Moving to Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sparks, Sarah D.

    2011-01-01

    While policymakers and researchers alike have focused on improving students' transition into high school, a new study of Florida schools suggests the critical transition problem may happen years before, when students enter middle school. The study, part of the Program on Education Policy and Governance Working Papers Series at Harvard University,…

  7. Perceived School Climate across the Transition from Elementary to Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Madjar, Nir; Cohen-Malayev, Maya

    2016-01-01

    The implications of the transition from elementary to middle school are of major concern for educators and researchers worldwide. Previous studies have yielded ambiguous findings; some have indicated negative outcomes of school transition, whereas others have demonstrated null or even positive effects. The aim of the current research was to…

  8. Effect of Frequent Peer-Monitored Testing and Personal Goal Setting on Fitnessgram Scores of Hispanic Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hill, Grant; Downing, Aaron

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of frequent peer-monitored Fitnessgram testing, with student goal setting, on the PACER and push-up performance of middle school students. Subjects were 176 females and 189 males in 10 physical education classes at a middle school with an 83.7% Hispanic student population. Students were…

  9. A comparative analysis of Science-Technology-Society standards in elementary, middle and high school state science curriculum frameworks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tobias, Karen Marie

    An analysis of curriculum frameworks from the fifty states to ascertain the compliance with the National Science Education Standards for integrating Science-Technology-Society (STS) themes is reported within this dissertation. Science standards for all fifty states were analyzed to determine if the STS criteria were integrated at the elementary, middle, and high school levels of education. The analysis determined the compliance level for each state, then compared each educational level to see if the compliance was similar across the levels. Compliance is important because research shows that using STS themes in the science classroom increases the student's understanding of the concepts, increases the student's problem solving skills, increases the student's self-efficacy with respect to science, and students instructed using STS themes score well on science high stakes tests. The two hypotheses for this study are: (1) There is no significant difference in the degree of compliance to Science-Technology-Society themes (derived from National Science Education Standards) between the elementary, middle, and high school levels. (2) There is no significant difference in the degree of compliance to Science-Technology-Society themes (derived from National Science Education Standards) between the elementary, middle, and high school level when examined individually. The Analysis of Variance F ratio was used to determine the variance between and within the three educational levels. This analysis addressed hypothesis one. The Analysis of Variance results refused to reject the null hypothesis, meaning there is significant difference in the compliance to STS themes between the elementary, middle and high school educational levels. The Chi-Square test was the statistical analysis used to compare the educational levels for each individual criterion. This analysis addressed hypothesis two. The Chi-Squared results showed that none of the states were equally compliant with each individual criterion across the elementary, middle, and high school levels. The National Science Education Standards were created with the input of thousands of people and over twenty scientific and educational societies. The standards were tested in numerous classrooms and showed an increase in science literacy for the students. With the No Child Left Behind legislation and Project 2061, the attainment of a science literate society will be helped by the adoption of the NSES standards and the STS themes into the American classrooms.

  10. Highly Effective Interdisciplinary Teams: Perceptions of Exemplary Middle School Principals.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    George, Paul S.; Stevenson, Chris

    This study analyzed the opinions of exemplary middle school principals concerning what constitutes highly effective interdisciplinary teams. The schools that the principals represented were chosen according to the Department of Education's, Phi Delta Kappa's, and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development's assessment of threshold…

  11. Meeting the Preteen Vaccine Law: A Pilot Program in Urban Middle Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boyer-Chuanroong, Lynda; Deaver, Paul

    2000-01-01

    Describes the efforts, outcomes, and recommendations from an urban California school district's pilot program for vaccinating preteens in two diverse urban middle schools. Barriers and strategies included staff inexperience, educating students, informing parents, tracking vaccinations, coping with language diversity, and creating individualized…

  12. Focus on Success

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frey, Susan

    2011-01-01

    Successful middle schools do not happen by accident--they happen through leadership. Principals promote a shared vision that empowers school staffs to set high standards and continuously improve student achievement. And these middle grade educators also try to help their adolescent students see the connection between their work in school and their…

  13. Guam's Department of Education Citizen's Centric Report. FY 2009, SY 2009-2010

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Guam Department of Education, 2010

    2010-01-01

    The Department of Education (DOE) is a single unified school district consisting of grades Kindergarten through 12. Its 27 elementary schools, 8 middle schools, 5 high schools, and an alternative school serve over 30,700 students. DOE is managed by the Guam Education Policy Board. Its policies are established by a combination of elected and…

  14. School Choice in London and Paris – A Comparison of Middle-class Strategies

    PubMed Central

    Benson, Michaela; Bridge, Gary; Wilson, Deborah

    2015-01-01

    Education is one major public service in which quasi-markets and other choice-based mechanisms are now established methods of delivery. The types of school people choose, and the extent to which their choices are realized, have a fundamental impact on the outcomes of any mechanism of school choice. In this article, we provide a comparative analysis of the school choice strategies of middle-class families in London and Paris. We draw on approximately 200 in-depth interviews carried out across the two cities. This enables us to investigate the extent to which middle-class school choice strategies transcend the institutional context provided by both the local (state and private) schools market and national education policy in England and France. We discuss these findings in the context of current school choice policy and consider their implications for future policy design. PMID:25750467

  15. Parent Involvement and Science Achievement during Students' Transition Years from Elementary School to Middle School: A Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis Using ECLS-K

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sun, Letao

    2015-01-01

    Transitioning from elementary school to middle school can be a difficult time for many adolescents. It is a period often correlated with a decline in students' academic achievement, perceptions of performance, potential, and value in schooling. Research has shown evidence that parents' involvement in their children's education significantly…

  16. Turning the Tables: The Growing Need for High Schools to Follow the Lead of Middle Level Reform Thru Interdisciplinary Teaming.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spies, Paul

    High school educators can learn much from the middle school reform movement and apply its strategies to change interdisciplinary teaming and student advocacy programs. Many high schools today still operate with an outdated, impersonal, departmentalized, and factory-model approach to schooling, in which students do not develop a sense of belonging…

  17. Taking Stock and Creating a Vision: A Middle School Community Takes the First Steps toward Creating an Accelerated School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McBride, Ron E.; Stuessy, Carol

    1996-01-01

    Accelerated schools strive to bring at-risk students into the educational mainstream and perform at grade level through acceleration rather than remediation. Describes four steps to initiate the accelerated process and how a Texas middle school involved all members of the school community in implementing the first two steps, taking stock and…

  18. Parental School Choices in Market-Oriented School Systems: Why Middle Class Asian Immigrants Self-Select into Specialized Academic Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Padilla, Hoang-Thuy

    2012-01-01

    This study addresses racial segregation in schools by examining the self-selecting patterns of middle class Asian immigrant parents in a public non-charter school district who enrolled their children in specialized academic programs. This phenomenological study focused on the educational history and the decision-making process of school choice in…

  19. Vocational education paths, youth activities, and underage drinking in Russia: How early does the trouble start?

    PubMed

    Lushin, Viktor; Jaccard, James; Ivaniushina, Valeria; Alexandrov, Daniel

    2017-07-01

    Working-class educational paths tend to be associated with elevated drinking. Little research has examined whether disproportionate alcohol use among vocationally oriented youth begins before or after the start of their vocational education. The present study analyzes a large sample of Russian middle-school students (N=1269; mean age=14.9), comparing the patterns of drinking among middle-schoolers oriented towards vocational educational, and their peers who do not plan a vocational education path. Results suggest that the orientation towards vocational education is associated with disproportionately high alcohol involvement among Russian middle-school students, even before they enter vocational schools. We studied if such difference could be partially explained by how youth orient towards extracurricular activities: discretionary peer time in risky contexts, reading for pleasure, working for pay, and religious activities. Reading demonstrated the strongest (negative) association with alcohol use, while religious activity unexpectedly revealed a positive (though weak) association with drinking. Research and policy implications are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Analysis of Classroom Discourse in 'Personal Education' Classes in Light of the Theories of Dewey, Piaget and Vygotsky

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shashoua, Ayala; Court, Deborah

    2016-01-01

    This qualitative study investigated a 'personal education' program that operates in some middle schools in Israel. This article focuses on three teachers in three different Jewish Israeli middle schools, and their students, and the intrapersonal and interpersonal teaching and learning processes in their classrooms. The theories of Dewey, Piaget…

  1. Combat Drug Zone 2010: The United States Southwest Border

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-03-01

    the Middle State Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, (215) 662-5606. The Commission on Higher Education...DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENT Distribution A: Unlimited 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES Globalization and associated domestic variables such as...Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, (215) 662-5606

  2. Enjoyment Fosters Engagement: The Key to Involving Middle School Students in Physical Education and Physical Activity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pharez, Emily S.

    2016-01-01

    This article describes the challenges faced by a middle school teacher who inherited a recreation-based physical education program in which students had been accustomed to choosing what they wanted to do. Stressing the importance of implementing a standards-based program in which students of all skill levels and activity preferences were able to…

  3. Ordered Effects of Technology Education Units on Higher-Order Critical Thinking Skills of Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mojica, Kern D.

    2010-01-01

    In this quasi-experimental quantitative study, 105 eighth grade students at a suburban middle school in New York State participated in a seven month-long project involving the ordered effects of the technology education units of Lego[R] Mindstorms(TM) NXT Robotics System, Digital Storytelling with Microsoft Windows Movie Maker, and the Marble Maze…

  4. Teachers' Perceptions of the Emergence of a Middle School Culture: Studying How Culture Develops in Educational Settings.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Daniel, Larry G.

    Organizational theorists have viewed organizations as "mini-societies" based upon commonly held cultural values and assumptions, which may serve to revolutionize organizational practices or to bring about new organization structures. The middle school is an example of an educational institution that has arisen as a result of a particular set of…

  5. Integrating iPad Technology into the Classroom: A Study Investigating the Experiences Educators Encounter

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Byno, Kristin Jacobson

    2014-01-01

    This phenomenological case study was designed to investigate the experiences educators encounter when implementing iPad technology into middle school math classrooms at a middle school in Northeast Texas. The growing popularity of the iPad mobile device has made the technology an attractive tool that can be implemented into K-12 classrooms,…

  6. The Effects of Training and Performance Feedback during Behavioral Consultation on General Education Middle School Teachers' Integrity to Functional Analysis Procedures

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McKenney, Elizabeth L. W.; Waldron, Nancy; Conroy, Maureen

    2013-01-01

    This study describes the integrity with which 3 general education middle school teachers implemented functional analyses (FA) of appropriate behavior for students who typically engaged in disruption. A 4-step model consistent with behavioral consultation was used to support the assessment process. All analyses were conducted during ongoing…

  7. Place-Based Education and Geographic Information Systems: Enhancing the Spatial Awareness of Middle School Students in Maine

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Perkins, Nancy; Hazelton, Eric; Erickson, Jeryl; Allan, Walter

    2010-01-01

    Spatial literacy is a new frontier in K-12 education. This article describes a place-based introductory GIS/GPS middle school curriculum unit in which students used measuring tools, GPS units, and My World GIS software to collect physical and spatial data of trees to create a schoolyard tree inventory. Maine students completed "memory…

  8. Teaching Strategies for Improving Algebra Knowledge in Middle and High School Students. Educator's Practice Guide. What Works Clearinghouse.™ NCEE 2015-4010

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Star, Jon R.; Foegen, Anne; Larson, Matthew R.; McCallum, William G.; Porath, Jane; Zbiek, Rose Mary; Caronongan, Pia; Furgeson, Joshua,; Keating, Betsy; Lyskawa, Julia

    2015-01-01

    Mastering algebra is important for future math and postsecondary success. Educators will find practical recommendations for how to improve algebra instruction in the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) practice guide, "Teaching Strategies for Improving Algebra Knowledge in Middle and High School Students". The methods and examples included in…

  9. Enhancing Middle-Level General Music: Suggestions from the Literature

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gerrity, Kevin W.

    2009-01-01

    In his book "Teaching Music in the Secondary Schools," Charles Hoffer reported a lack of consensus among music educators when considering the essential components of a middle-level general music course. Today, this condition persists. The increasingly diverse nature of students and schools makes a singular, model curriculum for middle-level…

  10. Adolescents' Expectancies for Success and Achievement Task Values during the Middle and High School Years.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wigfield, Allan; Tonks, Stephen

    This chapter discusses the development of achievement motivation during adolescence from the perspective of expectancy-value theory, and explains how adolescents' expectancies for success and achievement values change during adolescence, particularly during educational transitions such as that from elementary to middle school and from middle to…

  11. Technological Developments That Will Influence Teachers' Use of Technology to Improve Student Learning in California's Public Middle Schools by the Year 2017

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Solorzano, Monica

    2013-01-01

    Purpose. The purpose of this study was to (a) identify 5 top developments in educational technology that will be available to California's public middle schools in the next 5 years, (b) determine the likelihood of implementing these technological developments in California's public middle schools in the next 5 years, (c) determine the impact these…

  12. Longitudinal Analysis of the Trajectories of Academic and Social Motivation across the Transition from Elementary to Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Madjar, Nir; Cohen, Veronique; Shoval, Gal

    2018-01-01

    School transitions are important phases in students' educational experiences. The current study aimed to explore the trajectories of academic and social motivation across the transition from elementary to middle school. Participants (N = 415) were sampled from six elementary schools; 55% transitioned after sixth grade (transition) and 45% remained…

  13. Development and Evaluation of a Multimedia-Enhanced STD/HIV Curriculum for Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldsworthy, Richard; Schwartz, Nancy

    2008-01-01

    STD infection among adolescents is a significant public health concern. Surveys indicate that parents believe STD and HIV/AIDS are appropriate topics for middle school and high school students; however, school-based STD education efforts remain inconsistent, perhaps in part as a result of the lack of standardized, well-distributed curricula.…

  14. The Influence of Subject Areas on Middle School Tracking Policies. Faculty Research Working Paper Series R94-19.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Loveless, Tom

    Grouping students by ability into courses with distinct curricula, or "tracking" as it is called in middle and high schools, has provoked a furious debate among educational scholars and practitioners. Research on tracking invariably characterizes the practice as a school-level, unitary phenomenon; schools are depicted as either tracked…

  15. Transitioning from Elementary School to Middle School: The Ecology of Black Males' Behavior

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mundy, Alma Christienne

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this mixed method study is to explain the ecology Black males experience as they transition from elementary school to middle school in terms of behavior. The Black male graduation rate is well below 50% nationally (Orfield, Losen, Wald, & Swanson, 2004; Schott Foundation for Public Education, 2010). Graduating from high school…

  16. International Education in a National Context: Introducing the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme in Dutch Public Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Visser, Alderik

    2010-01-01

    Some bilingual secondary schools in the Netherlands have introduced or are introducing the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP).The implementation of this international scheme at (semi-) public national Dutch schools proves anything but unproblematic. Based on a series of questionnaires filled out by school managers and…

  17. Principals' Self-Efficacy in Low Scoring Middle Schools in Mississippi

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Derryberry, James Foreman

    2017-01-01

    This study investigated the self-efficacy (also often referred to as self-confidence) of principals as determined by school administrator certification credentials and teaching endorsements at low performing middle schools in Mississippi. In educational literature, the term "self-confidence" is often referred to under the nomenclature of…

  18. Redesigning Schools for 21st Century Technologies: A Middle School with the Power to Improve.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Dam, Janet M.

    1994-01-01

    Describes the processes involved in redesigning and renovating Power Middle School (Michigan) for current and future educational technology, particularly for the media center. Topics discussed include planning; time management; wiring infrastructure; voice and video networks; teacher and student multimedia production rooms; and communications…

  19. Five Exciting, Enriching Outdoor Study Days in the Life of Delaware Valley Middle School Sixth Graders.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Palermo, Scott D.; Sewall, Susan B.

    1988-01-01

    Discusses some of the variables involved in the development of five environmental education days by the Delaware Valley (Pennsylvania) Middle School. Recounts some of the ways that support was generated for programs from school administrators and community resources people. (TW)

  20. Distribution Tables and Private Tests: The Failure of Middle School Reform in Japan.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    LeTendre, Gerald K.

    1994-01-01

    In November 1992, Japanese Ministry of Education declared middle school teachers could no longer use distribution tables produced by private testing companies to predetermine high school students' curricula. Failure to implement reform stems from structural and cultural roots. By presorting students and molding their expectations, traditional…

  1. Fostering Student Interest Development: An Engagement Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abbott, Amy L.

    2017-01-01

    The detected decline in middle school students' school engagement during the period of young adolescence is concerning. As middle school can be perceived as a time in which plans for higher education and career considerations begin to take shape, planting seeds for future aspirations certainly seems appropriate. This article draws on the…

  2. Reading Activities in Content Areas: An Ideabook for Middle and Secondary Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Piercey, Dorothy

    This book suggests reading activities and teaching strategies to encourage students' success in the following middle school and secondary school content areas: business; driver education; English, speech, and journalism; art, music, and theater; foreign languages (French, Spanish, and German); health; home economics end industrial and vocational…

  3. School Choice in Philadelphia.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keefe, Connie; Scher, Lauren; Sparks, Andrew; Weinbaum, Elliot

    Throughout the country, a wide range of educational options exist, from neighborhood public schools to cyber-schools. This study focuses on school choice in improving the educational experience in one city, Philadelphia. The study employed interviews with policymakers, teachers, and others; a focus group of middle-school students; a collection of…

  4. Middle School Educators' Perceptions of Online Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Theodocion, Kelley E.

    2012-01-01

    Numerous researchers have investigated distance education in postsecondary settings, but there is a paucity of research regarding the design and delivery of online professional development for K-12 educators. The goal of this mixed methods sequential exploratory study was to examine attitudes of middle grades educators toward an online…

  5. Selected Colorado Technology Education Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gloeckner, Gene W.

    The transition from industrial arts to technology education is a priority in Colorado. Millions of dollars have been and will be spent to renovate industrial arts facilities and laboratories. Four Colorado middle schools have exemplary technology education programs. The Eagle Crest Technology Education Laboratory is used for both middle and high…

  6. Using education on irradiated foods to change behavior of Korean elementary, middle, and high school students

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Jaerok; Choi, Yoonseok

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Educational interventions targeted food selection perception, knowledge, attitude, and behavior. Education regarding irradiated food was intended to change food selection behavior specific to it. SUBJECTS AND METHODS There were 43 elementary students (35.0%), 45 middle school students (36.6%), and 35 high school students (28.5%). The first step was research design. Educational targets were selected and informed consent was obtained in step two. An initial survey was conducted as step three. Step four was a 45 minute-long theoretical educational intervention. Step five concluded with a survey and experiment on food selection behavior. RESULTS As a result of conducting a 45 minute-long education on the principles, actual state of usage, and pros and cons of irradiated food for elementary, middle, and high-school students in Korea, perception, knowledge, attitude, and behavior regarding the irradiated food was significantly higher after the education than before the education (P < 0.000). CONCLUSIONS The behavior of irradiated food selection shows high correlation with all variables of perception, knowledge, and attitude, and it is necessary to provide information of each level of change in perception, knowledge, and attitude in order to derive proper behavior change, which is the ultimate goal of the education. PMID:25324942

  7. Nutrition Education in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools. Statistical Analysis Report. Fast Response Survey System (FRSS).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Celebuski, Carin; Farris, Elizabeth

    This report presents the findings from the "Nutrition Education in Public Schools, K-12" survey that was designed to provide data on the status of nutrition education in U.S. public schools. Questionnaires were sent to 1,000 school principals of a nationally representative sample of U.S. elementary, middle, and high schools. The survey…

  8. Middle school transition and body weight outcomes: Evidence from Arkansas Public Schoolchildren.

    PubMed

    Zeng, Di; Thomsen, Michael R; Nayga, Rodolfo M; Rouse, Heather L

    2016-05-01

    There is evidence that middle school transition adversely affects educational and psychological outcomes of pre-teen children, but little is known about the impacts of middle school transition on other aspects of health. In this article, we estimate the impact of middle school transition on the body mass index (BMI) of public schoolchildren in Arkansas, United States. Using an instrumental variable approach, we find that middle school transition in grade 6 led to a moderate decrease of 0.04 standard deviations in BMI z-scores for all students. Analysis by subsample indicated that this result was driven by boys (0.06-0.07 standard deviations) and especially by non-minority boys (0.09 standard deviations). We speculate that the changing levels of physical activities associated with middle school transition provide the most reasonable explanation for this result. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. A Content Analysis of Four Peer-Reviewed Middle Grades Publications: Are We Really Paying Attention to Every Young Adolescent?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brinegar, Kathleen

    2015-01-01

    The field of middle grades education clearly articulates a vision for education focused on supporting the needs and interests of every young adolescent (National Middle School Association, 2010; Jackson & Davis, 2000). This study sought to identify the ways in which recent middle grades research intersects with this vision by utilizing…

  10. The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Middle School Students: Findings from the 2007 National School Climate Survey. Research Brief

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), 2009

    2009-01-01

    In 2007, Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) conducted the fifth National School Climate Survey (NSCS), a biennial survey of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) secondary school students. The NSCS examines the experiences of LGBT youth in U.S. middle and high schools, documenting bias and behaviors that make schools…

  11. School Health Profiles 2014: West Virginia Rankings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    West Virginia Department of Education Office of Research, Accountability, and Data Governance, 2015

    2015-01-01

    The School Health Profiles (Profiles) is a system of surveys assessing school health policies and practices in states, large urban school districts, and territories. Profiles surveys are conducted biennially by education and health agencies among middle and high school principals and lead health education teachers. Profiles monitors the current…

  12. Effective Chapter 1 Programs in Oregon.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berrum, Phyllis

    This report describes 11 effective compensatory education programs in Oregon schools funded under Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act. One high school, four middle school, and six elementary school programs are profiled. Each profile includes the following information: (1) demographics; (2) staffing; (3) parent…

  13. Educational Administration and Social Reform.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Trusty, Francis M.

    The American public school no longer exists for the purpose of producing respectable middle class citizens. Moreover, the school administrator, long trained to manage schools, teachers, parents, and children with unquestioned authority, is approaching extinction. Schools have not been for educating children but for producing conformity to socially…

  14. 34 CFR 300.156 - Personnel qualifications.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... children with disabilities. (c) Qualifications for special education teachers. The qualifications described in paragraph (a) of this section must ensure that each person employed as a public school special education teacher in the State who teaches in an elementary school, middle school, or secondary school is...

  15. Mathematics Education in the Middle Grades: Teaching To Meet the Needs of Middle Grades Learners and To Maintain High Expectations. Proceedings of a National Convocation and Action Conferences (Washington, DC, September 25-27, 1998).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC. Center for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Education.

    In September 1998, the Math Science Education National Board held a convocation on middle grades mathematics that was co-sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), the National Middle School Association (NMSA), and the American Educational Research Association (AERA). The convocation was structured to present the teaching…

  16. Present Imperfect

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arth, Alfred; Ashford, Anne; Jenkins, Jaynellen Behre; Burns, Jim; Kane, Tom; Mitchell, Kenneth; Shepard, David A.; Toepfer, Conrad; Wheeler, Kathleen

    2004-01-01

    An interesting educational phenomenon is occurring across the United States in relation to middle grades education. Many middle level educators and parents are asking, "What's wrong with our school?" Sometimes their concerns are supported by such comments as "We don't seem to be going anywhere" and "Our students do not…

  17. Educating Minds and Hearts: Social Emotional Learning and the Passage into Adolescence. Series on Social Emotional Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cohen, Jonathan, Ed.

    Based on the view that social and emotional learning (SEL) needs to be an integral part of middle school education, this book provides an overview to social and emotional learning and the development of middle school students, presents a representative range of SEL programs and perspectives, and offers reflections on the current status of SEL and…

  18. Revitalizing the Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-03-23

    Middle State Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, (215) 662-5606. The Commission on Higher Education is...on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, (215) 662-5606. The... Norway in the maritime domain and is representative of a growing international desire for similar arrangements. The best way to mitigate risks

  19. Evaluation of the Texas Technology Immersion Pilot: An Analysis of the Baseline Conditions and First-Year Implementation of Technology Immersion in Middle Schools. Executive Summary

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shapley, Kelly; Sheehan, Daniel; Sturges, Keith; Caranikas-Walker, Fanny; Huntsberger, Briana; Maloney, Catherine

    2006-01-01

    The Texas Education Agency (TEA) used Title II, Part D monies to fund a wireless learning environment for high-need middle schools through the Technology Immersion Pilot (TIP). A concurrent research project funded by a federal Evaluating State Education Technology Programs grant is scientifically evaluating whether student achievement improves…

  20. Evaluation of the Texas Technology Immersion Pilot: An Analysis of the Baseline Conditions and First-Year Implementation of Technology Immersion in Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shapley, Kelly; Sheehan, Daniel; Sturges, Keith; Caranikas-Walker, Fanny; Huntsberger, Briana; Maloney, Catherine

    2006-01-01

    The Texas Education Agency (TEA) used Title II, Part D monies to fund a wireless learning environment for high-need middle schools through the Technology Immersion Pilot (TIP). A concurrent research project funded by a federal Evaluating State Education Technology Programs grant is scientifically evaluating whether student achievement improves…

  1. Contemporary Elementary and Middle School Physical Education Conference (Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, January 15-17, 1981). Proceedings, Saturday, Activity and Position Paper Sessions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, Margaret A., Ed.

    At the final session of the January conference on Contemporary Elementary and Middle School Physical Education, 40 discussions and workshops centered on physical fitness, health, safety, and adapting athletics for the disabled child. Other topics covered were creative dance, water activities, lifetime sports, and teacher resource materials and…

  2. Contemporary Elementary and Middle School Physical Education Conference (Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, January 15-17, 1981). Proceedings, Friday, Activity and Position Paper Sessions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, Margaret A., Ed.

    The second session of the January conference on Contemporary Elementary and Middle School Physical Education was devoted to over 35 workshops and demonstrations of games and sports that could be used by teachers with their classes. Emphasis was placed on the development of individual skills, physical fitness through sports, and noncompetitive…

  3. Contemporary Elementary and Middle School Physical Education Conference. Proceedings, Saturday, Activity and Position Paper Sessions (Atlanta, Georgia, January 13-15, 1983).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, Margaret A., Ed.

    The second session of the Contemporary Elementary and Middle School Physical Education Conference was devoted to over 35 workshops and demonstrations of games and sports that may be used by teachers. Emphasis was placed on the development of individual skills, physical fitness through sports, and non-competitive games. Position papers were also…

  4. Are There Jewish Digital Badges?: A Study of Religious Middle- and High-School Girls' Perception of an Emerging Educational Technology-Based Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abramovich, Samuel

    2017-01-01

    For Jewish education, digital badges can provide an alternative to traditional assessments. However, the emerging research on badges suggests a complex relationship between learning opportunities, the learner, and the design of the badge. An investigation of a digital badge system at an ultra-Orthodox Jewish middle and high school for girls…

  5. Developing and Evaluating the Impact of an Extension-Based Train-the-Trainer Model for Effectively Disseminating Food Safety Education to Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richards, Jennifer; Pratt, Carrie; Skolits, Gary J.; Burney, Janie

    2012-01-01

    Adolescents are an understudied, but meaningful, population when it comes to food safety education. With the proliferation of pathogenic microbes and changes in eating habits of Americans, today's youth are more at risk of contracting a foodborne illness than previous generations. Hands On: Real World Lessons for Middle School Classrooms provides…

  6. A Computer Based Education (CBE) Program for Middle School Mathematics Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gulley, Bill

    2009-01-01

    A Computer Based Education (CBE) program for intervention mathematics was developed, used, and modified over a period of three years in a computer lab at an Arizona Title I middle school. The program is described along with a rationale for the need, design, and use of such a program. Data was collected in the third year and results of the program…

  7. School Violence in Japan and the United States: Sharing American Practice with Japanese Teacher Educators.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Picklesimer, Billie K.; Williams, Jane L.

    In December 1998, faculty from Middle Tennessee State University visited the Faculty of Education at Fukushima University in Fukushima, Japan. The purpose of the visit was to share with Japanese educators the processes through which school counselors are trained to deal with school violence in the United States. Because school staffing patterns…

  8. A Year as an Educator in Northwest China. World Education Monograph Series, Number Two.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Elias, Richard F.

    Chinese children must attend school until age 16, and education consists of elementary schools for ages 6-13 and lower middle schools for ages 13-16. While the economic planning of the national government in Beijing (China) dictates what will be emphasized, the school curriculum includes instruction in ideology, Chinese language, calligraphy, fine…

  9. Preventing Steroid Use--The Role of the Health/Physical Educator.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Minelli, Mark J.; And Others

    1992-01-01

    Because some high school student athletes use steroids, educational intervention should occur in middle and high school. The health and physical educator is important in prevention or early intervention. Community/school-based intervention is recommended. The article discusses psychological and physical addiction and presents guidelines and…

  10. New Evidence: Data Documenting Parental Support for Earlier Sexuality Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barr, Elissa M.; Moore, Michele J.; Johnson, Tammie; Forrest, Jamie; Jordan, Melissa

    2014-01-01

    Background: Numerous studies document support for sexuality education to be taught in high school, and often, in middle school. However, little research has been conducted addressing support for sexuality education in elementary schools. Methods: As part of the state Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Survey administration, the…

  11. Invention and Innovation: A Standards-Based Middle School Model Course Guide. Advancing Technological Literacy: ITEA Professional Series

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    International Technology Education Association (ITEA), 2005

    2005-01-01

    This guide presents a model for a standards-based contemporary technology education course for the middle school. This model course guide features an exploratory curriculum thrust for a cornerstone middle level course. It provides teachers with an overview of the concept, suggestions for planning the course, and ideas for developing…

  12. Mathematical Problem-Solving Styles in the Education of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Individuals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Erickson, Elizabeth E. A.

    2012-01-01

    This study explored the mathematical problem-solving styles of middle school and high school deaf and hard-of-hearing students and the mathematical problem-solving styles of the mathematics teachers of middle school and high school deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The research involved 45 deaf and hard-of-hearing students and 19 teachers from a…

  13. Improved Middle Grades Schools for Improved High School Readiness: Ten Best Practices in the Middle Grades

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bottoms, Gene; Timberlake, Allison

    2012-01-01

    In 2009, the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Committee to Improve High School Graduation Rates and Achievement, led by then-Governor Sonny Perdue of Georgia, released a report of 10 key recommendations for ensuring more students graduate from high school, and they graduate ready for college and careers. Among these 10 recommendations was…

  14. Factors Associated with Middle-School Mathematics Achievement in Greece: The Case of Algebra

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Skouras, A. S.

    2014-01-01

    This study presents a subset of factors and their association with students' achievement in school algebra. The participants were students who had enrolled in 2007 at the ninth year of Greek public education (third year of middle school). A total of 735 students participated (aged 14-15 years) from 37 public secondary schools. The sample consisted…

  15. Promoting healthy computer use among middle school students: a pilot school-based health promotion program.

    PubMed

    Ciccarelli, Marina; Portsmouth, Linda; Harris, Courtenay; Jacobs, Karen

    2012-01-01

    Introduction of notebook computers in many schools has become integral to learning. This has increased students' screen-based exposure and the potential risks to physical and visual health. Unhealthy computing behaviours include frequent and long durations of exposure; awkward postures due to inappropriate furniture and workstation layout, and ignoring computer-related discomfort. Describe the framework for a planned school-based health promotion program to encourage healthy computing behaviours among middle school students. This planned program uses a community- based participatory research approach. Students in Year 7 in 2011 at a co-educational middle school, their parents, and teachers have been recruited. Baseline data was collected on students' knowledge of computer ergonomics, current notebook exposure, and attitudes towards healthy computing behaviours; and teachers' and self-perceived competence to promote healthy notebook use among students, and what education they wanted. The health promotion program is being developed by an inter-professional team in collaboration with students, teachers and parents to embed concepts of ergonomics education in relevant school activities and school culture. End of year changes in reported and observed student computing behaviours will be used to determine the effectiveness of the program. Building a body of evidence regarding physical health benefits to students from this school-based ergonomics program can guide policy development on the healthy use of computers within children's educational environments.

  16. New evidence: data documenting parental support for earlier sexuality education.

    PubMed

    Barr, Elissa M; Moore, Michele J; Johnson, Tammie; Forrest, Jamie; Jordan, Melissa

    2014-01-01

    Numerous studies document support for sexuality education to be taught in high school, and often, in middle school. However, little research has been conducted addressing support for sexuality education in elementary schools. As part of the state Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Survey administration, the Florida Department of Health conducted the Florida Child Health Survey (FCHS) by calling back parents who had children in their home and who agreed to participate (N = 1715). Most parents supported the following sexuality education topics being taught specifically in elementary school: communication skills (89%), human anatomy/reproductive information (65%), abstinence (61%), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (53%), and gender/sexual orientation issues (52%). Support was even greater in middle school (62-91%) and high school (72-91%) for these topics and for birth control and condom education. Most parents supported comprehensive sexuality education (40.4%), followed by abstinence-plus (36.4%) and abstinence-only (23.2%). Chi-square results showed significant differences in the type of sexuality education supported by almost all parent demographic variables analyzed including sex, race, marital status, and education. Results add substantial support for age-appropriate school-based sexuality education starting at the elementary school level, the new National Sexuality Education Standards, and funding to support evidence-based abstinence-plus or comprehensive sexuality education. © 2013, American School Health Association.

  17. The Middle School Curriculum: Engineering Anyone?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Samuels, Kyle; Seymour, Richard

    2015-01-01

    Engineering programs have long thrived in U.S. universities. More recently, engineering content has been introduced in America's high schools, yet less so in elementary and middle schools across the nation. To meet the demand for engineers in the U.S., educators must play a more active role in inspiring young students to this career option.…

  18. Attitudes of Middle School Students: Learning Online Compared to Face to Face

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Edwards, Clayton; Rule, Audrey

    2013-01-01

    Education in an online setting is an increasingly popular method of instruction. Previous studies comparing college or high school student performance in online and face-to-face courses found, in most cases, similar achievement between conditions. However, research is lacking regarding middle school students' academic performance and attitudes…

  19. Promoting Student Achievement through Educational Practices in Middle School Math Transitioning Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jackson, Viola Towels

    2016-01-01

    There is a plethora of research pertaining to Response to Intervention (RTI) implementation at the elementary school setting. However, research studies on teachers' perceptions relative to implementing RTI in a middle school tier-based classroom had not been conducted. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine teachers' perception…

  20. Using Student Voice to Respond to Middle School Bullying: A Student Leadership Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shriberg, David; Brooks, Keeshawna; Jenkins, Kisha; Immen, Jennifer; Sutter, Caroline; Cronin, Karen

    2017-01-01

    Bullying prevention and intervention are ongoing challenges for all educators, school psychologists included. A lack of research exists regarding the potential role of middle school students as direct actors in bullying prevention and intervention. This article describes a novel student leadership group for seventh graders in which the primary…

  1. Transitions: How Music Can Help Build a Bridge from Middle School to High School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Poliniak, Susan

    2011-01-01

    When students first enter high school, the change can be overwhelming on many levels. All at once, or very nearly, they're dealing with an onslaught of new educational concerns, weighty academic decisions, different extracurricular options, unfamiliar teachers, and potentially bewildering social atmospheres. Meanwhile, former middle school…

  2. Median Middle School: Striving to Rise above Average

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moon, Jodi Saxton

    2016-01-01

    This case was developed for use with future school leaders in an educational setting. There are several topics of discussion that can be developed, including but not limited to policy implementation, the efficacy of professional learning communities, and improving student learning outcomes. The setting is a solidly performing middle school in the…

  3. Project Trust: Breaking down Barriers between Middle School Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Batiuk, Mary Ellen; Boland, James A.; Wilcox, Norma

    2004-01-01

    This paper analyzes the success of a camp retreat weekend called Project Trust involving middle school students and teachers. The goal of the camp is to break down barriers between cliques identified as active in the school. The camp focuses on building team relationships across clique membership and incorporates elements of peace education and…

  4. Integrating Health Education in Core Curriculum Classrooms: Successes, Challenges, and Implications for Urban Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rajan, Sonali; Roberts, Katherine J.; Guerra, Laura; Pirsch, Moira; Morrell, Ernest

    2017-01-01

    Background: School-based health education efforts can positively affect health behaviors and learning outcomes; however, there is limited available time during the school day for separate health education classes. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and sustainability of implementing a classroom-based health education program…

  5. Promoting Inclusive Schools: A Case Study of Leadership Experiences of the Middle School Chairpersons for Special Education Service

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baylis, Juvinell

    2011-01-01

    Federal and state guidelines direct students with disabilities to the least restrictive environment (LRE). The inclusion of students with disabilities in the LRE (general education) has been an issue for many public schools. In an effort to promote inclusive education for students with disabilities, many special education teacher-chairpersons…

  6. Final Report of the Project "T & N Bucks." 1979-80.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Old Bridge Township Board of Education, NJ.

    During the 1979-80 school year, the Old Bridge Township School District promoted and implemented a career education program. Its chief aim was to expand career education from the middle school into the elementary and special education divisions. The project was used as a vehicle to enhance career education, expand and involve elementary teachers,…

  7. Recruiting middle school students into nursing: An integrative review.

    PubMed

    Williams, Cheryl

    2017-10-27

    Middle school students interested in nursing need clarification of the nursing role. Students choose nursing as a career because they want to help others, yet they are often unaware of the need to for arduous secondary education preparation to become a nurse. Middle school students, if not properly exposed to the career during their formative years, may choose another career or not have enough time for adequate nursing school preparation. This integrative review examined seven studies from years 2007 to 2016, which utilized various recruitment strategies to increase the awareness of nursing as a career in middle school and address the need for academic rigor. Implications of the review: there is a need for collaboration between nurses and school counselors to design more robust longitudinal studies of middle school interventions for students interested in nursing as a career. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. Leading in Middle Management in Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pepper, Coral; Giles, Wendy

    2015-01-01

    In this article we discuss the experiences of academics who occupy middle-level leadership roles in higher education. We use the term middle management to describe personnel occupying positions below the level of dean and often referred to as associate deans or heads of school. Practitioners rarely turn their attention to their own organizations,…

  9. [Dr. Michiharu Matsuoka, founder of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kyoto University, and his achievements. (Part 7: The academic carrier of Dr. Michiharu Matsuoka--from elementary school to the graduate school, Imperial University of Tokyo)].

    PubMed

    Hirotani, Hayato

    2011-12-01

    The background of the higher education of Dr. Michiharu Matsuoka shown on the official resume was disclosed by Dr. Kazuo Naito in 1986, but the courses of the elementary and secondary schools were not described in it. In regard to his lower educational courses, the author referred to the laws and regulations issued by the Ministry of Education of the Japan Government and the Yamaguchi Prefectural Office. Those were often revised with times. The author presumed the elementary school (Murozumi Primary School [the first established primary school at the birthplace; Murozumi, Hikari-City, Yamaguchi Prefecture]) and middle schools (Prefectural Yamaguchi Middle School and Yamaguchi High School) to which he had been admitted. These presumptions were made to explain his whole educational course without unreasonableness. After finishing the first school year of the Yamaguchi High School, he was transferred to the Preparatory Course of the Yamaguchi Higher School (Yamaguchi Kotô Chugakkô, Yoka), because of the amendment of the educational system. Then he was transferred to the Preparatory Course of the Daisan Higher School (Daisan Kotô Chugakkô, Yoka), and to the Preparatory Course of Daiichi Higher School (Daiichi Kotô Chugakkô, Yoka). After his graduation from the Regular Course of the Daiichi Higher School (Daiichi Kotô Chugakkô, Honka), he was admitted to the Medical College of the Imperial University from which he graduated in 1897. In addition, he was a medical student of the Graduate School of the Imperial University of Tokyo just before he left Japan for studying abroad. The whole academic carrier of Dr. Matsuoka is not only clearly clarified, but it is also indicated that he was one of the successful examples of the educational system proposed by Yamaguchi Prefecture in Meiji era which articulated the local primary and middle schools with the Imperial University of Tokyo.

  10. The physical activity climate in Minnesota middle and high schools.

    PubMed

    Samuelson, Anne; Lytle, Leslie; Pasch, Keryn; Farbakhsh, Kian; Moe, Stacey; Sirard, John Ronald

    2010-11-01

    This article describes policies, practices, and facilities that form the physical activity climate in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota metro area middle and high schools and examines how the physical activity climate varies by school characteristics, including public/private, school location and grade level. Surveys examining school physical activity practices, policies and environment were administered to principals and physical education department heads from 115 middle and high schools participating in the Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer-Identifying Determinants of Eating and Activity (TREC-IDEA) study. While some supportive practices were highly prevalent in the schools studied (such as prohibiting substitution of other classes for physical education); other practices were less common (such as providing opportunity for intramural (noncompetitive) sports). Public schools vs. private schools and schools with a larger school enrollment were more likely to have a school climate supportive of physical activity. Although schools reported elements of positive physical activity climates, discrepancies exist by school characteristics. Of note, public schools were more than twice as likely as private schools to have supportive physical activity environments. Establishing more consistent physical activity expectations and funding at the state and national level is necessary to increase regular school physical activity.

  11. Remote Sensing Training for Middle School through the Center of Excellence in Remote Sensing Education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hayden, L. B.; Johnson, D.; Baltrop, J.

    2012-12-01

    Remote sensing has steadily become an integral part of multiple disciplines, research, and education. Remote sensing can be defined as the process of acquiring information about an object or area of interest without physical contact. As remote sensing becomes a necessity in solving real world problems and scientific questions an important question to consider is why remote sensing training is significant to education and is it relevant to training students in this discipline. What has been discovered is the interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields, specifically remote sensing, has declined in our youth. The Center of Excellence in Remote Sensing Education and Research (CERSER) continuously strives to provide education and research opportunities on ice sheet, coastal, ocean, and marine science. One of those continued outreach efforts are Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) Middle School Program. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation CReSIS Middle School Program offers hands on experience for middle school students. CERSER and NSF offer students the opportunity to study and learn about remote sensing and its vital role in today's society as it relate to climate change and real world problems. The CReSIS Middle School Program is an annual two-week effort that offers middle school students experience with remote sensing and its applications. Specifically, participants received training with Global Positioning Systems (GPS) where the students learned the tools, mechanisms, and applications of a Garmin 60 GPS. As a part of the program the students were required to complete a fieldwork assignment where several longitude and latitude points were given throughout campus. The students had to then enter the longitude and latitude points into the Garmin 60 GPS, navigate their way to each location while also accurately reading the GPS to make sure travel was in the right direction. Upon completion of GPS training the students were able to understand the function of a GPS, how to analyze and comprehend longitude and latitude points, and the importance of GPS devices in real world applications. This paper describes in detail the methodology for organizing a learning environment where participants were able to compile, organize and analyze data, collaborate in a team environment, utilize the scientific method to draw conclusions based on the research they obtained. Various resources and training activities were developed to cultivate student participants' skill set. Students were presented with a problem where they had to develop a hypothesis or scientific question. After clearly defining the problem, it was necessary for the middle school participants to determine the data needed to complete an analysis and ascertain where that data can be found or generated. The training and events held for the CReSIS Middle School Program were proven successful for both these inquiring middle school students at Elizabeth City Middle School, River Road Middle School and the STEM representatives from Elizabeth City State University.Too often, students who live in rural communities or face economic disadvantages often miss out on getting access to important technology. Developing an interest in the STEM fields by a few students' would be considered a total success for the city, community, country, and world.

  12. Comprehensive and Critical Review of Middle Grades Research and Practice 2000-2013

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yoon, Bogum; Malu, Kathleen F.; Schaefer, Mary Beth; Reyes, Cynthia; Brinegar, Kathleen

    2015-01-01

    This article synthesizes reports of middle grades research and practice from 2000-2013 that appeared in "Middle Grades Research Journal," "Middle School Journal," and "Research in Middle Level Education Online," 3 publications that specifically and exclusively report on middle level research and practice. This…

  13. Empowering ELLs through Strong Community-School District Partnerships for Enrichment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rivera, Jessica; Donovan-Pendzic, Esperanza; Marion, Mary Jo

    2015-01-01

    The English Language Learner (ELL) Summer Camp in Worcester, Massachusetts--an intensive six-week program that served middle school and high school students from Worcester Public Schools (WPS)--was the product of a five-way partnership that included the school district, higher education institutions (Latino Education Institute [LEI] at Worcester…

  14. Policies and Opportunities for Physical Activity in Middle School Environments

    PubMed Central

    Young, Deborah R.; Felton, Gwen M.; Grieser, Mira; Elder, John P.; Johnson, Carolyn; Lee, Jung-Sun; Kubik, Martha Y.

    2008-01-01

    BACKGROUND This study examined physical activity opportunities and barriers at 36 geographically diverse middle schools participating in the Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls. METHODS Principals, physical education and health education department heads, and program leaders were interviewed to assess policies and instructional practices that support physical activity. RESULTS Schools provided approximately 110 hours per year in physical education instruction. Approximately 20% of students walked or bicycled to school. Eighty-three percent of schools offered interscholastic sports and 69% offered intramural sports. Most schools offered programs for girls, but on average, only 24 girls (~5%) in the schools attended any programs. Only 25% of schools allowed after school free play. An overall score created to assess school environmental support for physical activity indicated that, on average, schools met 6.7 items of 10 items. Free/reduced lunch program participation versus not (p = .04), perceived priority of physical education instruction over coaching (p = .02), and safety for walking/bicycling to school (p = .02) predicted environmental support score. CONCLUSIONS Schools have policies and practices that support physical activity, although unfavorable practices exist. Schools must work with community partners and officials to provide environments that optimally support physical activity, especially schools that serve low-income students. PMID:17212759

  15. Effects of daily physical education on physical fitness and weight status in middle school adolescents.

    PubMed

    Erfle, Stephen E; Gamble, Abigail

    2015-01-01

    In 2009, the Pennsylvania Department of Health developed the Active Schools Program (ASP) which required 30 minutes of daily physical education (PE) in middle schools to reduce childhood obesity. This investigation evaluated the ASP effects on physical fitness and weight status in middle school adolescents throughout 1 academic year. A quasi-experimental design was used to recruit middle schools into an intervention group (N = 30) or control group (N = 9). Physical fitness outcomes had larger intervention effects than weight status outcomes. These effects were most profound among at-risk students. Multiple linear regression analysis provided a best-guess effect of daily PE on body mass index (BMI) percentile of -1.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) (-1.9, -0.5) for at-risk females and -0.8, 95% CI (-1.5, -0.1) for at-risk males. Much of this benefit is attributable to the differential increase in physical fitness achieved by students with the benefit of having daily PE. Thirty minutes of daily PE can be considered a scientific approach to ameliorate health outcomes in at-risk middle school adolescents, particularly among females. Improvements on BMI percentile among at-risk youth are presaged by greater improvements in physical fitness. This investigation supports a school-based approach aimed to improve behavioral risk factors as a means to reduce childhood obesity. © 2014, American School Health Association.

  16. FMA Live! at Hardy Middle School

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2013-09-16

    Leland Melvin, NASA Associate Administrator for Education and former 2x astronaut, Hardy Middle School Prinipal Patricia Pride, and Tom Buckmaster, President, Honeywell Hometown Solutions introduce "FMA Live!" at Hardy Middle School in Washington on Monday, Sept. 16th, 2013. "FMA Live!" is a program sponsored by NASA and Honeywell that teaches Newton's three laws of motion mixed with dance and music. The program travels across the country and has reached nearly 300,000 students.Photo Credit: (NASA/Jay Westcott)

  17. FMA Live! at Hardy Middle School

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2013-09-16

    Leland Melvin, NASA Associate Administrator for Education and former 2x astronaut,Hardy Middle School Prinipal Patricia Pride, and Tom Buckmaster, President, Honeywell Hometown Solutions introduce "FMA Live!" at Hardy Middle School in Washington on Monday, Sept. 16th, 2013. "FMA Live!" is a program sponsored by NASA and Honeywell that teaches Newton's three laws of motion mixed with dance and music. The program travels across the country and has reached nearly 300,000 students.Photo Credit: (NASA/Jay Westcott)

  18. Multivariate Assessment of Middle School Students' Interest in STEM Career: a Profile from Turkey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koyunlu Ünlü, Zeynep; Dökme, İlbilge

    2018-05-01

    According to a report by the Turkish Industry and Business Association, Turkey will need approximately 1 million individuals to be employed in Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) fields by 2023, and 31% of this requirement will not be met. For continuous economic development, there is a need to integrate STEM into education in Turkey, which brings the need for research in this area. This study, based on a survey model, aimed to determine the level of interest of a sample of Turkish middle school students in STEM careers on the basis of gender, where they lived, grade levels, their end-of-semester grades, and their parents' educational status and levels of income. The research data was collected using the STEM Career Interest Survey (STEM-CIS) and Personal Information Form, which were applied to 851 middle school students (fifth and eighth graders). The collected data was analyzed with SPSS using Mann Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis H tests. It was found that middle school students' interest in STEM careers differed according to sex, where they lived, and grade levels but it did not differ in relation to their parents' educational status and the levels of income of the family. It is believed that the results obtained in this study reflecting the profile in Turkey will guide educational policy makers, curriculum developers, teachers, pre-service teachers, and researchers about STEM education.

  19. Sleep medicine education and knowledge among undergraduate dental students in Middle East universities.

    PubMed

    Talaat, Wael; AlRozzi, Balsam; Kawas, Sausan Al

    2016-01-02

    The aim of this study was to assess the undergraduate dental education in sleep medicine in Middle East universities as well as the students' knowledge in this field. A cross-sectional observational study was carried out during the period from September 2013 to April 2014.Two different questionnaires were used. A self-administered questionnaire and a cover letter were emailed and distributed to 51 randomly selected Middle East dental schools to gather information about their undergraduate sleep medicine education offered in the academic year 2012-2013.The second questionnaire was distributed to the fifth-year dental students in the 2nd Sharjah International Dental Student Conference in April 2014, to assess their knowledge on sleep medicine. A survey to assess knowledge of sleep medicine in medical education (Modified ASKME Survey) was used. Thirty-nine out of 51 (76%) responded to the first questionnaire. Out of the responding schools, only nine schools (23%) reported the inclusion of sleep medicine in their undergraduate curriculum. The total average hours dedicated to teaching sleep medicine in the responding dental schools was 1.2 hours. In the second questionnaire, 29.2% of the respondents were in the high score group, whereas 70.8% scored low in knowledge of sleep-related breathing disorders. Dental students in Middle East universities receive a weak level of sleep medicine education resulting in poor knowledge in this field.

  20. Sleep medicine education and knowledge among undergraduate dental students in Middle East universities.

    PubMed

    Talaat, Wael; AlRozzi, Balsam; Kawas, Sausan Al

    2016-05-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the undergraduate dental education in sleep medicine in Middle East universities as well as the students' knowledge in this field. A cross-sectional observational study was carried out during the period from September 2013 to April 2014.Two different questionnaires were used. A self-administered questionnaire and a cover letter were emailed and distributed to 51 randomly selected Middle East dental schools to gather information about their undergraduate sleep medicine education offered in the academic year 2012-2013.The second questionnaire was distributed to the fifth-year dental students in the 2nd Sharjah International Dental Student Conference in April 2014, to assess their knowledge on sleep medicine. A survey to assess knowledge of sleep medicine in medical education (Modified ASKME Survey) was used. Thirty-nine out of 51 (76%) responded to the first questionnaire. Out of the responding schools, only nine schools (23%) reported the inclusion of sleep medicine in their undergraduate curriculum. The total average hours dedicated to teaching sleep medicine in the responding dental schools was 1.2 hours. In the second questionnaire, 29.2% of the respondents were in the high score group, whereas 70.8% scored low in knowledge of sleep-related breathing disorders. Dental students in Middle East universities receive a weak level of sleep medicine education resulting in poor knowledge in this field.

  1. UNIFIL Peacekeeping and Lebanese National Security

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-03-22

    U.S. Army War College is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market ...Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, (215) 662-5606. The Commission on...to impact the situation in Lebanon and its borders. The terrorist attack against the United States on September 11, 2001, the subsequent “ global war

  2. Using School-Level Interviews to Develop a Multisite PE Intervention Program

    PubMed Central

    Moe, Stacey G.; Pickrel, Julie; McKenzie, Thomas L.; Strikmiller, Patricia K.; Coombs, Derek; Murrie, Dale

    2008-01-01

    The Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls (TAAG) is a randomized, multicenter field trial in middle schools that aims to reduce the decline of physical activity in adolescent girls. To inform the development of the TAAG intervention, two phases of formative research are conducted to gain information on school structure and environment and on the conduct of physical education classes. Principals and designated staff at 64 eligible middle schools were interviewed using the School Survey during Phase 1. The following year (Phase 2), physical education department heads of the 36 schools selected into TAAG were interviewed. Responses were examined to design a standardized, multicomponent physical activity intervention for six regions of the United States. This article describes the contribution of formative research to the development of the physical education intervention component and summarizes the alignment of current school policies and practices with national and state standards. PMID:16397159

  3. Second Chance or No Chance? A Case Study of One Urban Alternative Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kennedy-Lewis, Brianna L.

    2015-01-01

    This qualitative case study focuses on a school created to educate expelled students, specifically examining the relationships between educators' beliefs and philosophies and daily school life. At this school, Kelly's ("Last chance high." Yale University Press, New Haven, 1993) competing philosophies of "traditionalism" and…

  4. Seeking: Special Education Director

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Collins, Jeanne

    2007-01-01

    The author recently left her position as special services director in an urban school district in Vermont, a state that embraces inclusion for students with disabilities, to accept the position of superintendent of schools in the same district. The new job requires overseeing the educational mission of six elementary schools, two middle schools, a…

  5. An Inquiry Safari

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thomson, Norman; Chapman, Seri

    2004-01-01

    The Virtual Gorilla Modeling Project--a professional development project--is a collaboration of middle and high school inservice teachers, Zoo Atlanta primatologists, science and computer educators, and students. During a 10-day professional development summer workshop, middle and high school teachers explore the world of the gorilla through…

  6. Alternative Education Guidelines, Model Middle School Alternative Education Program. Workshop II. Prevention Programs & Funding.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Association of School Security Directors, Bellevue, WA.

    These workshop materials are the guidelines Broward County (Florida) has established to carry out the state legislative mandate authorizing school boards to establish educational alternative programs to meet the individual needs and interests of students who are disruptive, unsucessful, or disinterested in the normal school environment. Included…

  7. Predicting Student Performance in Statewide High-Stakes Tests for Middle School Mathematics Using the Results from Third Party Testing Instruments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meylani, Rusen; Bitter, Gary G.; Castaneda, Rene

    2014-01-01

    In this study regression and neural networks based methods are used to predict statewide high-stakes test results for middle school mathematics using the scores obtained from third party tests throughout the school year. Such prediction is of utmost significance for school districts to live up to the state's educational standards mandated by the…

  8. Identifying Teacher, School, and District Characteristics Associated with Middle and High School Teachers' Use of Technology: A Multilevel Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Dwyer, Laura M.; Russell, Michael; Bebell, Damian

    2005-01-01

    Investment in educational technology has increased rapidly in recent years and many observers have begun to question whether, and how technology is being used as a teaching and learning tool. In order to address this issue, this research used survey data collected from 1,404 "middle and high school teachers" in 52 schools across 22…

  9. A Comparative Study of Parental Involvement and Its Effect on African-American Male and Overall Student Achievement at Single Gender and Coeducational Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nellums, Michael W.

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine if Parental Involvement influenced academic performance at single gender and co-educational schools. This study also compared African American male academic achievement with all students enrolled in two single gender, and one coeducational, middle school programs. Although all three schools reflected a…

  10. The Implementation Process of Two Multigrade/Multiyear Teams in Two Middle Schools in South Florida: A Cross-Site Case Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heeney, Margaret R.

    Multigrade grouping is the practice of intentionally grouping two or more grade levels in the same classroom to enhance learning. It is becoming a much discussed and implemented alternative grouping practice in middle level education. This paper describes the implementation process of two multigrade "teams" in two Florida middle schools,…

  11. East Coast/West Coast Art Project: A Constructivist and Technological Approach to Middle Level and Higher Education Collaboration

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Margaret H.; Kieling, Linda W.; Cooper, Susan L.

    2014-01-01

    In this article, the authors report on usage of 21st-century technology, and a collaborative project that allowed middle school art students and preservice teachers to share their artwork and receive feedback in a constructivist learning environment. Middle school students often deal with issues such as bullying, divorce, and depression; they can…

  12. What Counts When It Comes to School Enjoyment and Aspiration in the Middle Grades

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Megan L.; Mann, Michael J.; Georgieva, Zornitsa; Curtis, Reagan; Schimmel, Christine J.

    2016-01-01

    Young adolescents, and the middle level educators who work with them, face many exciting but demanding challenges during this key period of development. According to stage-environment fit theory, the degree to which middle grades students perceive a good fit between their school environment and their needs impacts their academic and life outcomes.…

  13. A Delphi study: Practitioners' perceptions of how the science curriculum is differentiated for academically gifted students at the middle school level

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kelley, Jean Mary

    The purpose of this study was to identify, analyze, and compare the perceptions of selected district science educators and teachers of middle school science students regarding the following issues: (1) Current methods of differentiating science instruction for gifted middle school students. (2) Strengths of the current methods of differentiating science instruction for gifted middle school students. (3) Weaknesses of the current methods of differentiating science instruction for gifted middle school students. (4) The types of training/experience needed to prepare teachers to effectively differentiate science instruction for gifted middle school students. (5) The steps need to develop an effective differentiated science program at the middle school level. (6) Trends for the future development of differentiated science programs at the middle school level. The panel of educators was identified using the Delphi technique and asked to participate in the study by responding to the research questions. The responses to the first round were condensed into two lists of discrete statements, and in the second round, each group of panelists was asked to rank each statement on a Likert scale. A third round was sent to each group of panel members showing the median and interquartile ranges of the second round. Panelists could adjust their responses based on the results of the second round. The analysis of the data was computed using the computer program Statistics Package for the Social Sciences. Based on the data obtained, the following results and conclusions were determined. The coordinators and the teachers both considered training of teachers, strategies for differentiation, and future trends to be the most important considerations. The areas with the most differences were those dealing with the current methods of differentiating science instruction at the middle school level. There were several limitations identified in this study. Among them were the makeup of the sample of panelists and different definitions of the same term(s). If we are to address the needs of middle school students who are academically gifted in science, teachers and coordinators need to communicate more about expectations in the classroom and what is really happening.

  14. Technology Education Benefits from the Inclusion of Pre-Engineering Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rogers, Steve; Rogers, George E.

    2005-01-01

    Technology education is being taught today in almost every high school and middle school in America. Over 1000 technology education departments are now including pre-engineering education in their programs. According to these authors, the time has come for the profession to agree that including pre-engineering education in technology education…

  15. Similarities and Differences of Preferred Traits in Character Education Programs by Ethnicity and Class According to Parents, Faculty/Staff, and Students at Two Middle Schools in California

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boen, Jennifer

    2010-01-01

    This study provides two perspectives on the various character traits provided by character education programs by comparing the voices of minority and lower-lower middle class stakeholders with those of upper middle class stakeholders. The literature on the values and virtues based approaches to moral development and character education were…

  16. Differences between the Sexes among Protestant Christian Middle School Students and Their Attitudes toward Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Michael, Kurt Y.; Alsup, Philip R.

    2016-01-01

    Research focusing on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education among conservative Protestant Christian school students is scarce. Crenshaw's intersectionality theory is examined as it pertains to religion as a group identifier. The STEM Semantic Survey was completed by 157 middle school students attending six different private…

  17. Technological Studies at Thomas Edison Middle School. Grades 6-7-8.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foster, Patrick N.

    This technology studies curriculum for grades 6-8 is a plan for each middle school student to experience technology education for approximately 60 days (1 trimester of a 180-day school year) in each grade. Section A provides definitions; structure or content for grade-level programs with science and technology unifiers (unifying curricular…

  18. An Evolutionary Journey: The Case Study of East Muskingum Middle School. Transforming Learning Communities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morrow, Linda E.; Martin, Kaye M.; Glascock, Catherine H.

    This book is part of a series of case studies that demonstrate better ways to educate Ohio's students. The case study is part of the Transforming Learning Communities (TLC) Project, designed to support significant school-reform efforts among Ohio's elementary, middle, and high schools. This report describes the implementation of an innovative…

  19. Adolescents' Psychological Well-Being and Perceived Parental Involvement: Implications for Parental Involvement in Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cripps, Kayla; Zyromski, Brett

    2009-01-01

    Adolescence is a critical period of development. Previous research suggests parent involvement in school directly impacts student success. However, different types of parental involvement and the efforts of middle school personnel to educate parents about these effective practices have received scant attention in the literature. The level and type…

  20. "It All depends...": Middle School Teachers Evaluate Single-Sex Classes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spielhagen, Frances R.

    2011-01-01

    This mixed-methods study explored the effectiveness of single-sex classes according to key stakeholders in this educational reform--the teachers who choose or are hired to teach in single-sex classes and schools. Specifically, this study examined the on-the-ground experiences of middle school teachers as they attempted to implement a relatively…

  1. The Influence of Teachers' Knowledge on Student Learning in Middle School Physical Science Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sadler, Philip M.; Sonnert, Gerhard; Coyle, Harold P.; Cook-Smith, Nancy; Miller, Jaimie L.

    2013-01-01

    This study examines the relationship between teacher knowledge and student learning for 9,556 students of 181 middle school physical science teachers. Assessment instruments based on the National Science Education Standards with 20 items in common were administered several times during the school year to both students and their teachers. For items…

  2. Middle Grades to High School: Mending a Weak Link. Research Brief.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cooney, Sondra; Bottoms, Gene

    This research brief describes a study of the readiness for high school of eighth-graders who participated in the Southern Regional Education Board's (SREB) Middle Grades Assessment in spring 2000. The assessment included testing in reading, math, and science, and surveys of students and teachers. Following the 2000-01 school year, SREB gathered…

  3. Parental Aspirations for Their Children's Educational Attainment: Relations to Ethnicity, Parental Education, Children's Academic Performance, and Parental Perceptions of School Climate

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spera, Christopher; Wentzel, Kathryn R.; Matto, Holly C.

    2009-01-01

    This study examined parental aspirations for their children's educational attainment in relation to ethnicity (African American, Asian, Caucasian, Hispanic), parental education, children's academic performance, and parental perceptions of the quality and climate of their children's school with a sample of 13,577 middle and high school parents. All…

  4. The Impact of the Seaside Health Education Conference on Middle School Health Programs in Oregon.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Girvan, James T.

    This paper presents an evaluation of the Seaside Health Education Conference (SHEC) that, for ten years, has been held yearly for the purpose of promoting health education in Oregon schools by providing in-service programs for teachers. Each school district attending the SHEC comes as a team composed of health educators, other teachers,…

  5. [Analysis on risk factors of screen time among Chinese primary and middle school students in 12 provinces].

    PubMed

    Wu, X Y; Tao, S M; Zhang, S C; Zhang, Y K; Huang, K; Tao, F B

    2016-06-01

    To investigate the characteristics of screen time and its risk factors in Chinese primary and middle school students. During April 2012 and June 2012, according to the geographical distribution, the stratified random cluster sampling method was used to select 4 provinces from eastern, central and western China, respectively. The convenience sampling method was used to select 2 primary and middle schools from urban, 2 primary and middle schools from rural in each province. In each school, all grades were included, and 2 classes were selected in each grade. A total of 51 866 students or parents were selected as study participants, and 43 771 questionnaires were valid. Information on demographics, academic performance, screen time (TV, computer and cellphone) at weekdays and weekends and the prevalence of the high screen time were compared, multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the association between screen time >2 h/d and potential influential factors. The percentage of students with screen time >2 h/d at weekdays and weekends were 16.2% (7 082/43 771) and 41.5% (18 141/43 771) (χ(2)=6 280.14, P<0.001), respectively. The distribution of P50 (P25-P75) for screen time at weekdays and weekends were 0.9(0.4-1.6) and 1.8(1.0-3.0) (Z=-131.26, P<0.001), respectively. The results of multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that, at weekdays, subjects characterized as primary school students, boys, urban area, living in western area and sufficient vigorous physical activity ≤2 d/w had higher risk for screen time >2 h/d than those characterized as elementary school students, girls, rural area, living in eastern area and sufficient vigorous physical activity >3 d/w, odds ratio were 2.01, 1.54, 1.21, 1.09, and 1.07, respectively (P<0.05 for all); subjects characterized as a normal or worse self rating academic performance had higher risk for screen time >2 h/d than those characterized as a good self rating academic performance, odds ratioes were 1.24 and 1.73, respectively (P<0.05 for all); subjects characterized as paternal education level as elementary school, middle school, high school or secondary school had higher risk for screen time >2 h/d than those characterized as paternal education level as college school or high, odds ratioes were 1.41, 1.47 and 1.52, respectively (P<0.05 for all); subjects characterized as maternal education level as elementary school, middle school and high school or secondary school had higher risk for screen time >2 h/d than those characterized as maternal education level as college, odds ratioes were 1.40, 1.52 and 1.47, respectively (P<0.05 for all). At weekends, subjects characterized as primary school students, boys, urban area and sufficient vigorous physical activity ≤2 d/w had higher risk for screen time >2 h/d than those characterized as elementary school students, girls, rural area and sufficient vigorous physical activity >3 d/w, odds ratioes were 2.11, 1.51, 1.20 and 1.05, respectively (P<0.05 for all). At weekends, subjects characterized as a normal or worse self rating academic performance had higher risk for screen time >2 h/d than those characterized as a good self rating academic performance, odds ratioes were 1.09 and 1.26, respectively (P<0.05 for all); subjects characterized as paternal education level as elementary school, middle school, high school or secondary school had higher risk for screen time >2 h/d than those characterized as paternal education level as college school or high, odds ratioes were 1.29, 1.30 and 1.19, respectively (P<0.05 for all); subjects characterized as maternal education level as elementary school, middle school had higher risk for screen time >2 h/d than those characterized as maternal education level as college school or high, odds ratioes were 1.19 and 1.16 and, respectively (P<0.05 for all). The prevalence of screen time >2 h/d is high; screen time at weekdays is longer than weekends, and there are significant differences among different sexes, urban or rural areas, living areas, self rating academic performance, parents education levels and physical activity groups.

  6. Middle School Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment. The Handbook of Research in Middle Level Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anfara, Vincent A., Jr., Ed.; Stacki, Sandra L., Ed.

    This volume theorizes, describes, and explains practices and some specific programs designed to help meet the needs and demands of a diverse student population. The central point of this volume is that curriculum, instruction, and assessment in middle-level education is a dynamic, interrelated system undergoing change. The book contains the…

  7. Professional development in photonics: the advanced technology education projects of the New England Board of Education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Donnelly, Judith; Hanes, Fenna; Massa, Nicholas

    2007-09-01

    Since 1995, the New England Board of Education (NEBHE) has been providing curriculum and professional development as well as laboratory improvement in optics/photonics to middle school and high school teachers and college faculty across the United States. With funding from the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technology Education program, NEBHE's optics/photonics education projects have created a national network of educational and industry alliances resulting in opportunities in optics and photonics for students at participating schools and colleges. The cornerstone of NEBHE projects is collaboration among educational levels, career counselors and teachers/faculty, and industry and academia. In such a rich atmosphere of cooperation, participants have been encouraged to create their own regional projects and activities involving students from middle school through four-year universities. In this paper we will describe the evolution of teacher/faculty professional development from a traditional week-long summer workshop to a collaborative distance learning laboratory course based on adult learning principles and supported by a national network of industry mentors.

  8. Metrological traceability in education: A practical online system for measuring and managing middle school mathematics instruction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Torres Irribarra, D.; Freund, R.; Fisher, W.; Wilson, M.

    2015-02-01

    Computer-based, online assessments modelled, designed, and evaluated for adaptively administered invariant measurement are uniquely suited to defining and maintaining traceability to standardized units in education. An assessment of this kind is embedded in the Assessing Data Modeling and Statistical Reasoning (ADM) middle school mathematics curriculum. Diagnostic information about middle school students' learning of statistics and modeling is provided via computer-based formative assessments for seven constructs that comprise a learning progression for statistics and modeling from late elementary through the middle school grades. The seven constructs are: Data Display, Meta-Representational Competence, Conceptions of Statistics, Chance, Modeling Variability, Theory of Measurement, and Informal Inference. The end product is a web-delivered system built with Ruby on Rails for use by curriculum development teams working with classroom teachers in designing, developing, and delivering formative assessments. The online accessible system allows teachers to accurately diagnose students' unique comprehension and learning needs in a common language of real-time assessment, logging, analysis, feedback, and reporting.

  9. Resiliency and School Counseling

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akos, Patrick

    2003-01-01

    Using his experience as an elementary school and middle school counselor, as well as his background in counselor education, Dr. Akos provides a look at the integration of resiliency into school counseling.

  10. An Exploratory Study of a Robotics Educational Platform on STEM Career Interests in Middle School Students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hinton, Tracy Barger

    With the large expected growth in STEM-related careers in American industries, there are not enough graduates to fill these positions (United States Department of Labor, 2015). Increased efforts are being made to reform STEM education from early childhood to college level studies, mainly through increased efforts to incorporate new technologies and project-based learning activities (Hegedorn & Purnamasari, 2012). At the middle school level, a robotics educational platform can be a worthwhile activity that provides hands-on learning as students learn basic programming and engineering skills (Grubbs, 2013). Based on the popularity of LEGO toys, LEGO Education developed an engaging and effective way to learn about computer programming and basic engineering concepts (Welch & Huffman, 2011). LEGO MINDSTORMS offers a project-based learning environment that engages students in real-life, problem-solving challenges. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the instructional use of a robotics educational curriculum on middle school students' attitudes toward and interests in STEM and their experiences with LEGO Robotics activities. Participants included 23 seventh grade students who were enrolled in a Career Cluster Technologies I class in a suburban middle school. Data for the study were collected from three focus group interviews, open-ended surveys, classroom observations, and the Career Cruising program. Findings revealed that the robotics activities led to an increased interest and higher self-efficacy in STEM tasks. If students continue to nurture and develop their STEM interests, it is possible that many of them may develop higher confidence and eventually set personal goals related to STEM classes and careers. While other studies have been conducted on similar topics, this qualitative research is unique because it contributed to the gap in research that investigates the impact of an in-class robotics curriculum on middle school students' attitudes and interests in STEM. Throughout the robotics unit, students exhibited positive reactions, including much excitement and enjoyment as they solved the robotics challenges. In addition, students demonstrated a greater interest in STEM courses and careers as a result of this hands-on activity. Middle school teachers should incorporate STEM-based activities such as robotics to help students gain hands-on STEM skills.

  11. A multilevel latent growth modelling of the longitudinal changes in motivation regulations in physical education.

    PubMed

    Jaakkola, Timo; Wang, John; Yli-Piipari, Sami; Liukkonen, Jarmo

    2015-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine individual- and classroom-level differences in the longitudinal change in motivational regulations during physical education students' transition from elementary (Grade 6) across middle school (Grades 7 to 9). A sample of 757 Finnish adolescents (M = 12.71, SD = 0.23) participated in this study. Participants of the study responded to questionnaires collected six times. A multilevel latent growth modelling approach was used to analyze the data. Results showed that motivational regulations in physical education developed at different rates during middle school. More specifically, students': (a) identified regulation increased across Grades 6 to 9; (b) amotivation increased during middle school transition from Grade 6 to 7; and (c) introjected regulation declined from Grade 8 to 9. Other motivational regulations remained stable across time. The changes in amotivation and introjected regulation were largely due to individual factors, whereas the changes in identified regulation were due to environmental factors. Key pointsStudents' identified regulation increased across Grades 6 to 9.Students' amotivation increased across middle school transition from Grade 6 to 7.Students' introjected regulation declined from Grade 8 to 9.Other motivational regulations remained stable across time.

  12. A Multilevel Latent Growth Modelling of the Longitudinal Changes in Motivation Regulations in Physical Education

    PubMed Central

    Jaakkola, Timo; Wang, John; Yli-Piipari, Sami; Liukkonen, Jarmo

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine individual- and classroom-level differences in the longitudinal change in motivational regulations during physical education students’ transition from elementary (Grade 6) across middle school (Grades 7 to 9). A sample of 757 Finnish adolescents (M = 12.71, SD = 0.23) participated in this study. Participants of the study responded to questionnaires collected six times. A multilevel latent growth modelling approach was used to analyze the data. Results showed that motivational regulations in physical education developed at different rates during middle school. More specifically, students’: (a) identified regulation increased across Grades 6 to 9; (b) amotivation increased during middle school transition from Grade 6 to 7; and (c) introjected regulation declined from Grade 8 to 9. Other motivational regulations remained stable across time. The changes in amotivation and introjected regulation were largely due to individual factors, whereas the changes in identified regulation were due to environmental factors. Key points Students’ identified regulation increased across Grades 6 to 9. Students’ amotivation increased across middle school transition from Grade 6 to 7. Students’ introjected regulation declined from Grade 8 to 9. Other motivational regulations remained stable across time. PMID:25729304

  13. The Influence of University Coursework on Pre-service Middle and High School Teachers' Experiences with Multicultural Themes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Verma, Geeta

    2009-08-01

    The study explored the influence of university-based teacher education courses on pre-service middle and high school teachers’ experiences with multicultural themes in a secondary science alternative certification program. Eight participants ( N = 8), six women and two men, volunteered to be a part of the study that took place over a period of four semesters. Qualitative data was collected, coded and analyzed to make meaning of the participants’ experiences. Data comprised of participants’ reflective journals, personal and group interviews, and classroom observations done in middle school practicum and high school student teaching placements. The findings indicated that while the participants became more familiar with the themes of multicultural education, many did not demonstrate fluency with these themes and struggled with balancing their responsibilities as a science teacher and a culturally competent teacher.

  14. The role of sex, self-perception, and school bonding in predicting academic achievement among middle class African American early adolescents.

    PubMed

    Eisele, Heather; Zand, Debra H; Thomson, Nicole Renick

    2009-01-01

    To date, little research has addressed within-group variables as predictors of academic achievement among middle-class African American youth. The present study helped fill this gap by investigating the role of sex, self-perceptions, and school bonding as predictors of academic success among 174 middle class early adolescent boys (n = 91) and girls residing in a large Midwestern city. Results of a path analysis indicated that gender identity fully mediated the relationship between biological sex and adolescents' perceptions of peer acceptance. Perceptions of peer acceptance were positively related to perceptions of behavior, which, in turn, were related to school bonding. School bonding was then related to academic achievement. The findings are discussed within the context of helping educators to better meet students' educational needs.

  15. Effectiveness of Basic Life Support Training for Middle School Students.

    PubMed

    Aloush, Sami; Tubaishat, Ahmad; ALBashtawy, Mohammed; Suliman, Mohammad; Alrimawi, Intima; Al Sabah, Ashraf; Banikhaled, Yousef

    2018-01-01

    Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation improves survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a basic life support (BLS) educational course given to 110 middle school children, using a pretest posttest design. In the pretest, students were asked to demonstrate BLS on a manikin to simulate a real-life scenario. After the pretest, a BLS training course of two sessions was provided, followed by posttest on the same manikin. Students were assessed using an observational sheet based on the American Heart Association's BLS guidelines. In the pretest, students showed significant weakness in the majority of guidelines. In the posttest, they demonstrated significant improvement in their BLS skills. BLS training in the middle school was effective, considering the lack of previous skills. It is recommended that BLS education be compulsory in the school setting.

  16. Survey of attitude and knowledge of reproductive health among middle school students in Luoyang, China.

    PubMed

    Wang, P; Zhang, Y J; Pan, X J; Xia, X Y; Lv, S Y

    2014-03-24

    The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitude of AIDS and sexual behavior of middle school students. Structural questionnaires were designed to interview 1980 junior and senior middle school students about their basic knowledge, attitude, and behavior with respect to AIDS and sexual behavior. Students were recruited from the six most common middle schools of the six regions in Luoyang City of the Henan Province of China by cluster sampling from September to December of 2004. Results showed that 54.5% of students had not learned about the prevention of HIV/AIDS in school, and 38.3% of students did not have any knowledge about the route of transmission of HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, 91.2% of students were reluctant to share a classroom with HIV/AIDS patients. Approximately 21.7% of students had read books, watched videos, and consulted other media related to sex, 1.1% of students had had sexual intercourse during high school, and 80.5% believed that health education on HIV/AIDS and sex was necessary. The results of this survey showed that middle school students have little knowledge about HIV/AIDS and sex. Therefore, health education programs for HIV/AIDS prevention and sexual health should be developed as soon as possible to help students peacefully get through a sexually puzzling period of life.

  17. Understanding Optimal School Experience: Contributions from Montessori Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rathunde, Kevin

    2014-01-01

    After summarizing the results from two studies the author conducted in Montessori middle schools, the chapter discusses nine characteristics of Montessori education in relation to various theoretical perspectives on education and development. [This article originally appeared as NSSE Yearbook Vol. 113, No. 1.

  18. The Organization of Correctional Education Services

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gehring, Thom

    2007-01-01

    There have been five major types of correctional education organizations over the centuries: Sabbath school, traditional or decentralized, bureau, correctional school district (CSD), and integral education. The middle three are modern organizational patterns that can be implemented throughout a system: Decentralized, bureau, and CSD. The…

  19. Physical Education Objectives. DOD Dependents Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dependents Schools (DOD), Washington, DC.

    These program objectives were developed to support the Department of Defense Dependent Schools Five Year Curriculum Development Plan and are designed to provide a basis for elementary, middle, and secondary school physical education curricula. A balance of psychomotor, cognitive, and affective aspects is emphasized. General, program, and…

  20. Who Is Teaching California School Administrators? A Profile of California Professors of Educational Administration.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Townley, Arthur J.; Sweeney, Dwight P.

    1993-01-01

    Reports findings of a survey of 78 California educational administration professors. The survey sought information concerning age, gender, ethnicity, education, employment status, prior school administrative experience, and differentiated pay. California education professors are overwhelmingly white, male, and middle-aged or older. Diversified…

  1. Understanding the Charter School Special Education Gap: Evidence from Denver, Colorado

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Winters, Marcus A.

    2014-01-01

    Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) commissioned Dr. Marcus Winters to analyze the factors driving the special education gap between Denver's charter and traditional public elementary and middle schools. Using student-level data, Winters shows that Denver's special education enrollment gap starts at roughly 2 percentage points in…

  2. DOES SCHOOL INTEGRATION CONFLICT WITH QUALITY EDUCATION.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DODSON, DAN W.

    ONLY THROUGH QUALITY EDUCATION PROVIDED IN RACIALLY BALANCED SCHOOLS WILL CHILDREN OF DIFFERENT CULTURAL AND RACIAL BACKGROUNDS LEARN THE CITIZENSHIP SKILLS NEEDED IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY. THE BASIC ISSUE FOR EDUCATION IS THE NEED TO PROVIDE NEGROES WITH GENUINE QUALITY EDUCATION WHICH WILL EQUIP THEM FOR ENTRY INTO THE MIDDLE CLASS LEVEL OF…

  3. A Handbook for Educators: Encouraging Parent Involvement in Low SES Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barbee, Marlen Worsham

    2010-01-01

    Parent involvement has been the focus of many educational research studies since the release of "Equality of educational opportunity" (1966), which concluded that parents and home environment determine students' academic success. Since that time, educators have worked toward identifying effective strategies to increase home-school collaboration in…

  4. Summer of Innovation Kick Off

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2010-06-09

    Jet Propulsion Laboratory Manager of Elementary and Secondary Education David Seidel motivates teachers and middle school students during the kick off of NASA's Summer of Innovation program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., Thursday, June 10, 2010. Through the program, NASA will engage thousands of middle school students and teachers in stimulating math and science-based education programs with the goal of increasing the number of future scientists, mathematicians, and engineers. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  5. Young Adolescents' Stress in School, Self-Reported Distress, and Academic Achievement: A Longitudinal Study in an Urban Middle School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grannis, Joseph C.

    In the 1982-1983 school year, the Public Education Association, an educational advocacy organization in New York City, undertook an action research project on young adolescents' stress in school. The project was located in one inner-city intermediate school for 4 years and is now following graduates of that school in the city's high schools. As…

  6. African American Girls' Perceptions of Their Adjustment from Coeducational Elementary Schools to a Single-Gender Middle School, and How They Believe Educators Can Best Support This Transition: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Presley, Christal L.

    2009-01-01

    his qualitative and quantitative study investigated student perceptions of seventh-grade African American females who transitioned from a coeducational elementary school to a single-gender middle school. This study was conducted by surveying students, having them answer writing prompts, and interviewing them. Data furnished by the respondents was…

  7. Education and Certification Qualifications of Public Middle Grades Teachers of Selected Subjects: Evidence from the 2011-12 Schools and Staffing Survey. NCES 2015-815

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baldi, Stéphane; Warner-Griffin, Catharine; Tadler, Chrystine

    2015-01-01

    This report examines the postsecondary majors and teaching certifications of middle grades teachers in public schools in selected subject areas by using data from the 2011-12 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). SASS is a sample survey of elementary and secondary schools in the United States that collects data on American public and private…

  8. Teacher Education for the Intermediate School Staff.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stainbrook, James R., Jr.

    The aim of this 1970 investigation was to analyze the professional education of Indiana's intermediate school teachers. This analysis involved a comparison of the data collected from middle and junior high school teachers. Results obtained from the junior high school teachers were also utilized in a second comparison with the findings from a…

  9. School Building Design for Feeding Programmes and Community Outreach: Insights from Ghana and South Africa

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Uduku, Ola

    2011-01-01

    This article investigates how school building design can support primary school feeding programmes in low- and middle-income countries. Furthermore it argues for schools to become community "development hubs"; incorporating both local access to education and also to programmes for nutrition, ICT, health education and other services,…

  10. Single-Sex Education versus Coeducation in North Georgia Public Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blake, Catherine Danielle

    2012-01-01

    The U.S. Department of Education is giving more liberties to school districts to offer single-sex schools in order to adequately serve the needs of students. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to test the theory of students' performances based on their educational environment by comparing students who received…

  11. 'Tween Crayons and Curfews: Tips for Middle School Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wolpert-Gawron, Heather

    2011-01-01

    Teach well. Be happy. In this book, Heather Wolpert-Gawron, author of the popular education blog "Tweenteacher" shares ideas for teaching an age group that too often presents a challenge for educators. With sparkling humor and a unique, fundamental understanding of the middle children of education, the award-winning teacher offers tried-and-true…

  12. Middle Start Technology Facts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holland, Holly

    Equity is an important part of technology education. Without adequate equipment and training, schools shortchange students and limit their ability to compete with their more fortunate peers. This is especially important at the middle school level because computer assisted instruction not only taps into adolescents' natural curiosity, but also can…

  13. Dimensions of Diversity: The Fenway Middle College High School Comes to Bunker Hill Community College.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Assar, Kathleen E.

    The "Middle College" concept, first developed at LaGuardia Community College in New York and successfully replicated at 18 other colleges around the country, brings a group of high school students onto a college campus where they receive some or all of their high school education. By exposing students to the college environment, such…

  14. Opening a Gateway to College Access: Algebra at the Right Time. Research Brief

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Snipes, Jason; Finkelstein, Neal

    2015-01-01

    Four years of math in high school, with a strong foundation in algebra that builds from middle school, is key to higher education access. Therefore, ensuring that middle and high school students succeed in math--and in algebra in particular--is an important issue for policy and practice. This research brief examines three recent Regional…

  15. An Analysis of Water Safety Behaviors among Migrant and Economically/Educationally Disadvantaged Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sbarbaro, Victor S.; Enyeart Smith, Theresa M.

    2011-01-01

    This water safety study was both descriptive and exploratory in nature. The purpose was for middle school students to assess their own water safety experiences and to help school decision-makers determine the extent of drowning/water accidents. In July 2009, a water safety survey was administered to 122 students participating in the local Summer…

  16. Banned and Punished: A Study of Disciplinary Consequences and Reading Achievement among Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thomas, Erica M.

    2014-01-01

    The impact that removal of students from the educational setting has on student reading achievement (and later life outcomes) was the impetus for this study which sought to identify whether a relationship existed between an increasingly greater frequency of out of school suspension (OSS days) and reading achievement for middle school students.…

  17. Middle School Students Discussing Controversial Issues to Learn about Civic Engagement: A Randomized Evaluation of the Word Generation Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Alex; Lawrence, Joshua; Snow, Catherine

    2014-01-01

    Although past research suggests that civic education programs can be effective in helping students become more civically engaged, this study tests whether these treatment effects are generalizable across an urban school district with multiple middle school sites. This study also contributes understanding of how treatment effects may vary for…

  18. Effects of Year-Round Education on Texas Middle School Student Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coopersmith, Michael

    2011-01-01

    This study was designed to investigate the effects of the year-round calendar on student performance in Texas middle schools as measured by achievement on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test. In the State of Texas, 15 schools served students in grades six through eight using the year-round calendar in 2009-2010. The 15…

  19. Using Assessment Data to Guide Math Course Placement of California Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huang, Chun-Wei; Snipes, Jason; Finkelstein, Neal

    2016-01-01

    Middle school math placement and progression are topics that are part of an active policy and practice discussion in California and elsewhere. Beginning in the 2008/09 school year, California's State Board of Education recommended that students complete algebra I by the end of grade 8. Between 2003 and 2009 the proportion of grade 8 students…

  20. A Case Study of Middle School Teachers' Preparations for High-Stakes Assessments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yeary, David Lee

    2017-01-01

    Students, educators, and schools across the country have been presented with challenges as a result of rigorous standards and high-complexity tests. The problem addressed in this case study was that teachers in a rural middle school in a southeastern state were preparing students to take a new high-stakes state-mandated assessment in English…

  1. Middle School Drum Ensemble: An Unlikely Experience in Classroom Democracy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barbre, James

    2013-01-01

    Though music has a long and successful history within education, it is often one of the first sacrificial lambs when school budgets tighten. Over the course of an academic year, a documentary film sought to tell the story of an American middle school drum ensemble. The context of this group provided an ideal way to examine the nature of student…

  2. The Dog That Didn't Bark: Preschool Education and Middle-School Attitudes in Tulsa

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Phillips, Deborah A.; Anderson, Sara; Gormley, William T., Jr.

    2018-01-01

    To examine associations between participation in Tulsa's preschool programs and a set of middle-school attitudes, we used propensity score weighting to compare the Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) pre-K participants and, separately, the Community Action Project (CAP) Head Start participants to students who had attended neither TPS pre-K nor Head Start…

  3. Exploring Career Pathways. A Guide for Expanding Vocational-Technical Education in the Middle School/Junior High School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baxter, Jim

    This guide, which was developed for Idaho middle and junior high school teachers, provides a framework for developing hands-on curricula that will acquaint students with concepts and activities common to a wide range of occupations. Presented after a brief introduction explaining the rationale for a curriculum based on career pathways are a…

  4. The Effect of Enrollment in Middle School Challenge Courses on Advanced Placement Exams in Social Studies and Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glaude-Bolte, Katherine

    2010-01-01

    Educators seek to guide students through appropriate programs and courses that prepare them for future success, in more advanced coursework and in other challenges of life. Some middle schools offer Challenge, or honors, courses for students who have demonstrated high ability. High schools often offer Advanced Placement (AP) courses, which are…

  5. Differentiating Reading Instruction for Special Education Students in an Inclusive Middle School: Comparing Teacher Knowledge and Application

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ziegler, Lauran Ellis

    2010-01-01

    This qualitative case study uses observations and interviews to examine the practice of differentiation by twelve collaborative middle school reading teachers in a school that has shown a decrease in the achievement gap for students with disabilities on end of year tests on state standards. Observations and interviews were analyzed to determine…

  6. The Impact of the Stanford Math Intervention Program and School Climate on Mathematics Achievement Levels of Female Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carwell, Tamika L.

    2012-01-01

    The study's focus was to determine whether or not there was a significant statistical relationship between improved student performance scores from the Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY) Stanford Math Intervention Program and Discovery Formative Assessment mathematics mean scores of female middle school students. An additional focus of…

  7. Technology Education--A Broader Approach.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Petersen, M. Larry

    Technology education is now an integral part of the curriculum in middle school and high school programs of the Logan (Utah) City Schools. The five major vertical curriculum cores required of all ninth-grade students are human resource management, free enterprise applications, career insights and opportunities, technology trends, and counseling…

  8. An International Look at Educating Young Adolescents. The Handbook of Research in Middle Level Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mertens, Steven B., Ed; Anfara, Vincent A., Ed.; Roney, Kathleen, Ed.

    2009-01-01

    Studies like the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) have compared the performance of U.S. middle grade students (i.e., eighth graders) to those in other countries. In relation to middle grade schools, 20 countries outperformed the United States in mathematics and nine countries scored above the U.S. in science. The intent of…

  9. Changes in academic adjustment and relational self-worth across the transition to middle school.

    PubMed

    Ryan, Allison M; Shim, Sungok Serena; Makara, Kara A

    2013-09-01

    Moving from elementary to middle school is a time of great transition for many early adolescents. The present study examined students' academic adjustment and relational self-worth at 6-month intervals for four time points spanning the transition from elementary school to middle school (N = 738 at time 1; 53 % girls; 54 % African American, 46 % European American). Grade point average (G.P.A.), intrinsic value for schoolwork, self-worth around teachers, and self-worth around friends were examined at every time point. The overall developmental trajectory indicated that G.P.A. and intrinsic value for schoolwork declined. The overall decline in G.P.A. was due to changes at the transition and across the first year in middle school. Intrinsic value declined across all time points. Self-worth around teachers was stable. The developmental trends were the same regardless of gender or ethnicity except for self-worth around friends, which was stable for European American students and increased for African American students due to an ascent at the transition into middle school. Implications for the education of early adolescents in middle schools are discussed.

  10. Gender and School Choice: Factors Influencing Parents When Choosing Single-Sex or Co-Educational Independent Schools for Their Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jackson, Carolyn; Bisset, Moray

    2005-01-01

    This paper explores factors influencing parents' choices of single-sex or co-educational schools in the independent sector. In doing so, it explores two relatively under-researched aspects of school choice by focusing upon gender and upon the middle classes. The paper draws upon research conducted in three independent schools--a boys' school, a…

  11. Middle School Hypermedia Composition: A Qualitative Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garthwait, Abigail

    2007-01-01

    During a six-month naturalistic study, the author conducted an ethnographic examination of a seventh grade hypermedia unit. Beginning with the global question, "In what ways are computers used to support the education of middle school students?" the researcher coded and analyzed observations, interviews and projects. Three themes emerged: the…

  12. The Nature of Parental Involvement in Middle School: Examining Nonlinear Associations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wehrspann, Elizabeth; Dotterer, Aryn M.; Lowe, Katie

    2016-01-01

    Parental educational involvement during middle school has received increased attention from researchers and policymakers because of its links to a variety of academic outcomes. Despite this increased attention, parental involvement has been inconsistently linked to academic outcomes among adolescents, indicating different types and levels of…

  13. Using Invitational Learning to Address Writing Competence for Middle School Students with Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ornelles, Cecily; Black, Rhonda S.

    2012-01-01

    This study describes the process of creating an Invitational Learning environment to improve the writing competence of middle school students in two special education classes. Teacher-student interactions were coded according to Purkey and Novak's (1996) Intentionality/Invitation Quadrant with levels corresponding to intentionally disinviting,…

  14. Middle School Science: Working in a Confused Context.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berns, Barbara Brauner; Swanson, Judy

    This paper presents the stories of two urban middle school science teachers, both identified as leaders in their districts. Both bring substantial expertise to science education, though neither has experienced optimal conditions for flourishing as teacher leaders. One teacher has strong content knowledge and a deep understanding of standards. The…

  15. Patterns in Teachers' Instructional Design When Integrating Apps in Middle School Content-Area Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karchmer-Klein, Rachel; Mouza, Chrystalla; Harlow Shinas, Valerie; Park, Sohee

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine patterns evident in the ways middle school teachers, who value technology integration, design instruction that leverages educational applications (app) affordances. Using the pedagogy of multiliteracies (Cope & Kalantzis, 2015) and app affordances of multimodality, collaboration, and interactivity as…

  16. Your Science Classroom: Becoming an Elementary/Middle School Science Teacher

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldston, M. Jenice; Downey, Laura

    2012-01-01

    Designed around a practical "practice-what-you-teach" approach to methods instruction, "Your Science Classroom: Becoming an Elementary/Middle School Science Teacher" is based on current constructivist philosophy, organized around 5E inquiry, and guided by the National Science Education Teaching Standards. Written in a reader-friendly style, the…

  17. Melvin at Eliot Hine Middle School

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2013-03-01

    Leland Melvin, NASA Associate Administrator for Education and former astronaut, is interviewed by sixth grade students from the Broadcast Media Class at Eliot Hine Middle School on Friday, March 1, 2013 in Washington. The radio club program, Eliot Hine Radio, is broadcast live on the internet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

  18. Rationale, design and methods of the HEALTHY study physical education intervention component

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The HEALTHY primary prevention trial was designed to reduce risk factors for type 2 diabetes in middle school students. Middle schools at seven centers across the United States participated in the 3-year study. Half of them were randomized to receive a multi-component intervention. The intervention ...

  19. Methods and Resources for Elementary and Middle-School Social Studies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stockard, James W., Jr.

    Designed for preservice elementary and/or middle school teachers, this methods and resources volume compiles well-researched information on social studies education. It uses the standards recommended by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) as a foundation, thoroughly discussing the core disciplines and thematic strands. The book…

  20. Highlands County Energy Lessons. Middle School Level - Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, Vocational Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Allen, Rodney F., Ed.; Farmer, Richard

    Middle school energy skills (Enerskills) and activities (Eneractivities) are provided in seven sections. Areas addressed include: (1) locating energy information using telephone books, dictionaries, card catalogs, and readers' guides; (2) writing letters for energy information; (3) energy and food (food intake/human performance, calories/energy);…

  1. Middle School Law Awareness Curriculum Guide, 1980.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seminole County Board of Public Instruction, Sanford, FL.

    Materials, activities, and lesson plans for educating middle school students about the law and the legal system are presented. Materials for the sixth grade are contained in six sections: (1) Prehistoric Man; (2) Ancient Civilizations; (3) Ancient Greece; (4) Ancient Rome; (5) Medieval Civilizations; and (6) the Renaissance. Grade 7 has three…

  2. Video Projects for Elementary and Middle Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kyker, Keith; Curchy, Christopher

    With step-by-step plans for 25 creative curriculum-based video projects, this project guide for elementary and middle school educators facilitates video production. Activities that span the curriculum increase student knowledge in a variety of subjects while building video production skills and putting students in an active role with television.…

  3. Visualizing Culturally Relevant Science Pedagogy through Photonarratives of Black Middle School Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldston, M. Jenice; Nichols, Sharon

    2009-01-01

    This study situated in a Southern resegregated Black middle school involved four Black teachers and two White science educators' use of photonarratives to envision culturally relevant science pedagogy. Two questions guided the study: (1) What community referents are important for conceptualizing culturally relevant practices in Black science…

  4. The National Standards and Medieval Music in Middle School Choral and General Music.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hawkins, Patrick; Beegle, Amy

    2003-01-01

    Discusses how medieval music can be utilized in the choral and general music classroom to teach middle school students and to address the National Standards for Music Education. Provides background information on medieval music, ideas for lessons, and a glossary of key terms. (CMK)

  5. Designing Personalized Learning Products for Middle School Mathematics: The Case for Networked Learning Games

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Evans, Michael A.; Pruett, Jordan; Chang, Mido; Nino, Miguel

    2014-01-01

    Middle school mathematics education is subject to ongoing reform based on advances in digital instructional technologies, especially learning games, leading to recent calls for investment in "personalized learning." Through an extensive literature review, this investigation identified three priority areas that should be taken into…

  6. Learning Mathematics in the Mobile Phone Environment: Students' Emotions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Daher, Wajeeh

    2011-01-01

    Researchers point at the importance of emotions and its study in mathematics education. This research examines middle school students' emotions during learning mathematics outdoors using the mobile phone. The constant comparison method was used to analyze 30 middle school students' emotions while carrying out 15 outdoor activities using the mobile…

  7. Oral History Project: Bringing Students Together

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Swerdlow, Linda Kantor

    2005-01-01

    This article describes the Veteran's Oral History Project, a collaboration between students at Isaac Young Middle School and pre-service teachers enrolled in the author's middle school education class at the College of New Rochelle. The pre-service teachers developed and taught an integrated interdisciplinary unit on the Vietnam era, culminating…

  8. Improving Instruction in Middle Level Schools: Implications of Neurological Data for Curriculum Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Toepfer, Conrad F., Jr.

    Implications of biophysicist Herman Epstein's research on brain growth periodization, which develop a neurobiological consideration of learning issues for middle school curricula, have created controversy among educators and stimulus for further research. This presentation (1) summarizes the writer's interpretations of these data and implications…

  9. Summer Science Camp for Middle School Students: A Turkish Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sezen Vekli, Gulsah

    2013-01-01

    The present study aims to identify the effectiveness of summer science camp experience on middle school students' content knowledge and interest towards biology. For this purpose, two instruments including reflective journal and pre-post questionnaire were developed by four researchers who are expert in science education. Besides, the instruction…

  10. Middle School to Professional Development: Interdisciplinary STEM for Multiple Stakeholders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Suriel, Regina L.; Spires, Robert W.; Radcliffe, Barbara J.; Martin, Ellice P.; Paine, Deborah G.

    2018-01-01

    The STEMITL project is an interdisciplinary collaboration between a Southeastern University's middle grades education department and local PDS partner school districts incorporating six full-day immersive projects for seventh-grade students. During the 2016-2017 academic year, seventh-grade students were brought to the university's newly…

  11. Implementing School Reform: "Making Middle Grades Work" for All Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cooney, Sondra; Lasater, Beth

    2006-01-01

    "Making Middle Grades Work" ("MMGW") is a school improvement design developed by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and its member states. "MMGW" is built on research-based instructional practices and policies. The design combines challenging yet attainable goals with accountability that encourages teachers, supports students and results…

  12. Top 10 Ways to Improve Science Achievement: Actions for School Principals, Assistant Principals, Department Chairs and School Improvement Consultants.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), 2007

    2007-01-01

    High Schools That Work (HSTW) Assessment data show the need to improve science education in both the middle grades and high school. Science education increases students' critical thinking and problem-solving skills. This publication is designed to help principals, other school leaders and teachers identify rigorous instruction and successfully…

  13. An opportunity for success: Understanding motivation and learning from urban youth participation in an after school science program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Catlin, Janell Nicole

    This dissertation is an ethnographic study that documents through student voice the untold stories of urban student motivation to learn and engage in science through the contexts of an after school science program and the students' in-school science classrooms. The purpose of this study is to add to the literature in science education on motivation of urban youth to learn and engage in science through thick and rich descriptions of student voice. This study addresses issues in educational inequity by researching students who are historically marginalized. The focus of the study is four middle school students. The methodology employed was critical ethnography and case study. The data sources included participant observations and field notes, interviews, student artifacts, Snack and Chat, autophotography, and the researcher's reflective journal. The findings of this study state that motivating factors for urban middle school students' learning and engaging in science include a flexible and engaging curriculum, that students are empowered and motivated to learn when teachers are respectful, that urban middle school science students hold positive images about scientists, themselves and knowing science, and that urban teachers of the dominant culture believe that their urban middle school science students are motivated. In using Sociotransformative Constructivism (STC) and Critical Race Theory (CRT) the researcher informs the issues of inequity and racism that emerge from historical perspectives and students' stories about their experiences inside and outside of school. The implications state that allowing for a flexible curriculum that motivates students to make choices about what and how they want to learn and engage in science are necessary science teaching goals for urban middle school students, it is necessary that teachers are conscious of their interactions with their students, diversifying the science field through educating and empowering all students through learning science is key, and to get teachers to the point of an anti-deficit view of urban education more positive stories told by and research done with White urban science teachers must be documented.

  14. A pilot comparison of standardized online surgical curricula for use in low- and middle-income countries.

    PubMed

    Goldstein, Seth D; Papandria, Dominic; Linden, Allison; Azzie, Georges; Borgstein, Eric; Calland, James Forrest; Finlayson, Samuel R G; Jani, Pankaj; Klingensmith, Mary; Labib, Mohamed; Lewis, Frank; Malangoni, Mark A; O'Flynn, Eric; Ogendo, Stephen; Riviello, Robert; Abdullah, Fizan

    2014-04-01

    Surgical conditions are an important component of global disease burden, due in part to critical shortages of adequately trained surgical providers in low- and middle-income countries. To assess the use of Internet-based educational platforms as a feasible approach to augmenting the education and training of surgical providers in these settings. Access to two online curricula was offered to 75 surgical faculty and trainees from 12 low- and middle-income countries for 60 days. The Surgical Council on Resident Education web portal was designed for general surgery trainees in the United States, and the School for Surgeons website was built by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland specifically for the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa. Participants completed an anonymous online survey detailing their experiences with both platforms. Voluntary respondents were daily Internet users and endorsed frequent use of both print and online textbooks as references. Likert scale survey questionnaire responses indicating overall and content-specific experiences with the Surgical Council on Resident Education and School for Surgeons curricula. Survey responses were received from 27 participants. Both online curricula were rated favorably, with no statistically significant differences in stated willingness to use and recommend either platform to colleagues. Despite regional variations in practice context, there were few perceived hurdles to future curriculum adoption. Both the Surgical Council on Resident Education and School for Surgeons educational curricula were well received by respondents in low- and middle-income countries. Although one was designed for US surgical postgraduates and the other for sub-Saharan African surgical providers, there were no significant differences detected in participant responses between the two platforms. Online educational resources have promise as an effective means to enhance the education of surgical providers in low- and middle-income countries.

  15. Museums, zoos, and gardens: how formal-informal partnerships can impact urban students' performance in science.

    PubMed

    Weinstein, Meryle; Whitesell, Emilyn Ruble; Schwartz, Amy Ellen

    2014-12-01

    Informal science education institutions (ISEIs) are critical partners in public science education, as they support the science efforts of school systems by providing authentic opportunities for scientific inquiry. This study reports findings from an evaluation of urban advantage (UA), a collaboration between the New York City Department of Education and eight ISEIs designed to improve science education in New York City (NYC) middle schools. Now in its 10th year, the program harnesses the resources and expertise of NYC's ISEIs to (a) enhance the science content knowledge of middle school science teachers, (b) develop teachers' skills at using inquiry-based approaches in their classrooms, and (c) improve the science achievement of middle school students. We examine whether the UA program has led to increased student achievement on the eighth-grade New York State standardized science exam for students in participating schools; in supplemental analyses, we examine the effects on longer term (ninth-grade) outcomes. We use a difference-in-differences framework with school fixed effects to estimate the impact of attending a UA school in eighth grade on science achievement. Our key outcome is performance on New York State's eighth-grade intermediate-level science assessment; longer term outcomes include enrollment at specialized science, technology, engineering, and math high schools as well as taking and passing the high school (Regents) science exams. We find that attending a UA school increases student performance on the eighth-grade science exam by approximately 0.05 SD, and there is some evidence of small effects on Regents taking and passing rates. © The Author(s) 2014.

  16. [Factors that influence sexual intercourse among middle school students: using data from the 8th (2012) Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey].

    PubMed

    Gwon, Seok Hyun; Lee, Chung Yul

    2015-02-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that influence sexual intercourse among middle school students in South Korea. Using statistics from the 8th (2012) Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey, hierarchical logistic regression analysis was conducted. The study sample comprised 37,297 middle school students aged primarily 12 to 15. The significant predictors of sexual intercourse were grade, ever smoking, ever drinking, habitual or purposeful drug use, economic status, weekly allowance, cohabitation with family, and type of school. The results suggest that intensified sex education is needed not only in the 1st grade of middle school, but also in the upper grades of elementary school. Sexual health interventions for high-risk groups may be needed, given the factors predicting sexual intercourse.

  17. Telemedicine Enables Broader Access to Movement Disorders Curricula for Medical Students.

    PubMed

    Cubo, Esther; Doumbe, Jacques; López, Emiliano; Lopez, Guadalupe A; Gatto, Emilia; Persi, Gabriel; Guttman, Mark

    2017-01-01

    The impact of tele-education for movement disorders on medical students is unknown. The present study had three objectives. First, to create a tele-education program for medical students in regions with limited access to movement disorders curricula. Second, to analyze the feasibility, satisfaction, and improvement of medical knowledge. Third, to assess the main reasons of medical students for attending this course. In 2016, a program was piloted in a low-middle income (Cameroon) and a middle-high income (Argentina) country. Medical students were offered a free movement disorder tele-education program (four medical schools in Argentina, and 1 medical school in Cameroon). Six real-time videoconferences covering hyperkinetic and hypokinetic movement disorders were included. Evaluations included attendance, pre- and post-medical knowledge, and satisfaction questionnaires. The study included 151 undergraduate medical students (79.4% from Argentina, 20.6% from Cameroon). Feasibility was acceptable with 100% and 85.7% of the videoconferences completed in Argentina and Cameroon, respectively. Attendance was higher in Argentina compared to Cameroon (75% vs. 33.1%). According to student reports, the topics and innovative educational environment were the main reasons for attendance. Both groups ranked satisfaction as moderate to high, and medical knowledge improved similarly in both countries. Tele-education can improve movement disorders knowledge in medical schools in high-middle and low-middle income countries lacking access to other educational opportunities.

  18. Vanishing Boundaries between Science and Art: Modelling Effective Middle Years of Schooling Practice in Pre-Service Science Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Paige, Kathryn; Whitney, John

    2008-01-01

    This paper describes an innovation in science pre-service education that endeavours to increase student engagement in learning and doing science in the middle years through integrating science, mathematics and art. (Contains 8 figures.)

  19. A comparative study of middle school and high school students' views about physics and learning physics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ding, Lin

    2013-01-01

    Previous studies of student epistemological beliefs about physics and learning physics focused on college and post-college students in Western countries. However, little is known about early-grade students in Asian countries. This paper reports Chinese middle and high school students' views about the nature of physics and learning physics, measured by the Colorado Learning Attitudes Survey about Science (CLASS). Two variables—school level and gender—are examined for a series of comparative analyses. Results show that although middle school students received fewer years of education in physics, they demonstrated more expert-like conceptions about this subject matter than high school students. Also, male students in general exhibited more expert-like views than their female counterparts. While such a gender difference remained constant across both middle and high schools, for the most part it was a small-size difference.

  20. Factors influencing quality of life of obese students in Hangzhou, China.

    PubMed

    Chen, Ying-Ping; Wang, Hong-Mei; Edwards, Todd C; Wang, Ting; Jiang, Xiao-Ying; Lv, Yi-Ran; Patrick, Donald L

    2015-01-01

    To evaluate the quality of life (QOL) of overweight and obese middle or high school students and identify relevant factors influencing their QOL scores. 716 students were recruited from 6 middle or high schools in Hangzhou, China. The Chinese version of the Youth Quality of Life Instrument-Weight Module (YQOL-W) was self administered. The YQOL-W scores were compared among different BMI groups, gender, educational status, annual household income, parental education and recruitment community using t test or one-way analysis of variance. The independent association of these variables with QOL among overweight and obese students was examined using multivariable linear regression modeling. Overweight and obese students reported lower total scores, self, social and environment scores than their normal weight peers (all P<0.001). The QOL of overweight and obese middle and high school students was associated with BMI value, gender, educational status, parental education, and recruitment community. Girls had lower total scores, self, social and environment domain scores than boys (all P<0.001); high school students had lower total and three domain scores than middle school students (all P<0.05). Students whose fathers had higher education reported higher total scores, self and social scores than students with less educated fathers (all P<0.05). Students whose mothers had higher education reported higher environment scores than students with less educated mothers (P = 0.01). Students from migrant communities reported significantly lower total scores, self and social scores than those from rural communities (all P<0.05), but comparable scores with those from urban communities (P>0.05). Students from migrant communities reported comparable environment scores with those from rural and urban communities (P>0.05). Overweight and obesity have negative effects on students' quality of life. Therefore weight specific QOL could be included in weight reduction interventions as a relevant outcome.

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