Sample records for upper middle school

  1. Prioritizing Elementary School Writing Instruction: Cultivating Middle School Readiness for Students with Learning Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ciullo, Stephen; Mason, Linda

    2017-01-01

    Helping elementary students with learning disabilities (LD) prepare for the rigor of middle school writing is an instructional priority. Fortunately, several standards-based skills in upper elementary school and middle school overlap. Teachers in upper elementary grades, specifically fourth and fifth grades, have the opportunity to provide…

  2. Race/Ethnicity and Social Capital among Middle- and Upper-Middle-Class Elementary School Families: A Structural Equation Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caldas, Stephen J.; Cornigans, Linda

    2015-01-01

    This study used structural equation modeling to conduct a first and second order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of a scale developed by McDonald and Moberg (2002) to measure three dimensions of social capital among a diverse group of middle- and upper-middle-class elementary school parents in suburban New York. A structural path model was…

  3. Teaching with Picture Books in the Middle School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tiedt, Iris McClellan

    Arguing that picture books have much to offer students in the upper grades (including middle school and even high school students), this book discusses using picture books to stimulate students' thinking in a variety of topic areas. Chapter 1, Using Picture Books in the Middle School To Stimulate Thinking, introduces the topic of using picture…

  4. White against White: School Desegregation and the Revolt of Middle America

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rubin, Lillian B.

    1976-01-01

    Presents a sketch of two groups, one lower middle class and conservative, the other upper middle class and liberal, who squared off to fight the battle of desegregation in the schools of Richmond, California. (Author/RK)

  5. This Land Was Made for You and Me: Teaching for Economic Justice in Upper Elementary and Middle School Grades

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lucey, Thomas A.; Laney, James D.

    2009-01-01

    Teaching for economic justice can be challenging for upper elementary and middle school teachers. Many teachers may feel uncomfortable with the subject matter and thus avoid addressing sensitive social issues related to economic/financial inequities. This article describes how selected songs and works of visual art, expressions of social protest…

  6. Crossing Boundaries: Exploring Black Middle and Upper Class Preservice Teachers' Perceptions of Teaching and Learning in High Poverty Urban Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewis, Andrea D.

    2012-01-01

    The intent of this study was to explore the perceptions of Black middle and upper class preservice teachers as they relate to teaching and learning in high poverty urban schools. Participants included 11 senior early childhood education preservice teachers at a historically Black college in the southeast region of the United States. The study was…

  7. 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…

  8. 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…

  9. 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…

  10. Reach for Reference. Four Recent Reference Books

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Safford, Barbara Ripp

    2004-01-01

    This article provides descriptions of four new science and technology encyclopedias that are appropriate for inclusion in upper elementary and/or middle school reference collections. "The Macmillan Encyclopedia of Weather" (Stern, Macmillan Reference/Gale), a one-volume encyclopedia for upper elementary and middle level students, is a…

  11. "Diplomas Now" Offers Potential Dropouts Lots of Help

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gewertz, Catherine

    2009-01-01

    Feltonville School of Arts and Sciences, a 750-student middle school in upper north Philadelphia, is a showcase for a comprehensive approach to dropout prevention. It produced such dramatic improvements in attendance, behavior, and course-passing rates last year that it's being tried this year in 11 more middle or high schools in Chicago, Los…

  12. Adolescent Drug Use in a Southern, Middle-Class Metropolitan High School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chandler, Joyce; Page, Richard

    1991-01-01

    Examined patterns of drug use among southern, metropolitan, middle to upper-middle class high school students (n=240). Found that alcohol use was much more prevalent than was marijuana use. There was little evidence that many students had ever used cocaine in any form, depressants, phencyclidine (PCP), or lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).(NB)

  13. "Mugging Up" versus "Exposure": International Schools and Social Mobility in Hyderabad, India

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gilbertson, Amanda

    2014-01-01

    Drawing on 12 months of fieldwork in Hyderabad, India, this paper describes the emergence of "international" schools that are only accessible to upper-middle class and elite families and provide forms of cultural capital increasingly important for middle-class employment--"communication skills", "open-mindedness" and…

  14. Professionalizing the PTO: Race, Class, and Shifting Norms of Parental Engagement in a City Public School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Posey-Maddox, Linn

    2013-01-01

    A growing number of parents--particularly middle- and upper-middle-class parents--are working to fill budgetary gaps through their fundraising, grant writing, and volunteerism in urban public schools. Yet little is known about how this may shape norms and practices related to parental engagement within particular schools. Drawing from a case study…

  15. Assessing Music Students' Motivation Using the Music Model of Academic Motivation Inventory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parkes, Kelly A.; Jones, Brett D.; Wilkins, Jesse L. M.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability and validity of using a motivation inventory with music students in upper-elementary, middle, and high school. We used the middle/high school version of the MUSIC Model of Academic Motivation Inventory to survey 93 students in the 5th to 12th grades in one school. Our analysis revealed…

  16. Parental Overprotection: Effects on Self-Concept and Social and School Functioning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oh, Susan Y.; And Others

    Relationships between parental overprotection and fifth-graders' self-concept and level of social and school functioning were examined by means of systematic observations of parent-child interactions in the home, parent and child self-reports, teacher and peer ratings, grades, and achievement scores. Subjects were 43 middle-to-upper-middle income…

  17. An Electrifying Quiz! Constructing a Printed-Circuit Board Quiz Game

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Calhoun, Michael J.

    2005-01-01

    Laptop computers, cell phones and the Apple iPod all contain transistors, IC chips, capacitors, and other electronic components. To the general public--and especially students in upper elementary and middle school grades--these components are most often very mysterious items. Yet, it is at elementary and middle school levels that scientists and…

  18. A Replication Study to Evaluate the Effects of Schema-Based Instruction on Middle School Students' Proportional Problem-Solving Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jitendra, Asha K.; Harwell, Michael R.; Karl, Stacy R.; Slater, Susan C.; Simonson, Gregory R.; Nelson, Gena

    2016-01-01

    Ratio and proportional relationships are of primary importance during the upper elementary and middle school grades (Kilpatrick, Swafford, & Findell, 2001; National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 1989, 2000; National Mathematics Advisory Panel [NMAP], 2008). These relationships, along with the interrelated topics of fractions, decimals,…

  19. Access to Upper-Level Mathematics: The Stories of Successful African American Middle School Boys

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berry, Robert Q., III

    2008-01-01

    This article is about 8 African American middle school boys who have experienced success in mathematics. Five themes emerged from the data: (a) early educational experiences, (b) recognition of abilities and how it was achieved, (c) support systems, (d) positive mathematical and academic identity, and (e) alternative identities. (Contains 4…

  20. 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…

  1. Upper Primary School Teachers' Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching Functional Thinking in Algebra

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilkie, Karina J.

    2014-01-01

    This article is based on a project that investigated teachers' knowledge in teaching an important aspect of algebra in the middle years of schooling--functions, relations and joint variation. As part of the project, 105 upper primary teachers were surveyed during their participation in Contemporary Teaching and Learning of Mathematics, a research…

  2. [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.

  3. 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)…

  4. Reconceiving the Standards and the School Music Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reimer, Bennett

    2004-01-01

    Music offerings in United States schools have remained largely the same for well over half a century. Basic program consists of general music classes up to and sometimes through middle school and elective performance opportunities in upper elementary grades through high school, primarily focused on band (including jazz groups), orchestra, and…

  5. The "I Knew It All Along" Phenomenon: Second-Order False Belief Understanding and the Curse of Knowledge in Primary School Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Massaro, Davide; Castelli, Ilaria; Sanvito, Laura; Marchetti, Antonella

    2014-01-01

    This study investigated two different expressions of the so-called curse of knowledge in primary school children: hindsight bias and outcome bias. Further, it explored the possible predictive function of false belief understanding in reducing these biases. Ninety-one children aged 7, 9, and 11 years (middle- to upper-middle class) were…

  6. An evaluation of an abstinence-only sex education curriculum: an 18-month follow-up.

    PubMed

    Denny, George; Young, Michael

    2006-10-01

    The article examines the results from an 18-month follow-up evaluation of an abstinence education curriculum series. Participants were students from 15 school districts recruited to participate in the project. The intervention was the Sex Can Wait curriculum series, consisting of upper elementary, middle school, and high school components. The 5-week curriculum was implemented by teachers who had participated in a special teacher training workshop. Both intervention and comparison students were surveyed before and after the curriculum intervention and at 18-month follow-up. Results indicated short-term effects as follows. Upper elementary intervention students indicated higher level of knowledge, more hopefulness for the future, and greater self-efficacy than did the comparison group. Middle school intervention students did not differ from comparison students. High school intervention students reported lower participation rates than the comparison group students in sexual intercourse (ever and last month), a more positive attitude toward abstinence and a greater intent to remain abstinent. Long-term (18 month) benefits were noted as follows: upper elementary intervention students had greater knowledge and were less likely than comparison students to report participation in sexual intercourse in the last month. Middle school intervention students were less likely than comparison students to report participation in sexual intercourse ever and sexual intercourse in the last month. High school intervention students evidenced greater knowledge and greater intent to remain abstinent than did comparison students. Results indicate that the program did have some positive benefits that should be considered by those interested in abstinence education programming.

  7. Home Advantage: Social Class and Parental Intervention in Elementary Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lareau, Annette

    Social class influences parent involvement in schooling. This book uses the case study method to compare family-school relationships in a working-class elementary school with those in an upper middle-class school, focusing on one first grade class in each school, and within the two schools, on 12 families, over the course of their children's first…

  8. Unmasking Vandalism: A Case of Social Justice Leadership Complexities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gill, Hartej

    2013-01-01

    Waterfront Elementary School is located in a very affluent neighbourhood in a large urban multicultural school district. The school has some diversity in terms of its student population, but the majority of the students are White and come from upper middle-class families. Ms. Courtney Williams, the principal of the school was transferred to…

  9. SCHOOL ANXIETY AND THE FACILITATION OF PERFORMANCE.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DUNN, JAMES A.; SCHELKUN, RUTH F.

    THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SCHOOL GENERATED ANXIETY AND VARIOUS INDICES OF SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT, CREATIVITY, AGE, AND IQ, ARE INVESTIGATED. A 160 ITEM, MULTIPLE-CHOICE, MULTI-SCALE, SCHOOL ANXIETY QUESTIONNAIRE WAS ADMINISTERED TO 56 FOURTH, FIFTH, AND SIXTH GRADE CHILDREN WITH A MEAN STANFORD BINET IQ OF 126 FROM AN UPPER MIDDLE CLASS COMMUNITY.…

  10. Eating behaviours of middle- and secondary-school pupils from the upper Silesian region in Poland.

    PubMed

    Szczepańska, Elżbieta; Szeja, Nicola; Szymkiewicz, Anna; Kowalska, Aleksandra; Lenard, Biruta; Bulwicka, Anna

    2014-01-01

    Eating behaviours of school-aged youth condition their emotional and psychophysical development. Moreover, they influence the effectiveness of learning and affect one's health and the quality of life at older age. The objective of the study was the evaluation of eating behaviours of the group of pupils from cities of the Upper Silesian region, as well as the identification of differences between middle-school and secondary-school pupils' eating behaviours. 902 pupils (474 middle-school and 428 secondary-school pupils) participated in the study. The research materials included questionnaires prepared by the author of the study, containing the questions about the pupils' eating habits. The middle-school pupils constituted 52.5% of the 902 pupils and the secondary-school pupils were 47.5% of the total. On average, 38.2% of the pupils consumed 4 meals daily. Wholemeal bread and/or groats were eaten daily by 34.4% of the pupils. Milk and/or milk drinks were consumed by 56.3% of the pupils every day and 33.5% of the respondents had also fermented milk drinks daily. 61.3% of the participants declared eating meat at least once a day and 44.9% of the pupils had fish once or twice a week. Vegetables and fruit were eaten daily by 61.4% and 66.6% of the pupils respectively. Sweets were consumed at least once a day by 50.6% of the pupils. Occasional consumption of fast-food products and ready-made meals was declared by 63.9% and 49.7% of the pupils respectively. Eating behaviours of the discussed group of pupils are mostly incorrect. There were differences found between the middle-school and secondary-school pupils' eating habits. The differences concerned the frequency of eating cheese and curd cheese, fruit, leguminous plant seeds, sweets, fast food products, sweetened drinks and ready-to made food products. eating behaviours, eating habits, eating frequency, pupils.

  11. Recovery Act: Cedarville School District Retrofit of Heating and Cooling Systems with Geothermal Heat Pumps and Ground Source Water Loops

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jarrell, Mark

    Cedarville School District retrofitted the heating and cooling systems in three campus areas (High School, Middle School, and Upper Elementary School) with geothermal heat pumps and ground source water loops, as a demonstration project for the effective implementation of geothermal heat pump systems and other energy efficiency and air quality improvements.

  12. Restrictive and Supportive Parenting: Effects on Children's School Affect and Emotional Responses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Annear, Karen D.; Yates, Gregory C. R.

    2010-01-01

    In this project upper primary school students were surveyed about their general liking for school, and reasons for going to school. Their parents were asked to respond on a questionnaire indicating their restrictiveness and also support for their child's autonomy. Data were collected from 92 middle SES two-parent families and analysed using…

  13. Rebels Without a Cause? Socialization and Subcultural Style among the Children of the New Middle Classes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aggleton, Peter J.; Whitty, Geoff

    1985-01-01

    A study of upper-middle-class college students in England who responded with "resistance" to their schooling showed that the students' challenges do not constitute effective resistances to prevailing patterns of class or gender relations, i.e., their challenges are not transformative. (RM)

  14. Feasibility of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program in Low-Income Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hong, Jun S.

    2009-01-01

    This article examines school response to bullying and youth aggression in upper/middle-class and low socioeconomic neighborhoods, and the feasibility of successfully implementing the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program in schools located in impoverished communities. The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program is one of the few programs that has proven…

  15. The prevalence of visual impairment in school children of upper-middle socioeconomic status in Kathmandu.

    PubMed

    Sapkota, Yuddha D; Adhikari, Bishwa Nath; Pokharel, Gopal P; Poudyal, Bimal K; Ellwein, Leon B

    2008-01-01

    Assess visual impairment in school children of upper-middle socioeconomic status in Kathmandu for comparison with rural Jhapa District. Random selection of classes from secondary private schools in Kathmandu was used to identify the study sample. Children in 130 classes at 43 schools were enumerated using school records and examined between January-May 2006. Examinations included visual acuity testing, ocular motility evaluation, cycloplegic refraction, and examination of the external eye, anterior segment, media, and fundus. The principal cause was determined for eyes with uncorrected visual acuity < or = 20/40. A total of 4,501 children in grades 5-9 were enumerated; 4282 (95.1%) were examined. The prevalence of uncorrected, presenting, and best-corrected visual impairment (< or = 20/40) in the better eye was 18.6%, 9.1%, and 0.86%, respectively. Refractive error was a cause in 93.3% of children with uncorrected visual impairment, amblyopia 1.8%, retinal disorders 1.3%, other causes 0.3%, and unexplained causes 4.4%. Among children correctable in at least one eye, 46.3% presented without the necessary spectacles. Visual impairment with myopia (-0.50 diopters) ranged from 10.9% in 10 year-olds to 27.3% in 15 year-olds, compared to 0.5%-3.0% in rural Jhapa District. Myopic visual impairment was associated with grade level, female gender, parental education, parental spectacle usage, and Mongol ethnicity. Visual impairment with myopia among upper-middle socioeconomic school children in Kathmandu is higher than that in rural Nepal, and a public health problem because nearly half are without corrective spectacles. Effective strategies are needed to eliminate this easily treatable cause of visual impairment.

  16. Poverty and the Public School System: Student Persistence from Elementary School to College Graduation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Avalos, Deborah Anne

    2013-01-01

    Children living in poverty are at an elevated risk for academic, behavioral and emotional problems compared with children who are in the middle and upper classes (Kim-Cohen et al., 2004). Students living in poverty generally have fewer opportunities in schools as schools are less likely to offer rigorous curriculum or advanced classes for poor…

  17. Improving Secondary School Students' Achievement using Intrinsic Motivation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Albrecht, Erik; Haapanen, Rebecca; Hall, Erin; Mantonya, Michelle

    2009-01-01

    This report describes a program for increasing students' intrinsic motivation in an effort to increase academic achievement. The targeted population consisted of secondary level students in a middle to upper-middle class suburban area. The students of the targeted secondary level classes appeared to be disengaged from learning due to a lack of…

  18. Using the Newspaper in Upper Elementary and Middle Grades.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morse, Julie C.

    Newspapers are valuable educational resources because they contain material that is varied, up-to-date, and interesting to students. This document is a guide for elementary and middle school teachers who want to incorporate newspapers into daily classroom instruction. There are ten lessons for each of the five subject areas covered. Each lesson…

  19. Nonacademic Effects of Homework in Privileged, High-Performing High Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Galloway, Mollie; Conner, Jerusha; Pope, Denise

    2013-01-01

    This study used survey data to examine relations among homework, student well-being, and behavioral engagement in a sample of 4,317 students from 10 high-performing high schools in upper middle class communities. Results indicated that students in these schools average more than 3 hr of homework per night. Students who did more hours of homework…

  20. An Evaluation of an Abstinence-Only Sex Education Curriculum: An 18-Month Follow-Up

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Denny, George; Young, Michael

    2006-01-01

    The article examines the results from an 18-month follow-up evaluation of an abstinence education curriculum series. Participants were students from 15 school districts recruited to participate in the project. The intervention was the Sex Can Wait curriculum series, consisting of upper elementary, middle school, and high school components. The…

  1. 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…

  2. Re-Branding Urban Schools: Urban Revitalization, Social Status, and Marketing Public Schools to the Upper Middle Class

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cucchiara, Maia

    2008-01-01

    This article examines an effort to use urban schools to promote the revitalization of a large northeastern city in the United States. In order to attract and retain professional families to a regenerated central city, downtown schools are re-branded and promoted to such families as suitable for their children. The article draws on interviews and…

  3. The Impact of Montessori Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mushamba, Ashley; Burney, Sonya Franklin; Kent, Jacqueline

    2017-01-01

    This mixed methods study examined the impact of School Y's Montessori approach on their students' academic achievement, perceptions of executive functioning skills, and the school's culture. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of length of enrollment on academic achievement in a Montessori upper elementary and middle school…

  4. Reach for Reference: Elementary-Middle School Science Reference Collections

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Safford, Barbara Ripp

    2005-01-01

    This article presents a brief review of some new school science reference works. Two of the sources are traditional, while one is considered experimental. The two traditional reference works reviewed are "The American Heritage Children's Science Dictionary" for upper elementary grades, and "The American Heritage Student Science Dictionary" for…

  5. Fuel for Thought: Building Energy Awareness in Grades 9-12

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Metz, Steve, Ed.

    2011-01-01

    The concept of energy is central to all the science disciplines, seamlessly connecting science, technology, and mathematics. For high school and upper middle school teachers, this compendium comprises inquiry-based activities, lesson plans, and case studies designed to help teach increased awareness of energy, environmental concepts, and the…

  6. Transporting Radioactive Waste: An Engineering Activity. Grades 5-12.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    HAZWRAP, The Hazardous Waste Remedial Actions Program.

    This brochure contains an engineering activity for upper elementary, middle school, and high school students that examines the transportation of radioactive waste. The activity is designed to inform students about the existence of radioactive waste and its transportation to disposal sites. Students experiment with methods to contain the waste and…

  7. Producing Success: The Culture of Personal Advancement in an American High School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Demerath, Peter

    2009-01-01

    Middle- and upper-middle-class students continue to outpace those from less privileged backgrounds. Most attempts to redress this inequality focus on the issue of access to financial resources, but as "Producing Success" makes clear, the problem goes beyond mere economics. In this eye-opening study, Peter Demerath examines a typical suburban…

  8. When Mothers and Fathers Are Seen as Disproportionately Valuing Achievements: Implications for Adjustment Among Upper Middle Class Youth

    PubMed Central

    Ciciolla, Lucia; Curlee, Alexandria S.; Karageorge, Jason; Luthar, Suniya S.

    2016-01-01

    High achievement expectations and academic pressure from parents have been implicated in rising levels of stress and reduced well-being among adolescents. In this study of affluent, middle-school youth, we examined how perceptions of parents' emphasis on achievement (relative to prosocial behavior) influenced youth's psychological adjustment and school performance, and examined perceived parental criticism as a possible moderator of this association. The data were collected from 506 (50% female) middle school students from a predominately white, upper-middle-class community. Students reported their perceptions of parents' values by rank ordering a list of achievement- and prosocial-oriented goals based on what they believed was most valued by their mothers and fathers for them (the child) to achieve. The data also included students' reports of perceived parental criticism, internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms, and self-esteem, as well as school-based data on grade point average and teacher-reported classroom behavior. Person-based analyses revealed six distinct latent classes based on perceptions of both mother and father emphases on achievement. Class comparisons showed a consistent pattern of healthier child functioning, including higher school performance, higher self-esteem, and lower psychological symptoms, in association with low to neutral parental achievement emphasis, whereas poorer child functioning was associated with high parental achievement emphasis. In variable-based analyses, interaction effects showed elevated maladjustment when high maternal achievement emphasis coexisted with high (but not low) perceived parental criticism. Results of the study suggest that to foster early adolescents' well-being in affluent school settings, parents focus on prioritizing intrinsic, prosocial values that promote affiliation and community, at least as much as, or more than, they prioritize academic performance and external achievement; and strive to limit the amount of criticism and pressure they place on their children. PMID:27830404

  9. Veiled Inequalities: The Hidden Effects of Community Social Class on High School Teachers' Perspectives and Practices.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Metz, Mary Haywood

    This paper examines inequalities in education resulting from differences in community social class, using data from a study of high school teachers' work in different communities conducted in the 1980's and repeated in the 1990's. The 1985 study of schools in upper middle class, working class, and lower class neighborhoods indicated that there…

  10. A River Runs through It: Art, Geology and Life on the Upper Mississippi

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henderson, Lynette K.

    2015-01-01

    This article presents a pilot interdisciplinary project for middle-school students including visual literacy, studio art, English-language literacy, geology and the study of indigenous groups. The location of the pilot was in the upper Midwest, along the Mississippi river bluffs of St. Paul, Minnesota. English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) students…

  11. From Norway to the USA: "Anitra's Dance."

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McDowell, Carol J.

    2003-01-01

    Describes an art lesson for middle school students that can be adapted for upper elementary or high school students. Explains that students compare two versions of the song "Anitra's Dance," a classical version by Edvard Grieg and a jazz version by Duke Ellington. States the lesson uses the Discipline-Based Music Education approach. (CMK)

  12. The School and Students in Society

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ediger, Marlow

    2008-01-01

    Students come from different socioeconomic levels in society. Thus, they do not come to school with equivalent background experiences. Students from upper and middle class socioeconomic communities do better in test results as compared to those who come from poverty homes. By viewing mandated test results, it is quite obvious that money assists in…

  13. Read-Alouds in the School Setting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burgess, Michael; Tracey, Diane

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of a companion text on the comprehension, vocabulary acquisition and fluency of students during teacher read alouds. Data were collected over a period of six days in an upper-middle class suburban school district in northern New Jersey. The students involved in the study consisted of eighteen…

  14. Schooling, Environment and Cognitive Development: A Cross-Cultural Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stevenson, Harold W.; And Others

    1978-01-01

    Investigated the influence of schooling and environment on young children's memory and cognitive skills. Subjects were five- and six-year-old Mestizo and Quechua Indian children living in jungle villages or city slums in Peru. Samples of upper-middle-class children in Lima and poor children in Detroit were also tested. (JMB)

  15. Democracy and Education: Liberty & Justice for All?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Malley, Rev. Michael

    2003-01-01

    Discusses that nonpublic education is a valid option for many, but they do not have the liberties that upper middle class families enjoy. Points out that poor people should enjoy the same educational benefits as others. Concludes that leaders should consider non-public schools as valid as the public schools. Contains 2 references. (MZ)

  16. Solar Science Digital Comic Series that promotes Science Literacy with Upper Elementary and Middle School Students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kellagher, E.; Scherrer, D. K.; Buhr Sullivan, S. M.

    2013-12-01

    The SDO instruments (EVE, AIA and HMI) teams have created a digital comic book series for upper elementary and middle school students featuring solar science aficionados Camilla and Colours, 2 cool mascot characters. These comics may be printed or read on mobile devices and are available as a free download. Many teachers are looking for resources to use with their students via the IPad so our collaboration helps supply teachers with a great resource that teaches about solar concepts and helps dispel solar misconceptions. It doesn't come as a surprise to a lot of us, but a recent study confirms what's been theorized for years: Comics are a stronger learning tool than text books. Image-based storytelling is a powerful educational tool. Comics are probably more able to combine story and information simultaneously, more effectively and seamlessly, than almost any other medium. There's also a great potential to incorporate interactive elements into digital versions, so that more information can be presented on certain items on a page. For example, videos, animations and even historic footage and audio can be embedded into digital comics. Really, the possibilities are limited only by the creators' imaginations as to how to find new ways to create a rich experience that is interesting to explore for students. We are excited to unveil this new series of solar science comics that promotes science literacy with upper elementary and middle school students.

  17. Pubertal Effects on Adjustment in Girls: Moving from Demonstrating Effects to Identifying Pathways

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Graber, Julia A.; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne; Warren, Michelle P.

    2006-01-01

    The present investigation examines mediated pathways from pubertal development to changes in depressive affect and aggression. Participants were 100 white girls who were between the ages of 10 and 14 (M=12.13, SD=0.80); girls were from well-educated, middle-to upper-middle class families, and attended private schools in a major northeastern urban…

  18. Civic Engagement in the Upper Elementary Grades: An Examination of Parent and Teacher Practices and Children's Civic Identity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    White, Elizabeth Spalding

    2012-01-01

    This study examines civic identity (i.e., civic values and responsibility to community and to people) in middle childhood, a previously unexplored developmental period in the civic engagement literature, and how adults and socialization processes in the home and school contexts are associated with children's civic outcomes. Middle childhood is a…

  19. Middle Attainers and 14-19 Progression in England: Half-Served by New Labour and Now Overlooked by the Coalition?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hodgson, Ann; Spours, Ken

    2014-01-01

    In the context of the international problem of "early school leaving", this paper explores the issue of sustained participation in upper secondary education in England. It focuses in particular on the position of middle attainers, who constitute a large proportion of the cohort and whose progress will be vital in realising the…

  20. "I'm Not Going to Be a Girl": Masculinity and Emotions in Boys' Friendships and Peer Groups

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oransky, Matthew; Marecek, Jeanne

    2009-01-01

    This study examines the peer relations and emotion practices of adolescent boys in light of their expectations and assumptions about masculinity. We carried out semistructured interviews with middle-class and upper-middle-class boys from an independent high school. The boys reported that they assiduously avoided displays of emotional or physical…

  1. "You're Not Going to Call the Shots": Structural Conflicts between the Principal and the PTO at a Suburban Public Elementary School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lareau, Annette; Munoz, Vanessa Lopes

    2012-01-01

    Researchers and policy makers overwhelmingly stress the harmonious nature of parent involvement. Researchers have focused on individual forms of parent involvement, yet collective efforts of parents in parent-teacher organizations (PTOs) are a key dynamic in schools. Drawing on a case study of an elementary school in an upper-middle-class…

  2. Suburban School Opens Elementary Campus in the Heart of Memphis: St. George's Independent School, Memphis, Tennessee

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stewart, Sarah

    2016-01-01

    St. George's has nearly 1,150 students on three campuses: an elementary campus in Germantown and a middle/upper school campus in Collierville, both suburbs of Memphis, and a second elementary campus in Memphis. The Memphis campus serves 140 students in pre-K-5th grade. All Memphis campus students receive financial aid based on need, and…

  3. An evaluation of an abstinence education curriculum series: sex can wait.

    PubMed

    Denny, George; Young, Michael; Rausch, Susan; Spear, Caile

    2002-01-01

    To examine the effects of an abstinence education curriculum series on student outcomes. The series was taught at upper elementary, junior high, and high school levels. A questionnaire was administered to all intervention and comparison students before and after implementation of the curriculum. At the upper elementary level, the curriculum group had better outcomes on knowledge, self-efficacy, and a more hopeful outlook; at the middle school level no differences; at the high school level, findings favored the curriculum group on attitude, behavioral intent, and sexual behavior variables. Results are encouraging and should be considered by those interested in helping young people postpone sexual involvement.

  4. Association of postural balance and isometric muscle strength in early- and middle-school-age boys.

    PubMed

    Ibrahim, Alaa I; Muaidi, Qassim I; Abdelsalam, Mohammed S; Hawamdeh, Ziad M; Alhusaini, Adel A

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the isometric muscle strength (IMS) and dynamic balance in early- and middle-school-age boys and to assess the strength of association between the dynamic balance scores and 6 different IMS indexes. This is a cross-sectional study of a convenience sample of 94 boys who were 6 to 10 years of age and classified into an early school age (6-8 years) group (n = 50) and a middle school age (8-10 years) group (n = 44). Balance was tested using a Biodex Balance System. Anteroposterior Stability Index, Mediolateral Stability Index, and Overall Stability Index were recorded. IMS of 11 muscle groups was measured with a handheld dynamometer and categorized into 6 different muscle strength indices. The mean (SD) values of anteroposterior, mediolateral, and overall stability indexes observed for all study boys were 1.9 ± 1.0, 1.2 ± 0.7, and 2.5 ± 1.2 respectively. In the middle school age group, strong positive relationships were detected between the overall stability index and trunk, lower limb, anti-gravity, pro-gravity, and total strength indexes (r = -0.86/P < .001, r = -0.91/P < .001, r = -0.88/P < .001, r = -0.83/P < .001, and r = -0.84/P < .001 respectively), while no significant relationship was detected with the upper limb strength index (r = 0.159/P = .303). In the early school age group, moderate positive relationships were detected between the overall stability index and anti-gravity, lower limb, and total strength indexes (r = -0.404/P = .004, r = -0.356/P = .011, and r = -0.350/P = .013 respectively). Dynamic balance did not appear to be mature by the age of 10 years. Better balance skills were recorded in the mediolateral direction than in the anteroposterior direction. In the middle school age group, the overall stability index had positive relationships with almost all examined muscle strength indexes excepting the upper limb strength index. © 2013. Published by National University of Health Sciences All rights reserved.

  5. When Negotiation Fails: Private Education as a Disciplinary Strategy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    de Regt, Ali; Weenink, Don

    2005-01-01

    This articles deals with the question why Dutch upper-middle-class parents resort to fee-paying private education, a tiny, recently developed sector of the Dutch educational system. The research is based on interviews with 37 parents and 20 students attending private schools, and on a survey among 376 parents involved in private schooling. From…

  6. Reform with Reinvestment: Values and Tensions in Gentrifying Urban Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Siegel-Hawley, Genevieve; Thachik, Stefani; Bridges, Kimberly

    2017-01-01

    As cities across the country experience an influx of White and middle- to upper-class residents, new opportunities for the integration of urban schools emerge. Yet crucial challenges persist even when equity and inclusion are a focus for new stakeholders. This article explores the story of a largely White group of parents committed to investing in…

  7. The Acculturation of Chinese in North America: A Sociolinguistic Profile of an Advantaged Immigrant Group in Edmonton.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Jenn-Shann; Stanford, L. Marckworth

    1983-01-01

    The bicultural and bilingual family patterns and language acquisition patterns of 24 upper middle class children of foreign-born Chinese parents are outlined. Findings suggest two bilingual development patterns, one for children born in Canada or immigrating before school age, and the other for those immigrating during school years. (MSE)

  8. Why So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hill, Catherine; Corbett, Christianne; St. Rose, Andresse

    2010-01-01

    The number of women in science and engineering is growing, yet men continue to outnumber women, especially at the upper levels of these professions. In elementary, middle, and high school, girls and boys take math and science courses in roughly equal numbers, and about as many girls as boys leave high school prepared to pursue science and…

  9. Three-Year Study of Students' Attitudes toward Physical Education: Grades 4-8

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mercier, Kevin; Donovan, Corinne; Gibbone, Anne; Rozga, Kimberly

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: A relationship exists between attitudes toward physical education and future physical activity. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in attitude toward physical education as students progressed from upper elementary school (Grade 4) through middle school (Grade 8). Method: Three cohorts of students (Cohort 1, Grades 4-6,…

  10. Legal Rights, Local Wrongs: When Community Control Collides with Educational Equity. SUNY Series, Restructuring and School Change.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Welner, Kevin G.

    This book challenges fundamental assumptions about the opportunities for equity-minded educational reform, using data from case studies of districts nationwide and their experiences with court-ordered detracking. The case studies show how white, upper middle class parents exercised a disproportionate amount of power in local school policy making…

  11. Improving Reading and Language Arts Skills of At-Risk First Graders through Direct Instruction of Print Awareness, Phoneme Awareness, and Phonological Processing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bump, Sandra K.; Swedberg, Trina L.; Yates, Carol R.

    This report describes a program to improve reading and language arts skills. The targeted population consisted of students in 2 first grade classrooms (average class size 25) from a midwestern elementary school in a predominantly white, middle to upper-middle class neighborhood. Data documenting the problem was obtained from the previous year's…

  12. Navy Recruitment Potential in Junior Colleges

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1975-07-01

    predominantly young (18-21 years old). high school graduates, from middle to upper-income families. They tended to be quite bright. Most are enrolled in college...attitude surveys. The rate for joining the enlisted force is particularly favorable for youth beyond high school , How- ever, very few of the junior college...83 1. Immediate Post- School Plans...................... 85 •1 2. Overall Attitude Toward Military Service . 89 3. The Active

  13. Unraveling Students' Misconceptions about the Earth's Shape and Gravity.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sneider, Cary I.; Ohadi, Mark M.

    1998-01-01

    Presents a study designed to test the effectiveness of a constructivist-historical teaching strategy in changing students' misconceptions about the earth's shape and gravity at the upper elementary and middle school levels. Contains 27 references. (DDR)

  14. Helping Your Local Amphibians (HYLA): An Internet-based Amphibian Course for Educators.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphy, Tony P.

    2001-01-01

    Introduces an online zoology course that was offered primarily to upper elementary and middle school teachers in which teachers were expected to take action to help the local amphibian population. (Author/YDS)

  15. Cyberhunt.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mills, Chris

    2001-01-01

    Presents an online activity designed to teach middle- and upper-level elementary school students about the skeletal system. Students are given several questions about the human skeleton, then directed to several online science sites to find the answers. A student reproducible page is included. (SM)

  16. Musicians of the Sea.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stellaccio, Cherie K.

    1997-01-01

    Presents a lesson plan designed for upper-elementary and middle school students that uses whale songs to teach musical concepts. Requires students to listen analytically and to apply music terminology to identify, describe, compare, and contrast musical sounds. Notes required resource materials. (DSK)

  17. A Study of College Readiness Programs among High School Students in South Texas

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smithwick-Rodriguez, Tracie

    2011-01-01

    Low-income high school graduates are less likely to get to a postsecondary institution than their middle and upper-income peers (U.S. Department of Education, 2000). Students who do enter a four-year institution do not have the necessary academic preparation to succeed and obtain a professional degree. The study examined how two national college…

  18. Measuring up: A Simple Lesson That Engages Students in Scientific Practices and Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Capps, Daniel

    2012-01-01

    A well-known lesson taught by many upper-elementary and early-middle-school teachers at the beginning of the school year asks students to compare how arm span relates to height. Students measure their height and arm span and compare their measurements to those of their classmates. This lesson gets students measuring, graphing, and practicing…

  19. Elementary and Middle School Children's Acceptance of Lower Calorie Flavored Milk as Measured by Milk Shipment and Participation in the National School Lunch Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yon, Bethany A.; Johnson, Rachel K.

    2014-01-01

    Background: The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) new nutrition standards for school meals include sweeping changes setting upper limits on calories served and limit milk offerings to low fat or fat-free and, if flavored, only fat-free. Milk processors are lowering the calories in flavored milks. As changes to milk impact…

  20. Software Reviews.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGrath, Diane, Ed.

    1989-01-01

    Reviewed are two computer software programs for Apple II computers on weather for upper elementary and middle school grades. "Weather" introduces the major factors (temperature, humidity, wind, and air pressure) affecting weather. "How Weather Works" uses simulation and auto-tutorial formats on sun, wind, fronts, clouds, and…

  1. An Instructional Plan Integrating a Community Agency Program: Towns Elementary School, 1972-73. Research and Development Report, Vol. 7, No. 49, April 1974.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Branch, Helen M.; Evans, Dale

    The community served by Towns Elementary School has changed from a black neighborhood of upper middle class homeowners to a neighborhood where the majority of the houses are now rented to lower socioeconomic status residents. Pupils now, possibly because of their environmental circumstances, exhibit behaviors which indicate needs for remediation…

  2. A Teacher's Guide to the Energy 80 Student Booklet for the 1981-82 School Year.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lord, John, Ed.

    This teaching guide was developed for use with Energy 80 program student booklets. Although the program was designed for junior high/middle school students in science/social studies classes, it is indicated that the materials are suitable for use at higher grades and, to a lesser extent, in upper elementary grades. The first 80 pages of the guide…

  3. Socialization to School: A Study of Low-Income and Minority Children in an Early Childhood Setting. Occasional Paper.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schwartz, Audrey James

    This study is a description of the initial socialization of low-income children, aged 3 to 6 years, who were recruited by a middle- and upper-income elementary college-laboratory school. Data for this study were obtained through observations of 11 recruited children and their classmates during a 4-year period. These observations were supplemented…

  4. The Occupational Transition Process to Upper Secondary School, Further Education and/or Work in Sweden: As Described by Young Adults with Asperger Syndrome and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

    PubMed

    Baric, Vedrana Bolic; Hemmingsson, Helena; Hellberg, Kristina; Kjellberg, Anette

    2017-03-01

    The aim was to describe the occupational transition process to upper secondary school, further education and/or work, and to discover what support influences the process from the perspectives of young adults with Asperger syndrome or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. This qualitative study was performed in Sweden and comprised interviews with 15 young adults recruited from community based day centres. Support influencing the process included: occupational transition preparation in compulsory school, practical work experience in a safe environment, and support beyond the workplace. The overall understanding shows that the occupational transition process was a longitudinal one starting as early as in middle school, and continuing until the young adults obtained and were able to remain in employment or further education.

  5. Using Steffe's Advanced Fraction Schemes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCloskey, Andrea V.; Norton, Anderson H.

    2009-01-01

    Recognizing schemes, which are different from strategies, can help teachers understand their students' thinking about fractions. Using Steffe's advanced fraction schemes, the authors describe a progression of development that upper elementary and middle school students might follow in understanding fractions. Each scheme can be viewed as a…

  6. Not Only Jumps, Slumps, but Also "Mini Plateau." Creative Potential Assessed by the Test for Creative Thinking-Drawing Production. A Cross-Sectional Study of Polish Students Aged from 7 to 18

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jastrzebska, Dominika; Limont, Wieslawa

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the developmental trajectory of creative potentials of Polish students. A total of 1,522 Polish students aged between 7 and 18 from lower and upper primary school, middle school, and high school participated in the study. Creative potential was measured by means of the Test for Creative…

  7. Conflict Management in Declining School Districts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boyd, William Lowe; Wheaton, Dennis R.

    1983-01-01

    Professional literature about managing conflicts associated with declining enrollments indicates the existing tension in this area. A research study shows that, while upper-middle class districts may succeed using a rational approach to decision making, lower class districts, for various reasons, may not. Special problems of urban districts are…

  8. Marine Education Knowledge Inventory.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hounshell, Paul B.; Hampton, Carolyn

    This 35-item, multiple-choice Marine Education Knowledge Inventory was developed for use in upper elementary/middle schools to measure a student's knowledge of marine science. Content of test items is drawn from oceanography, ecology, earth science, navigation, and the biological sciences (focusing on marine animals). Steps in the construction of…

  9. Differentiating Study Guides

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Conderman, Greg; Hedin, Laura

    2017-01-01

    Study guides are a popular and frequently student-requested instructional support developed primarily by upper elementary, middle, and high school teachers to help students navigate through a course of study. With the increase of the number of learners with diverse needs in general education classrooms, teachers need to be mindful of various ways…

  10. Jazz Listening Activities: Children's Literature and Authentic Music Samples.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McDonald, Nan L.; Fisher, Douglas; Helzer, Rick

    2002-01-01

    Describes a unit that is appropriate for upper elementary and middle school students that focuses on jazz music using biographies about jazz musicians. Discusses the five sections of the unit. Includes a list of "Suggested Jazz Listening Samples," jazz videos, and a bibliography of resources related to jazz music. (CMK)

  11. Pathfinder Teaching and Learning Units.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hawaii Univ., Honolulu. Sea Grant Program.

    This collection of teaching units were selected from materials developed during the Operation Pathfinder Institutes (OPI) which took place in the Pacific region between 1994 and 1999. The institutes were intended to provide upper elementary and middle school science teachers with an opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the marine…

  12. Women in Colonial and Revolutionary America.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eisenberg, Bonnie; And Others

    Designed as a supplemental teaching tool for upper elementary and middle school use, this unit contains information on the circumstances under which women of various cultures lived in the United States during the colonial and revolutionary periods and presents a perspective that is seldom included in textbooks. The unit includes biographies of ten…

  13. Teaching Yugoslavia the Cooperative Way: An Upper Elementary/Middle School Social Studies Unit.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hilke, Eileen Veronica

    1992-01-01

    Suggests methods for teaching about Yugoslavia. Recommends assigning students to maintain journals of news clippings about developments in Yugoslavia. Proposes forming cooperative-learning groups for researching the country's various regions. Offers activities for teaching about language arts, fine arts, reading and literature, religion,…

  14. Moving beyond Brownies and Pizza

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Freeman, Daniel W.; Jorgensen, Theresa A.

    2015-01-01

    A lack of fractional understanding is a well-documented obstacle to student achievement in upper elementary and middle school math (National Center for Educational Statistics [NCES] 1999; Lamon 1999; National Research Council [NRC] 2001). Lamon (1999) notes that one major conceptual hurdle that students must overcome is the idea that fractions are…

  15. Box City Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Center for Understanding the Built Environment, Prairie Village, KS.

    This curriculum packet contains two lesson plans about cities and architecture intended for use with students in upper elementary grades and middle schools. The first lesson plan, "City People, City Stories" (Jan Ham), states that understanding architecture and cities must begin with an understanding of the people of the city. The children create…

  16. Practices of Effective Writing Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gadd, Murray; Parr, Judy M.

    2017-01-01

    This study analyses the practices of nine New Zealand teachers of upper primary and middle-school students (N = 210) whose classes had consistently shown gains in writing far greater than normative expectations. Data from observations of three writing lessons and related interviews with each teacher, plus interviews with three focus students after…

  17. Saved from the Trash Can. Keep That Recycled Paper in Circulation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wheatley, Jack

    1983-01-01

    Lessons on conservation/recycling taught in upper elementary/middle schools often feature a paper recycling activity in which students make new paper from old. Methods to accomplish this are outlined. In addition, the use of the recycled paper for art projects is discussed. (Author/JN)

  18. Prescription Drug Abuse Information in D.A.R.E.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morris, Melissa C.; Cline, Rebecca J. Welch; Weiler, Robert M.; Broadway, S. Camille

    2006-01-01

    This investigation was designed to examine prescription drug-related content and learning objectives in Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) for upper elementary and middle schools. Specific prescription-drug topics and context associated with content and objectives were coded. The coding system for topics included 126 topics organized…

  19. Improving Age Appropriate Social Skills To Enhance Interpersonal Relationships.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DuBois, Connie; Endsley, Ammie; West, Dianna

    This paper describes a program designed to increase students' social skill development in order to improve positive peer interactions. The target population was elementary school students in one middle-to-upper class, rural community in central Illinois. Evidence for the existence of the problem of inappropriate social behaviors that interfere…

  20. Aeronautics Study Takes Off! Glider Design for Beginners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lazaros, Edward J.; Carlson, Katie

    2008-01-01

    Study of aeronautics is an interesting and motivating subject for students and educators alike. The activity described in this article--appropriate for upper elementary or middle school students--provides an excellent introduction to airplane design and the science of aerodynamics. It also gives students good experience applying knowledge from a…

  1. "My Favourite Subject Is Maths. For Some Reason No-One Really Agrees with Me": Student Perspectives of Mathematics Teaching and Learning in the Upper Primary Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Attard, Catherine

    2011-01-01

    The levels of engagement in mathematics experienced by students during the middle years of schooling (Years 5 to 8 in New South Wales) has been of concern in Australia for some years. Lowered engagement in school has been attributed to factors such as inappropriate teaching strategies, curricula that is unchallenging and irrelevant, and cultural…

  2. The Impact of a Geospatial Technology-Supported Energy Curriculum on Middle School Students' Science Achievement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kulo, Violet; Bodzin, Alec

    2013-02-01

    Geospatial technologies are increasingly being integrated in science classrooms to foster learning. This study examined whether a Web-enhanced science inquiry curriculum supported by geospatial technologies promoted urban middle school students' understanding of energy concepts. The participants included one science teacher and 108 eighth-grade students classified in three ability level tracks. Data were gathered through pre/posttest content knowledge assessments, daily classroom observations, and daily reflective meetings with the teacher. Findings indicated a significant increase in the energy content knowledge for all the students. Effect sizes were large for all three ability level tracks, with the middle and low track classes having larger effect sizes than the upper track class. Learners in all three tracks were highly engaged with the curriculum. Curriculum effectiveness and practical issues involved with using geospatial technologies to support science learning are discussed.

  3. FIRST LEGO League Kickoff

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2007-01-01

    Randall Hicks (right), Jacobs Technology's Education Services manager at NASA John C. Stennis Space Center, answers questions about the playing field for FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League's 2007 Challenge, `Power Puzzle.' More than 140 teachers, mentors, parents and students from 15 schools attended the Sept. 15 FLL season kickoff at StenniSphere, the visitor center at SSC. The teams from southern and central Mississippi and Mobile, Ala., who came to SSC heard rules for and asked questions about `Power Puzzle,' and saw robot demonstrations by Gulfport and Picayune high schools' past FIRST Robotics competitions. Using LEGO Mindstorms NXT kits, FLL teams of children ages 9-14 will spend the next three months building and programming robots to perform 'Power Puzzle's' challenge tasks, then pit them in competitions. They also will submit a research project about how energy choices impact the environment and the economy. The season will culminate at the Mississippi Championship Tournament on Dec. 8 at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. FLL, considered the `little league' of the FIRST Robotics Competition, partners FIRST and the LEGO Group. Competitions aim to inspire and celebrate science and technology using real-world context and hands-on experimentation. NASA recognizes FIRST activities as an excellent hands-on method to increase student knowledge of science, engineering, technology and mathematics. Schools represented in this year's kickoff were: Madison Avenue Upper Elementary, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians' Conehatta Elementary, Hattiesburg's Lillie Burney Elementary, Pearl Upper Elementary, Long Beach Middle, Oktibehha Elementary, d'Iberville Middle, Saucier's West Wortham Middle, Picayune's Nicholson Elementary and Roseland Park Baptist Church Academy, Bay St. Louis' St. Stanislaus College and Mobile's Davidson High, as well as two home-school groups from the Jackson area.

  4. FIRST LEGO League Kickoff

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2007-09-15

    Randall Hicks (right), Jacobs Technology's Education Services manager at NASA John C. Stennis Space Center, answers questions about the playing field for FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League's 2007 Challenge, `Power Puzzle.' More than 140 teachers, mentors, parents and students from 15 schools attended the Sept. 15 FLL season kickoff at StenniSphere, the visitor center at SSC. The teams from southern and central Mississippi and Mobile, Ala., who came to SSC heard rules for and asked questions about `Power Puzzle,' and saw robot demonstrations by Gulfport and Picayune high schools' past FIRST Robotics competitions. Using LEGO Mindstorms NXT kits, FLL teams of children ages 9-14 will spend the next three months building and programming robots to perform 'Power Puzzle's' challenge tasks, then pit them in competitions. They also will submit a research project about how energy choices impact the environment and the economy. The season will culminate at the Mississippi Championship Tournament on Dec. 8 at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. FLL, considered the `little league' of the FIRST Robotics Competition, partners FIRST and the LEGO Group. Competitions aim to inspire and celebrate science and technology using real-world context and hands-on experimentation. NASA recognizes FIRST activities as an excellent hands-on method to increase student knowledge of science, engineering, technology and mathematics. Schools represented in this year's kickoff were: Madison Avenue Upper Elementary, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians' Conehatta Elementary, Hattiesburg's Lillie Burney Elementary, Pearl Upper Elementary, Long Beach Middle, Oktibehha Elementary, d'Iberville Middle, Saucier's West Wortham Middle, Picayune's Nicholson Elementary and Roseland Park Baptist Church Academy, Bay St. Louis' St. Stanislaus College and Mobile's Davidson High, as well as two home-school groups from the Jackson area.

  5. TV and Zines: Media and the Construction of Gender for Early Adolescents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blair, Heather A.; Sanford, Kathy

    1999-01-01

    Research involving junior high school students in a white upper-middle class suburban community in western Canada examined how television and magazines influenced teenagers' gender identity, how girls and boys dealt with these influences, and how advertising reinforced patriarchal structures presented by media. Single-sex classes may provide a…

  6. Reach for Reference. No Opposition Here! Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center Is a Very Good Database

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Safford, Barbara Ripp

    2004-01-01

    "Opposing Viewpoints" and "Opposing Viewpoints Juniors" have long been standard titles in upper elementary, middle level, and high school collections. "Opposing Viewpoints Juniors" should be required as information literacy/critical thinking curriculum tools as early as fifth grade as they use current controversies to teach students how to…

  7. Computer Cache. Diseases: Locating Helpful Information on the Web

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Byerly, Greg; Brodie, Carolyn S.

    2005-01-01

    According to the American Heritage Dictionary, disease is "a pathological condition of a part, organ, or system of an organism resulting from various causes, such as infection, genetic defect, or environmental stress, and characterized by an identifiable group of signs or symptoms" (2000). Students in upper elementary school and in middle school…

  8. Island of the Sharks Activity Guide To Accompany the Large-Format Film.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gowell, Elizabeth Tayntor

    This document targets upper elementary and middle school students and provides activities to understand what the ocean floor looks like, the interactions of ocean communities, and the true nature of sharks. The activities are developed at three levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. The twelve activities include: (1) "Ocean…

  9. Improving Student Writing through a Language Rich Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Corona, Cathy; Spangenberger, Sandra; Venet, Iris

    A program developed interventions for improving student writing in the areas of technique and creativity. The targeted population consisted of students in the first through fourth grades in three different school sites, all being similar upper-middle class communities, located in the suburbs of a mid-western city. The problems that some students…

  10. Assessing Young Children's Social Concept Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stanley, William B.; And Others

    This study investigated a number of questions regarding the nature of social concept development in young children. Subjects were 64 kindergarten children and 65 first grade public school students from lower to upper middle class socioeconomic levels, of whom 66 were male, 63 were female, 78 were Caucasian, and 51 were black. Two assessment…

  11. Be All You Can Be: Taking the Accountability Dilemma

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Evans, Robert

    2013-01-01

    Independent school students are the most teachable in America: they are typically bright, motivated, and well behaved, and they typically come from supportive, upper-middle-class families. Plus, they are generally placed in small classes and their teachers generally have small pupil loads. Given all this, the essential question is not whether the…

  12. Age Differences in the Impact of Employment on Antisocial Behavior

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Monahan, Kathryn C.; Steinberg, Laurence; Cauffman, Elizabeth

    2013-01-01

    While research suggests that working more than 20 hr weekly is associated with greater antisocial behavior among middle- and upper-class youth, some have argued that employment benefits at-risk youth and leads to desistance from crime among youthful offenders. This study investigates the relation between hours worked, school attendance, and…

  13. Local and Long Distance Computer Networking for Science Classrooms. Technical Report No. 43.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Newman, Denis

    This report describes Earth Lab, a project which is demonstrating new ways of using computers for upper-elementary and middle-school science instruction, and finding ways to integrate local-area and telecommunications networks. The discussion covers software, classroom activities, formative research on communications networks, and integration of…

  14. Mental health stigma and attitudes to psychiatry among Bangladeshi medical students.

    PubMed

    Giasuddin, Noor Ahmed; Levav, Itzhak; Gal, Gilad

    2015-03-01

    The shortage of specialized human resources in mental health in Bangladesh requires active recruitment of psychiatric residents. In addition, the involvement of positively inclined health personnel, for example, medical doctors, emerges as an immediate priority. To explore stigma among medical students toward persons with mental disorders (PMDs) and their attitudes toward psychiatry. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Faridpur Medical College in Bangladesh before (First year) and following psychiatric rotation (Fifth year). Students (N = 200) filled anonymous questionnaires measuring stigma toward PMDs and attitudes to psychiatry. Upper medical school year (p = .028), older age (p = .005), mother's lower academic level (p = .043), upper and lower socioeconomic level affiliation (p = .008) and self-consultation for mental or neurological complaints (p = .032) were associated with increased stigma toward PMDs. More favorable attitudes toward psychiatry were found in upper medical school year (p = .073) and were significantly associated with female gender (p = .018) and middle socioeconomic level affiliation (p = .013). The relative improvement in attitudes toward psychiatry in the upper medical school year is overshadowed by the increased stigma toward PMDs. Specific anti-stigma program in the curriculum and strategies to improve the attitudes are required. © The Author(s) 2014.

  15. 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

  16. 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.

  17. Engaging Older Students with Reading Disabilities: Multimedia Inquiry Projects Supported by Reading Assistive Technology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Elder-Hinshaw, Rebecca; Manset-Williamson, Genevieve; Nelson, Jason M.; Dunn, Michael W.

    2006-01-01

    Creating accessible and engaging lessons for students with reading disabilities (RD) in inclusive classrooms is particularly challenging for special educators in upper elementary and middle school settings. Older students with RD have difficulty accessing the texts that serve as the basis for instruction, and years of repeated failure can leave…

  18. Gender Inequities in Grade Two: A Look at Educators and Literature.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Augello, Gina

    A study was conducted to determine if second grade teachers use gender biased literature and if these teachers are unintentionally sending biased messages to their students. Sixty-two second grade students and their three teachers were included in this study. The study was conducted in an upper-middle-class suburban elementary school. Several…

  19. Teaching Fifth Grade Mathematical Concepts: Effects of Word Problems Used with Traditional Methods.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coy, Jessica

    The view of the researcher is that students in the upper elementary to middle school range need to increase their problem-solving skills by making logical deductions and organizing and structuring their thoughts through the use of word problems. Giving children a daily word problem challenged and introduced them to the lesson. This activity…

  20. Challenging the Dichotomy between "Urban" and "Suburban" in Educational Discourse and Policy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Posey-Maddox, Linn

    2016-01-01

    This article builds a case for nuanced conceptualizations of "urban" and "-suburban" educational contexts and issues. The author analyzes data across two studies--one of upper-middle-class White parents with children in Chicago public schools, and the other of Black low-income and working-class parents who moved from Chicago to…

  1. Einsatz Aktueller Rundfunknachrichten im Englischunterricht der Mittel- und Oberstufe (Introducing Current Radio News in the Middle and Upper Grades).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weiss, Eckehart

    1980-01-01

    Presents the so-called Humboldt Service (taped segments from the BBC World Service news broadcasts, supplemented with exercise sheets and instructions for the teacher), which was devised by teachers of English in Berlin, and is obtainable from the Business School English Teachers' Association. (IFS/WGA)

  2. Sisters in Science: Using Sports as a Vehicle for Science Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hammrich, Penny L.; Richardson, Greer M.; Green, Tina Sloan; Livingston, Beverly

    This paper describes a project for upper elementary and middle school minority girl students called the Sisters in Sport Science (SISS). The SISS program addresses the needs of urban girls in gaining access to equal education in science and mathematics by using athletics as a vehicle for learning. The program provides a non-competitive and…

  3. Improving Student Knowledge of the Graphing Calculator's Capabilities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hubbard, Donna

    This paper describes an intervention in two Algebra II classes in which the graphing calculator was incorporated into the curriculum as often as possible. The targeted population consisted of high school students in a growing middle to upper class community located in a suburb of a large city. The problem of a lack of understanding of the…

  4. Teaching Aquatic Science as Inquiry through Professional Development: Teacher Characteristics and Student Outcomes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duncan Seraphin, Kanesa; Harrison, George M.; Philippoff, Joanna; Brandon, Paul R.; Nguyen, Thanh Truc T.; Lawton, Brian E.; Vallin, Lisa M.

    2017-01-01

    We present an inquiry-based, aquatic science professional development (PD) for upper-elementary, middle, and high school teachers and examine changes in student outcomes in light of participating teachers' characteristics and the grade band of the students. Our study lends support to the assertion that inquiry- and content-focused PD, paired with…

  5. Supermath: An Alternative Approach to Improving Math Performance in Grades 4 through 9

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pogrow, Stanley

    2004-01-01

    In this article, the author shares a decade's worth of experience in developing an approach to teaching math to upper-elementary and middle school students that simultaneously increases basic skills, improves problem solving, raises test scores, and sparks student interest in math. Sections include: (1) Background Of Supermath; (2) Description Of…

  6. The Utility of Maze Accurate Response Rate in Assessing Reading Comprehension in Upper Elementary and Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCane-Bowling, Sara J.; Strait, Andrea D.; Guess, Pamela E.; Wiedo, Jennifer R.; Muncie, Eric

    2014-01-01

    This study examined the predictive utility of five formative reading measures: words correct per minute, number of comprehension questions correct, reading comprehension rate, number of maze correct responses, and maze accurate response rate (MARR). Broad Reading cluster scores obtained via the Woodcock-Johnson III (WJ III) Tests of Achievement…

  7. Non-Traditional Muscular Strength and Endurance Activities for Elementary and Middle School Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maina, Michael P.; Feather, Ryan; Edmunds, Cynthia; Maina, Julie Schlegel; Ryan, Stu; Griffin, Michael

    2014-01-01

    Over the past decade many muscular strength and endurance routines have been introduced to children and adults toward improving overall health and fitness. When performed correctly, there are countless benefits to performing weight bearing resistance-type exercises to develop the upper, lower, and core areas of the body. The National Association…

  8. Teaching the Bill of Rights. A Guide for Upper Elementary and Middle School Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lindquist, Tarry L.; And Others

    To celebrate the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution, this curriculum illustrates the concepts of the Constitution and Bill of Rights through events and issues of the Pacific Northwest. The eight units of the curriculum include constitutional visions, the trial of Hershel C. Lyon: an environmental dilemma, comparison of rights around…

  9. Fighting the Rip: Using Digital Texts in Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Honan, Eileen

    2009-01-01

    This paper reports on a study investigating the use of digital texts in schools serving low and middle/upper socioeconomic communities. It draws on theoretical notions of rhizomes from the work of Deleuze and Guattari to explain the network of relations that are formed in classrooms, and that form the context for a set of patterns observed when…

  10. Misplaying the Angles: A Closer Look at the Illinois Tuition Tax Credit Law.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pathak, Arohi; Wessely, Mike; Mincberg, Elliot

    In 1999, Illinois enacted its tuition tax credit law, which offers tax credits to taxpayers whose own children are attending school, as opposed to tax credits to businesses and/or individuals who contribute to tuition scholarship programs. Recent data suggest that the Illinois tax credit program is benefiting middle- and upper-class families more…

  11. The World's Best Places: Classroom Explorations in Geography & Environmental Science.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Graf, Mike

    This book offers an alternative to traditional upper elementary and middle school lesson plans, using 32 of the world's national parks as a springboard for activities. The activities in the book are divided into chapters that deal with particular topics of study: wildlife, plant life, geography, and geology. Includes step-by-step instructions that…

  12. Micro- and Macroscale Ideas of Current among Upper-Division Electrical Engineering Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adam, Gina C.; Harlow, Danielle B.; Lord, Susan M.; Kautz, Christian H.

    2017-01-01

    The concept of electric current is fundamental in the study of electrical engineering (EE). Students are often exposed to this concept in their daily lives and early in middle school education. Lower-division university courses are usually limited to the study of passive electronic devices and simple electric circuits. Semiconductor physics is an…

  13. FIRST LEGO League Kickoff

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2006-01-01

    FIRST LEGO League participants listen to Aerospace Education Specialist Chris Copelan explain the playing field for 'Nano Quest' during a recent FLL kickoff event at StenniSphere, the visitor center at NASA Stennis Space Center. The kickoff began the 2006 FLL competition season. Eighty-five teachers, mentors, parents and 9- to 14-year-old students from southern and central Mississippi came to SSC to hear the rules for Nano Quest. The challenge requires teams to spend eight weeks building and programming robots from LEGO Mindstorms kits. They'll battle their creations in local and regional competitions. The Dec. 2 competition at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College will involve about 200 students. FIRST LEGO League, considered the 'little league' of the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition, partners FIRST and the LEGO Group. Competitions aim to inspire and celebrate science and technology using real-world context and hands-on experimentation, and to promote the principles of team play and gracious professionalism. Because NASA advocates robotics and science-technology education, the agency and SSC support FIRST by providing team coaches, mentors and training, as well as competition event judges, referees, audio-visual and other volunteer staff personnel. Two of Mississippi's NASA Explorer Schools, Bay-Waveland Middle and Hattiesburg's Lillie Burney Elementary, were in attendance. The following schools were also represented: Ocean Springs Middle, Pearl Upper Elementary, Long Beach Middle, Jackson Preparatory Academy, North Woolmarket Middle, D'Iberville Middle, West Wortham Middle, Picayune's Roseland Park Baptist Academy and Nicholson Elementary, as well as two home-school groups from McComb and Brandon. Gulfport and Picayune Memorial-Pearl River high schools' FIRST Robotics teams conducted robotics demonstrations for the FLL crowd.

  14. FIRST LEGO League Kickoff

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2006-09-23

    FIRST LEGO League participants listen to Aerospace Education Specialist Chris Copelan explain the playing field for 'Nano Quest' during a recent FLL kickoff event at StenniSphere, the visitor center at NASA Stennis Space Center. The kickoff began the 2006 FLL competition season. Eighty-five teachers, mentors, parents and 9- to 14-year-old students from southern and central Mississippi came to SSC to hear the rules for Nano Quest. The challenge requires teams to spend eight weeks building and programming robots from LEGO Mindstorms kits. They'll battle their creations in local and regional competitions. The Dec. 2 competition at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College will involve about 200 students. FIRST LEGO League, considered the 'little league' of the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition, partners FIRST and the LEGO Group. Competitions aim to inspire and celebrate science and technology using real-world context and hands-on experimentation, and to promote the principles of team play and gracious professionalism. Because NASA advocates robotics and science-technology education, the agency and SSC support FIRST by providing team coaches, mentors and training, as well as competition event judges, referees, audio-visual and other volunteer staff personnel. Two of Mississippi's NASA Explorer Schools, Bay-Waveland Middle and Hattiesburg's Lillie Burney Elementary, were in attendance. The following schools were also represented: Ocean Springs Middle, Pearl Upper Elementary, Long Beach Middle, Jackson Preparatory Academy, North Woolmarket Middle, D'Iberville Middle, West Wortham Middle, Picayune's Roseland Park Baptist Academy and Nicholson Elementary, as well as two home-school groups from McComb and Brandon. Gulfport and Picayune Memorial-Pearl River high schools' FIRST Robotics teams conducted robotics demonstrations for the FLL crowd.

  15. From the Ionosphere to the Classroom: Exploring the Earth's Upper Atmosphere with CINDI

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Urquhart, M. L.; Hairston, M. R.

    2004-12-01

    CINDI (Coupled Ion Neutral Dynamic Investigation) is a NASA funded instrument scheduled for an early 2005 launch by the Air Force on board the C/NOFS (Communications/Navigations Outage Forecast System) satellite. In preparation for this launch, our education and public outreach program is well under way, and focuses on making the difficult-to-visualize science of the ionosphere understandable to students in middle school and above. Our formal education strategy is to create engaging and usable materials that meet teachers' needs and integrate well into existing curriculum in today's era of high stakes testing. We will present our middle school educator guide, a preview of our new CINDI comic book, highlights from our 2004 educator workshops, and future plans to bring the ionosphere into classrooms around the country.

  16. [The influencing factors on alienation in high school students].

    PubMed

    Lee, Eun-Sook

    2004-02-01

    This study was performed to identify the influencing factors on alienation among high school students. Data was collected by questionnaires from 550 students of academic and vocational high schools in G city. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, pearson correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression. The scores of alienation among students in financially lower middle class and lower class were higher than those of the upper middle class students, resulting in significant differences(F=6.87, p=.00). A sense of alienation showed a significantly negative correlation with the scores of responding parenting style(r=-.32), family cohesion(r=-.33), school attachment(r=-.51), academic performance(r=-.34), peer relationships(r=-.38), self-control (r=-.43), and social skills(r=-.33). The most powerful predictor of alienation among high school students was school attachment and the variance explained was 26%. A combination of school attachment, self control, peer relationships, family cohesion, demanding parenting style, and academic performance account for 40% of the variance in alienation among high school students. This study suggests that school attachment, self control, peer relationships, family cohesion, demanding parenting style, and academic performance are significant influencing factors on alienation in high school students. Therefore, nursing strategy is needed to manage these revealed factors.

  17. Negotiating the integration of new literacies in math and science content: The lived experience of classroom teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wimmer, Jennifer Joy

    The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the lived experience of integrating new literacies in math and science content by upper elementary and middle school teachers. This study highlights the lived experience of six teachers including two elementary math teachers, two middle school math teachers, and two middle school science teachers. Data sources included five in-depth interviews, teachers' weekly reflection journals, weekly classroom observations, and one principal interview at each of the three high-needs schools. Data were analyzed through an analytic and thematic approach. A reconstructed story was created for each teacher which provides insight into the teacher as an individual. Additionally, a thematic analysis resulted in the identification of five essential themes across all six stories which included: technology exclusively, rethinking who they are as teachers, stabilizing rather than challenging content, rethinking student learning, circumstances, and futures, and serving official context and discourse. The findings indicate that the teachers' lived experience of integrating new literacies in math and science content was filled with uncertainty and a search for stability. A key implication of this study is the need for quality professional development that provides teachers with the opportunity to learn about, question, and rethink the intersection of new literacies, content area literacy, and teacher knowledge.

  18. The Effects of Visual Thinking Strategies on Reading Achievement of Students with Varying Levels of Motivation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zelvis, Rima R.

    2008-01-01

    This study examined the effects of the Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) curriculum on reading achievement of students with various motivational levels. A 2X2 factorial design was used. The sample population consisted of 104 fourth grade students from an upper middle class school system in Connecticut. All students were administered a…

  19. Learning Physical Science through Astronomy Activities: A Comparison between Constructivist and Traditional Approaches in Grades 3-6

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ward, R. Bruce; Sadler, Philip M.; Shapiro, Irwin I.

    2008-01-01

    We report on an evaluation of the effectiveness of Project ARIES, an astronomy-based physical science curriculum for upper elementary and middle school children. ARIES students use innovative, simple, and affordable apparatus to carry out a wide range of indoor and outdoor hands-on, discovery-based activities. Student journals and comprehensive…

  20. Students' Understanding of Cells & Heredity: Patterns of Understanding in the Context of a Curriculum Implementation in Fifth & Seventh Grades

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cisterna, Dante; Williams, Michelle; Merritt, Joi

    2013-01-01

    This study explores upper-elementary and early-middle-school students' ideas about cells and inheritance and describes patterns of understanding for these topics. Data came from students' responses to embedded assessments included in a technology-enhanced curriculum designed to help students learn about cells and heredity. Our findings suggest…

  1. Deeper Learning, Reduced Stress: A Daily Schedule that Makes a Difference

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flocco, David C.

    2012-01-01

    In the middle of the author's doctoral coursework in the spring of 2002, he had a discussion with the head of the upper school at Montclair Kimberley Academy (MKA) (New Jersey) about a potential dissertation topic that would benefit their community. In no time at all, the conversation turned to the daily schedule. In August 2004, the author…

  2. Improving Student Science Literacy through an Inquiry-Based, Integrated Science Curriculum and Review of Science Media.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bardeen, Karen

    This project studied the effects of an inquiry-based, integrated science course on student science literacy. The course was aligned to state and national science standards. The target population consisted of sophomore, junior, and senior high-school students in an upper-middle class suburb of a major Midwestern city. Questionnaires, tests, and…

  3. Learning to teach upper primary school algebra: changes to teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching functional thinking

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wilkie, Karina J.

    2016-06-01

    A key aspect of learning algebra in the middle years of schooling is exploring the functional relationship between two variables: noticing and generalising the relationship, and expressing it mathematically. This article describes research on the professional learning of upper primary school teachers for developing their students' functional thinking through pattern generalisation. This aspect of algebra learning has been explicitly brought to the attention of upper primary teachers in the recently introduced Australian curriculum. Ten practising teachers participated over 1 year in a design-based research project involving a sequence of geometric pattern generalisation lessons with their classes. Initial and final survey responses and teachers' interactions in regular meetings and lessons were analysed from cognitive and situated perspectives on professional learning, using a theoretical model for the different types of knowledge needed for teaching mathematics. The teachers demonstrated an increase in certain aspects of their mathematical knowledge for teaching algebra as well as some residual issues. Implications for the professional learning of practising and pre-service teachers to develop their mathematics knowledge for teaching functional thinking, and challenges with operationalising knowledge categories for field-based research are presented.

  4. Comparative analysis of autistic traits and behavioral disorders in Prader-Willi syndrome and Asperger disorder.

    PubMed

    Song, Dae Kwang; Sawada, Masayuki; Yokota, Shingo; Kuroda, Kenji; Uenishi, Hiroyuki; Kanazawa, Tetsufumi; Ogata, Hiroyuki; Ihara, Hiroshi; Nagai, Toshiro; Shimoda, Kazutaka

    2015-01-01

    Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a neuro-genetic disorder caused by the absence/loss of expression of one or more paternally expressed genes on chromosome 15 (q11-13). In this study, a comparative analysis of intelligence level and autistic traits was conducted between children with PWS (n = 30; 18 males, 12 females; age = 10.6 ± 2.8 years) and those with Asperger disorder (AD; n = 31; 24 males, 7 females; age = 10.5 ± 3.1 years). The children were compared by age group: lower elementary school age (6-8 years), upper elementary school age (9-12 years), and middle school age (13-15 years). As results, the intelligence levels of children with PWS were significantly lower than those with AD across all age groups. Autistic traits, assessed using the Pervasive Developmental Disorders Autism Society Japan Rating Scale (PARS), revealed that among elementary school age children, those with PWS had less prominent autistic traits than those with AD, however, among middle school age children, those with PWS and AD showed similar prominence. An analysis of the PARS subscale scores by age group showed that while the profiles of autistic traits for children with PWS differed from those of children with AD at elementary school age, the profiles showed no significant differences between the groups at middle school age. The findings suggest that autistic traits in PWS become gradually more prominent with increasing of age and that these autistic traits differ in their fundamental nature from those observed in AD. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Ecology: Learning To Love Our Planet. A Self-Directed Learning Experience. Grades K-8.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Enz, Judith; Diffenderfer, Susan

    This self-directed study unit for grades K-3 and 4-8 was developed expressly to transport the student from the position of passive recipient to active participant in his/her own pursuit of knowledge. Within the guide are two complete units: one created for the lower elementary student and one for the upper elementary/middle school student. Units…

  6. Feminism, Education, and Social Change: A Case Study of the Public School System in Cincinnati, Ohio, 1830-1880.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koehler, Lyle

    The paper explores various aspects of educational and social opportunities for women in Cincinnati in the mid-19th century. During the early stages of the industrial revolution in the 1830s, women were generally relegated to performing traditional home-based and child-related functions. Although middle and upper-class parents believed in education…

  7. Computerized Instruction in Translation Strategies for Students in Upper Elementary and Middle School Grades with Persisting Learning Disabilities in Written Language

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Niedo, Jasmin; Tanimoto, Steve; Thompson, Robert H.; Abbott, Robert D.; Berninger, Virginia W.

    2016-01-01

    Students in grades 5 to 9 (ages 10 to 14; 6 girls, 27 boys) who had persisting specific learning disabilities in transcription (handwriting and spelling) completed three kinds of composition tasks requiring translation (thought to written language) on iPads using alternating transcription modes (stylus or keyboard) across every three lessons:…

  8. Revisiting Sticht: The Changing Nature of the Relationship between Listening Comprehension and Reading Comprehension among Upper Elementary and Middle School Students over the Last 50 Years

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Verlaan, Wolfram; Pearce, Daniel L.; Zeng, Guang

    2017-01-01

    This study investigated the relationship between listening comprehension and reading comprehension to determine if environmental factors might be contributing to a possible change in the equalization age for these two comprehension modalities from what was theorized by Thomas Sticht. The study employed a counterbalanced design to measure the…

  9. Elementary and middle school children's acceptance of lower calorie flavored milk as measured by milk shipment and participation in the National School Lunch Program.

    PubMed

    Yon, Bethany A; Johnson, Rachel K

    2014-03-01

    The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) new nutrition standards for school meals include sweeping changes setting upper limits on calories served and limit milk offerings to low fat or fat-free and, if flavored, only fat-free. Milk processors are lowering the calories in flavored milks. As changes to milk impact school lunch participation and milk consumption, it is important to know the impact of these modifications. Elementary and middle schools from 17 public school districts that changed from standard flavored milk (160-180 kcal/8 oz) to lower calorie flavored milk (140-150 kcal/8 oz) between 2008 and 2009 were enrolled. Milk shipment and National School Lunch Program (NSLP) participation rates were collected for 3 time periods over 12 months (pre-reformulation, at the time of reformulation, and after reformulation). Linear mixed models were used with adjustments for free/reduced meal eligibility. No changes were seen in shipment of flavored milk or all milk, including unflavored. The NSLP participation rates dropped when lower calorie flavored milk was first offered, but recovered over time. While school children appear to accept lower calorie flavored milk, further monitoring is warranted as most of the flavored milks offered were not fat-free as was required by USDA as of fall 2012. © 2014, American School Health Association.

  10. High School Students' Meta-Modeling Knowledge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fortus, David; Shwartz, Yael; Rosenfeld, Sherman

    2016-12-01

    Modeling is a core scientific practice. This study probed the meta-modeling knowledge (MMK) of high school students who study science but had not had any explicit prior exposure to modeling as part of their formal schooling. Our goals were to (A) evaluate the degree to which MMK is dependent on content knowledge and (B) assess whether the upper levels of the modeling learning progression defined by Schwarz et al. (2009) are attainable by Israeli K-12 students. Nine Israeli high school students studying physics, chemistry, biology, or general science were interviewed individually, once using a context related to the science subject that they were learning and once using an unfamiliar context. All the interviewees displayed MMK superior to that of elementary and middle school students, despite the lack of formal instruction on the practice. Their MMK was independent of content area, but their ability to engage in the practice of modeling was content dependent. This study indicates that, given proper support, the upper levels of the learning progression described by Schwarz et al. (2009) may be attainable by K-12 science students. The value of explicitly focusing on MMK as a learning goal in science education is considered.

  11. Meet the Authors: 25 Writers of Upper Elementary and Middle School Books Talk about Their Work.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kovacs, Deborah

    This collection of interviews with authors of children's literature is organized so that young people can use it with or without directions from the teacher. The collection can be used in two ways: to give a reader background and insight into the writing approaches taken by an author whose book is being read, or to make known new or unfamiliar…

  12. Italy: A Study of the Educational System of Italy and a Guide to the Academic Placement of Students from Italy in Educational Institutions of the United States.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Capobianco, Joseph P.

    The educational system of Italy is described, and placement recommendations concerning students who want to study in the United States are presented. After a description of preschool, elementary, and middle school education, the different types of upper-secondary education system are considered (i.e., the lyceums, teacher training, and technical…

  13. Heterogeneous Origins of Human Sleep Spindles in Different Cortical Layers.

    PubMed

    Hagler, Donald J; Ulbert, István; Wittner, Lucia; Erőss, Loránd; Madsen, Joseph R; Devinsky, Orrin; Doyle, Werner; Fabó, Dániel; Cash, Sydney S; Halgren, Eric

    2018-03-21

    Sleep spindles are a cardinal feature in human NREM sleep and may be important for memory consolidation. We studied the intracortical organization of spindles in men and women by recording spontaneous sleep spindles from different cortical layers using linear microelectrode arrays. Two patterns of spindle generation were identified using visual inspection, and confirmed with factor analysis. Spindles (10-16 Hz) were largest and most common in upper and middle channels, with limited involvement of deep channels. Many spindles were observed in only upper or only middle channels, but approximately half occurred in both. In spindles involving both middle and upper channels, the spindle envelope onset in middle channels led upper by ∼25-50 ms on average. The phase relationship between spindle waves in upper and middle channels varied dynamically within spindle epochs, and across individuals. Current source density analysis demonstrated that upper and middle channel spindles were both generated by an excitatory supragranular current sink while an additional deep source was present for middle channel spindles only. Only middle channel spindles were accompanied by deep low (25-50 Hz) and high (70-170 Hz) gamma activity. These results suggest that upper channel spindles are generated by supragranular pyramids, and middle channel by infragranular. Possibly, middle channel spindles are generated by core thalamocortical afferents, and upper channel by matrix. The concurrence of these patterns could reflect engagement of cortical circuits in the integration of more focal (core) and distributed (matrix) aspects of memory. These results demonstrate that at least two distinct intracortical systems generate human sleep spindles. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Bursts of ∼14 Hz oscillations, lasting ∼1 s, have been recognized for over 80 years as cardinal features of mammalian sleep. Recent findings suggest that they play a key role in organizing cortical activity during memory consolidation. We used linear microelectrode arrays to study their intracortical organization in humans. We found that spindles could be divided into two types. One mainly engages upper layers of the cortex, which are considered to be specialized for associative activity. The other engages both upper and middle layers, including those devoted to sensory input. The interaction of these two spindle types may help organize the interaction of sensory and associative aspects of memory consolidation. Copyright © 2018 the authors 0270-6474/18/383013-13$15.00/0.

  14. Study of the Effect of the Talent Search Program on Secondary and Postsecondary Outcomes in Florida, Indiana and Texas. Final Report from Phase II of the National Evaluation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Constantine, Jill M.; Seftor, Neil S.; Martin, Emily Sama; Silva, Tim; Myers, David

    2006-01-01

    Low-income students and students whose parents have not attended college typically are less likely than middle- and upper-income students to complete high school and attend college, and are thus less likely to reap the benefits of attending college. Lack of information, resources, and exposure to others who have navigated the college process may…

  15. Main Streets of the Nation: A Series of Projects on Highway Transport for Elementary Schools. Bulletin, 1923, No. 38

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fox, Florence C.

    1923-01-01

    The highway is close to every child's experience and plays an important part in the activities of his life. The influence of the street is second only to that of the home. The highway project holds, for that reason, an absorbing interest of children in the middle and upper grades. It presents a wide range of subject matter and an opportunity for…

  16. Early School Withdrawals and Underperformance as Indicators of Poor Attention to Learner's Welfare: Botswana in 50 Years of Self-Rule

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marumo, Boipuso B.; Pansiri, Nkobi O.

    2016-01-01

    September 30th 2016 was Botswana's 50th birthday. Botswana, a deeply impoverished country in 1966 was on that day an upper-middle income country in the world rankings. Its education expenditure was one of the highest in the world, at around 9% of the GDP. It was on record to have provided more than 90% of universal and free primary education.…

  17. Revisions to the original extent of the Devonian Shale-Middle and Upper Paleozoic Total Petroleum System

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Enomoto, Catherine B.; Rouse, William A.; Trippi, Michael H.; Higley, Debra K.

    2016-04-11

    Technically recoverable undiscovered hydrocarbon resources in continuous accumulations are present in Upper Devonian and Lower Mississippian strata in the Appalachian Basin Petroleum Province. The province includes parts of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. The Upper Devonian and Lower Mississippian strata are part of the previously defined Devonian Shale-Middle and Upper Paleozoic Total Petroleum System (TPS) that extends from New York to Tennessee. This publication presents a revision to the extent of the Devonian Shale-Middle and Upper Paleozoic TPS. The most significant modification to the maximum extent of the Devonian Shale-Middle and Upper Paleozoic TPS is to the south and southwest, adding areas in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi where Devonian strata, including potential petroleum source rocks, are present in the subsurface up to the outcrop. The Middle to Upper Devonian Chattanooga Shale extends from southeastern Kentucky to Alabama and eastern Mississippi. Production from Devonian shale has been established in the Appalachian fold and thrust belt of northeastern Alabama. Exploratory drilling has encountered Middle to Upper Devonian strata containing organic-rich shale in west-central Alabama. The areas added to the TPS are located in the Valley and Ridge, Interior Low Plateaus, and Appalachian Plateaus physiographic provinces, including the portion of the Appalachian fold and thrust belt buried beneath Cretaceous and younger sediments that were deposited on the U.S. Gulf Coastal Plain.

  18. A cross-sectional survey to assess the effect of socioeconomic status on the oral hygiene habits

    PubMed Central

    Oberoi, Sukhvinder Singh; Sharma, Gaurav; Oberoi, Avneet

    2016-01-01

    Background: It is widely accepted that there are socioeconomic inequalities in oral health. A socioeconomic gradient is found in a range of clinical and self-reported oral health outcomes. Aim: The present study was conducted to assess the differences in oral hygiene practices among patients from different socioeconomic status (SES) visiting the Outpatient Department of the Sudha Rustagi College of Dental Sciences. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from June to October 2014 to assess the effect of SES on the oral hygiene habits. The questionnaire included the questions related to the demographic profile and assessment of the oral hygiene habits of the study population. Results: Toothbrush and toothpaste were being used significantly (P < 0.05) more by lower middle class (84.4%) and upper middle class (100.0%). A significantly higher frequency of cleaning teeth (twice a day) was reported among the lower middle class (17.2%) and upper middle class (21.5%). The majority (34.3%) of the study population changed their toothbrush once in 3 months. The cleaning of tongue was reported by patients belonging to the upper middle (62.0%), lower middle (52.1%), and upper lower class (30.0%). The use of tongue cleaner was reported to be significantly (P < 0.05) more among upper middle (10.1%) class patients. A significantly higher number of patients from the lower class (81.3%) never visited a dentist. Conclusion: The oral hygiene practices of the patients from upper and lower middle class was found to be satisfactory whereas it was poor among patients belonging to lower and upper lower class. PMID:29242690

  19. (re)producing Good Science Students: Girls' Participation in High School Physics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carlone, Heidi B.

    In this ethnographic study, the author describes the meanings of science and science student in a physics classroom in an upper-middle-class high school and the ways girls participated within these meanings. The classroom practices reproduced prototypical meanings of science (as authoritative) and science student (as "dutiful"). The results highlight girls' embrace of prototypical school science. Yet at the end of the school year, the girls did not consider themselves "science people," nor did they want to pursue physics further. The author's interpretation of these results takes seriously girls' agency in producing the meaning of the physics class (as a way to polish one's transcript) and draws attention to the promoted identities (prototypical good student identities) in the classroom. The author argues that students' agency in resisting or accepting the practices, identities, and knowledge of school science is worth understanding for the improvement of science education.

  20. Collision-induced tectonism along the northwestern margin of the Indian subcontinent as recorded in the Upper Paleocene to Middle Eocene strata of central Pakistan (Kirthar and Sulaiman Ranges)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Warwick, Peter D.; Johnson, Edward A.; Khan, Intizar H.

    1998-01-01

    Outcrop data from the Upper Paleocene to Middle Eocene Ghazij Formation of central Pakistan provide information about the depositional environments, source areas, and paleogeographic and tectonic settings along the northwestern margin of the Indian subcontinent during the closing of the Tethys Ocean. In this region, in the lower part of the exposed stratigraphic sequence, are various marine carbonate-shelf deposits (Jurassic to Upper Paleocene). Overlying these strata is the Ghazij, which consists of marine mudstone (lower part), paralic sandstone and mudstone (middle part), and terrestrial mudstone and conglomerate (upper part). Petrographic examination of sandstone samples from the middle and upper parts reveals that rock fragments of the underlying carbonate-shelf deposits are dominant; also present are volcanic rock fragments and chromite grains. Paleocurrent measurements from the middle and upper parts suggest that source areas were located northwest of the study area. We postulate that the source areas were uplifted by the collision of the subcontinent with a landmass during the final stages of the closing of the Tethys Ocean. Middle Eocene carbonate-shelf deposits that overlie the Ghazij record a return to marine conditions prior to the Miocene to Pleistocene sediment influx denoting the main collision with Eurasia.

  1. Mastery of Content Representation (CoRes) Related TPACK High School Biology Teacher

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nasution, W. R.; Sriyati, S.; Riandi, R.; Safitri, M.

    2017-09-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the mastery of Content Representation (CoRes) teachers related to the integration of technology and pedagogy in teaching Biology (TPACK). This research uses a descriptive method. The data were taken using instruments CoRes as the primary data and semi-structured interviews as supporting data. The subjects were biology teacher in class X MIA from four schools in Bandung. Teachers raised CoRes was analyzed using a scoring rubric CoRes with coding 1-3 then categorized into a group of upper, middle, or lower. The results showed that the two teachers in the lower category. This results means that the control of teachers in defining the essential concept in the CoRes has not been detailed and specific. Meanwhile, two other teachers were in the middle category. This means that the ability of teachers to determine the essential concepts in the CoRes are still inadequate so that still needs to be improved.

  2. 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…

  3. Outcrops, Fossils, Geophysical Logs, and Tectonic Interpretations of the Upper Cretaceous Frontier Formation and Contiguous Strata in the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming and Montana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Merewether, E.A.; Cobban, W.A.; Tillman, R.W.

    2010-01-01

    In the Bighorn Basin of north-central Wyoming and south-central Montana, the Frontier Formation of early Late Cretaceous age consists of siliciclastic, bentonitic, and carbonaceous beds that were deposited in marine, brackish-water, and continental environments. Most lithologic units are laterally discontinuous. The Frontier Formation conformably overlies the Mowry Shale and is conformably overlain by the Cody Shale. Molluscan fossils collected from outcrops of these formations and listed in this report are mainly of marine origin and of Cenomanian, Turonian, and Coniacian ages. The lower and thicker part of the Frontier in the Bighorn Basin is of Cenomanian age and laterally equivalent to the Belle Fourche Member of the Frontier in central Wyoming. Near the west edge of the basin, these basal strata are disconformably overlain by middle Turonian beds that are the age equivalent of the Emigrant Gap Member of the Frontier in central Wyoming. The middle Turonian beds are disconformably overlain by lower Coniacian strata. Cenomanian strata along the south and east margins of the basin are disconformably overlain by upper Turonian beds in the upper part of the Frontier, as well as in the lower part of the Cody; these are, in turn, conformably overlain by lower Coniacian strata. Thicknesses and ages of Cenomanian strata in the Bighorn Basin and adjoining regions are evidence of regional differential erosion and the presence of an uplift during the early Turonian centered in northwestern Wyoming, west of the basin, probably associated with a eustatic event. The truncated Cenomanian strata were buried by lower middle Turonian beds during a marine transgression and possibly during regional subsidence and a eustatic rise. An uplift in the late middle Turonian, centered in north-central Wyoming and possibly associated with a eustatic fall, caused the erosion of lower middle Turonian beds in southern and eastern areas of the basin as well as in an adjoining region of north-central Wyoming. Similarly, in east-central Wyoming and an adjacent area to the south, Cenomanian strata are disconformably overlain by upper middle and lower upper Turonian strata that probably reflect uplift and erosion in that region during the interim period of middle Turonian time. During later subsidence and a marine transgression, upper Turonian deposits buried Cenomanian beds in areas along the south and east margins of the Bighorn Basin and buried lower middle Turonian beds in much of northern Wyoming. Upper Turonian and lower Coniacian strata are apparently conformable in eastern and southern areas of the basin as well as near Riverton, Kaycee, and Casper in central Wyoming. Upper Turonian strata are absent on the west flank of the Bighorn Basin and in outcrops west of the basin, where middle Turonian beds are disconformably overlain by lower Coniacian beds . The conformable upper Turonian and lower Coniacian beds apparently transgressed an eroded middle Turonian surface in the region, but only Coniacian strata overlie middle Turonian beds on the west side of the basin and areas farther west. Coniacian strata onlap the truncated lower middle Turonian surface west of the basin, indicating a region that had higher elevation possibly resulting from tectonic uplift. In east-central Wyoming and an adjoining region to the south, upper middle Turonian and lower upper Turonian strata are disconformably overlain by lower and middle Coniacian beds. That region apparently was uplifted and eroded during the latest Turonian.

  4. 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,…

  5. Listening to Their Voices: Middle Schoolers' Perspectives of Life in Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Steinberg, Mary Anne; McCray, Erica D.

    2012-01-01

    This article examines middle schoolers' perspectives on their lives in middle school. Fifteen middle school students from three middle schools in the Southeast region of the United States participated in a basic qualitative study using focus groups at their schools where they were asked the central question, "If you could change one thing at…

  6. “I can, therefore I must”: Fragility in the upper-middle classes

    PubMed Central

    LUTHAR, SUNIYA S.; BARKIN, SAMUEL H.; CROSSMAN, ELIZABETH J.

    2014-01-01

    We review evidence on a group recently identified as “at risk,” that is, youth in upwardly mobile, upper-middle class community contexts. These youngsters are statistically more likely than normative samples to show serious disturbance across several domains including drug and alcohol use, as well as internalizing and externalizing problems. Extant data on these problems are reviewed with attention to gender-specific patterns, presenting quantitative developmental research findings along with relevant evidence across other disciplines. In considering possible reasons for elevated maladjustment, we appraise multiple pathways, including aspects of family dynamics, peer norms, pressures at schools, and policies in higher education. All of these pathways are considered within the context of broad, exosystemic mores: the pervasive emphasis, in contemporary American culture, on maximizing personal status, and how this can threaten the well-being of individuals and of communities. We then discuss issues that warrant attention in future research. The paper concludes with suggestions for interventions at multiple levels, targeting youth, parents, educators, as well as policymakers, toward reducing pressures and maximizing positive adaptation among “privileged but pressured” youth and their families. PMID:24342854

  7. Effects of individualized assignments on biology achievement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kremer, Philip L.

    A pretest-posttest, randomized, two groups, experimental, factorial design compared effects of detailed and nondetailed assignments on biology achievement over seven and a half months. Detailed assignments (favoring field independence and induction) employed block diagrams and stepwise directions. Nondetailed assignments (favoring field dependence and deduction) virtually lacked these. The accessible population was 101 tenth grade preparatory school male students. The 95 students enrolled in first year biology constituted the sample. Two by three ANOVA was done on residualized posttest score means of the students. Totally, the detailed students achieved significantly higher than the nondetailed students. This significantly higher achievement was only true of detailed students in the middle thirds of the deviation intelligence quotient (DIQ) range and of the grade point average (G.P.A.) range after the breakdown into upper, middle, and lower thirds of intellectual capability (ability and achievement). The upper third detailed DIQ grouping indirectly achieved higher than its peers, whereas the lower detailed DIQ third achieved lower than its peers. Thus, high capability students apparently benefit from flow and block diagrams, inductions, field independence, and high structure, whereas low capability students may be hindered by these.

  8. "My favourite subject is maths. For some reason no-one really agrees with me": student perspectives of mathematics teaching and learning in the upper primary classroom

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Attard, Catherine

    2011-09-01

    The levels of engagement in mathematics experienced by students during the middle years of schooling (Years 5 to 8 in New South Wales) has been of concern in Australia for some years. Lowered engagement in school has been attributed to factors such as inappropriate teaching strategies, curricula that is unchallenging and irrelevant, and cultural and technological conditions that continue to evolve (Sullivan et al. Australian Journal of Education 53(2):176-191, 2009). There is currently a gap in this field of research in terms of a lack of longitudinal studies conducted in an Australian context that feature students' voices and their perceptions of mathematics teaching and learning during the middle years. As part of a qualitative longitudinal case study spanning 3 school years, 20 students in their final year of primary school (aged between 11 and 12 years) were asked to provide their views on mathematics teaching and learning. The aim of the study was to explore the students' perspectives of mathematics teaching and learning to discover pedagogies that engage the students. During focus group discussions and individual interviews the students discussed qualities of a "good" mathematics teacher and aspects of "good" lessons. These were found to resonate well with current Australian quality teaching frameworks. The findings of this study indicate that students in the middle years are critically aware of pedagogies that lead to engagement in mathematics, and existing standards and frameworks should be used as a starting point for quality teaching of mathematics.

  9. Magnetic properties of sediments in cores from the Mandovi estuary, western India: Inferences on provenance and pollution.

    PubMed

    Prajith, A; Rao, V Purnachandra; Kessarkar, Pratima M

    2015-10-15

    Magnetic properties of sediments were investigated in 7 gravity cores recovered along a transect of the Mandovi estuary, western India to understand their provenance and pollution. The maximum magnetic susceptibility of sediments was at least 6 times higher in the upper/middle estuary than in lower estuary/bay. The χfd% and χARM/SIRM of sediments indicated coarse, multi-domain and pseudo-single domain magnetic grains, resembling ore material in the upper/middle estuary and coarse stable single domain (SSD) to fine SSD grains in the lower estuary/bay. Mineralogy parameters indicated hematite and goethite-dominated sediments in the upper/middle estuary and magnetite-dominated sediments in the lower estuary/bay. Two sediment types were discernible because of deposition of abundant ore material in the upper/middle estuary and detrital sediment in the lower estuary/bay. The enrichment factor and Index of geo-accumulation of metals indicated significant to strong pollution with respect to Fe and Mn in sediments from the upper/middle estuary. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Influence of mid-crustal rheology on the deformation behavior of continental crust in the continental subduction zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Fucheng; Sun, Zhen; Zhang, Jiangyang

    2018-06-01

    Although the presence of low-viscosity middle crustal layer in the continental crust has been detected by both geophysical and geochemical studies, its influence on the deformation behavior of continental crust during subduction remains poorly investigated. To illustrate the crustal deformation associated with layered crust during continental subduction, we conducted a suite of 2-D thermo-mechanical numerical studies with visco-brittle/plastic rheology based on finite-differences and marker-in-cell techniques. In the experiments, we established a three-layer crustal model with a quartz-rich middle crustal layer embedded between the upper and lower continental crust. Results show that the middle crustal layer determines the amount of the accreted upper crust, maximum subduction depth, and exhumation path of the subducted upper crust. By varying the initial effective viscosity and thickness of the middle crustal layer, the further effects can be summarized as: (1) a rheologically weaker and/or thicker middle crustal layer results in a larger percentage of the upper crust detaching from the underlying slab and accreting at the trench zone, thereby leading to more serious crustal deformation. The rest of the upper crust only subducts into the depths of high pressure (HP) conditions, causing the absence of ultra-high pressure (UHP) metamorphic rocks; (2) a rheologically stronger and/or thinner middle crustal layer favors the stable subduction of the continental crust, dragging the upper crust to a maximum depth of ∼100 km and forming UHP rocks; (3) the middle crustal layer flows in a ductile way and acts as an exhumation channel for the HP-UHP rocks in both situations. In addition, the higher convergence velocity decreases the amount of subducted upper crust. A detailed comparison of our modeling results with the Himalayan collisional belt are conducted. Our work suggests that the presence of low-viscosity middle crustal layer may be another possible mechanism for absence of UHP rocks in the southern Tibet.

  11. 11. Detail of the interior, looking through an interior doorway ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    11. Detail of the interior, looking through an interior doorway toward the front and east window. Note: This photograph shows that the building had been converted to a residence following its use as a school. In addition, the hazardous condition of the structure's interior is evident. Two ceilings which are visible in the photograph, (the upper, probably original plastered ceiling, and a secondary, adapted ceiling) as well as ceiling joists in the southernmost rooms have collapsed. Because of the dangerous condition of the interior of the building, additional interior photography was not attempted at this time. - Perry Township School No. 3, Middle Mount Vernon & Eickhoff Roads, Evansville, Vanderburgh County, IN

  12. Fish assemblage, density, and growth in lateral habitats within natural and regulated sections of Washington's Elwha River prior to dam removal

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Connolly, P.J.; Brenkman, S.J.

    2008-01-01

    We characterized seasonal fish assemblage, relative density, and growth in river margins above and between two Elwha River dams scheduled for removal. Fish assemblage and relative density differed in the lateral habitats of the middle-regulated and upper-unregulated sections of the Elwha River. Rainbow trout was the numerically dominant salmonid in both sections, with bull trout present in low numbers. Sculpin were common in the middle section, but not detected in the upper section. In 2004, mean length and biomass of age-0 rainbow trout were significantly smaller in the middle section than in the upper section by the end of the growing season (September). In 2005, an earlier emergence of rainbow trout in the middle section (July) compared to the upper section (August) corresponded with warmer water temperatures in the middle section. Despite lower growth, the margins of mainstem units in the middle section supported higher mean areal densities and biomass of age-0 rainbow trout than the up-per section. These results suggest that growth performance of age-0 rainbow trout was lower in the middle section than in the upper section, which could have been a density-dependent response, or a result of poor food production in the sediment-starved regulated section, or both. Based on our findings, we believe that seasonal sampling of river margins within reference reaches is a cost effective and repeatable method for detection of biologically important short- and long-term changes in emergence timing, density, and growth of rainbow trout before and after dam removals in the Elwha River.

  13. Students to Race Solar-Powered Model Cars

    Science.gov Websites

    hotel and the NREL Visitors Center. The SERF is the silver-colored building one-eighth mile past the teams Eagle Valley Middle School Two teams Fountain Middle School One team Hayden Middle School Two teams Kunsmiller Middle School One team Little Elementary Two teams Lyons Middle School Two teams Maple

  14. Transitions in the Swedish school system and the impact on student's positive self-reported-health.

    PubMed

    Holmström, Malin Rising; Olofsson, Niclas; Asplund, Kenneth; Kristiansen, Lisbeth

    2014-10-07

    To explore three school based transitions and their impact on positive self-reported-health (SRH), pre-school to elementary school (6-10 y), elementary school to junior high school (10-13 y), and junior high school to upper secondary school/high school (13-16 y), in a long-term longitudinal population based study. The study followed three cohorts through one school transition each. A longitudinal study with data from 6693 Health Dialogue questionnaires were used. Data were collected in the middle of Sweden during 2007-2012 with school children age 6-16 years old. Several significant factors were identified with an impact for a positive self-reported-health among children age 6-16 y; not feeling sad or depressed, afraid or worried, positive school environment (schoolyard and restrooms), not bullied, good sleep, daily physical activity and ability to concentrate. There was no single factor identified, the factors differed according to gender and age. The study have identified several gender and age specific factors for successful school transitions relevant for a positive SRH. This is valuable information for school staff, parents and school children and provides a possibility to provide support and assistance when needed.

  15. Latinos' Changing Ethnic Group Representation From Elementary to Middle School: Perceived Belonging and Academic Achievement.

    PubMed

    Morales-Chicas, Jessica; Graham, Sandra

    2017-09-01

    This study examined the association between change in ethnic group representation from elementary to middle school and Latino students' school belonging and achievement. The ethnic diversity of students' middle school was examined as a moderator. Participants were 1,825 Latino sixth graders from 26 ethnically diverse urban middle schools. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that a change in ethnic representation toward fewer Latinos in middle school than elementary school was related to less perceived belonging and lower achievement in schools with low ethnic diversity. There were no mean differences as a function of declining representation in more diverse middle schools, suggesting that greater school diversity was protective. Findings highlight the importance of examining school ethnic context, especially across the middle school transition. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Research on Adolescence © 2016 Society for Research on Adolescence.

  16. Desks, Dollars, and Deficits: Managing a Middle School during a Recession.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Merrill, Adeline B.

    1992-01-01

    A brief history of East Ridge Middle School in Connecticut illustrates the strong economic and demographic pressures that can work against a middle school. The principal plays a crucial role in preserving both the structure and the programs of an effective middle school. Points out strategies to protect and develop middle schools in tough economic…

  17. Operationalization of a Frame of Reference for Studying Organizational Culture in Middle Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Daniel, Larry G.

    A frame of reference for studying culture in middle schools was developed. Items for the Middle School Description Survey (MSDS), which was designed to test elements of the ideal middle school culture, were created based on middle school advocacy literature. The items were conceptually categorized according to E. H. Schein's (1985) cultural…

  18. Navigating Access and Maintaining Established Practice: Social Studies Teachers' Technology Integration at Three Florida Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sheffield, Caroline

    2011-01-01

    This mixed methods multiple case study explored middle school social studies teachers' instructional use of digital technology at three suburban middle schools This mixed methods, multiple-case study explored middle school social studies teachers' instructional use of digital technology at three suburban middle schools in a large Florida school…

  19. A Sociolinguistic Profile of 100 Mothers from Middle to Upper-Middle Socio-Economic Backgrounds in Penang-Chinese Community: What Languages Do They Speak at Home with Their Children?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Low, Hui Min; Nicholas, Howard; Wales, Roger

    2010-01-01

    This paper reports the findings of a survey of 100 mothers of Chinese children aged between 6 and 36 months from middle to upper-middle socio-economic backgrounds in Penang, Malaysia. The findings include the language backgrounds of these mothers, their contextual uses of multiple languages and their language choices with their children. Through…

  20. Middle School Teachers and School Leadership Perceptions of School Culture: An Examination of the Transition from Junior Highs to Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chaney, Maura Chase

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this case study was to examine the transition from junior high school to a middle school as experienced in two middle schools from a mid-sized urban school district located in the Rocky Mountains. The overarching question that guided data collection for this study centered on the factors that influenced school culture before,…

  1. School Mobility among Middle School Students: When and for Whom Does It Matter?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderson, Sara

    2017-01-01

    This study sought to understand the extent to which elementary or middle school mobility was associated with adverse middle school academic achievement and mental health and whether youth or contextual characteristics moderated associations. I contrasted elementary and middle school mobility to consider whether a recent school move or elementary…

  2. Female Middle School Principals' Voices: Implications for School Leadership Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, Cathy; Ovando, Martha; High, Cynthia

    2009-01-01

    This study was an attempt to add the voices of women to the discourse of school leadership. It focused on the nature of the middle school leadership experiences of three female middle school principals, their social interactions based on gender role expectations and their own leadership perspectives. Findings suggest that middle school leadership…

  3. 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

  4. 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.

  5. Influence of socioeconomic factors and race on birth outcomes in urban Milwaukee.

    PubMed

    Ward, Trina C Salm; Mori, Naoyo; Patrick, Timothy B; Madsen, Mary K; Cisler, Ron A

    2010-10-01

    A national study found that infants born in low socioeconomic areas had the worst infant mortality rates (IMRs) and the highest racial disparity. Racial disparities in birth outcomes are also evident in the city of Milwaukee, with African American infants at 3 times greater the risk than white infants. This study was conducted to examine the influence of socioeconomic status (SES) and race on birth outcomes in the city of Milwaukee. Milwaukee ZIP codes were stratified into lower, middle, and upper SES groups. IMR, low birth weight, and preterm birth rates by race were analyzed by SES group for the years 2003 to 2007. The overall IMR for the lower, middle, and upper SES groups were 12.4, 10.7, and 7.7, respectively. The largest racial disparity in IMR (3.1) was in the middle SES group, versus lower (1.6) and upper (1.8) SES groups. The overall percent of low birth weight infants for the lower, middle, and upper SES groups was 10.9%, 9.5%, and 7.5%, respectively. Racial disparity ratios in low birth weight were 2.0, 1.9, and 1.9 for lower, middle and upper SES groups. The overall percent of preterm birth was 15.4%, 13.2%, and 10.6% of births within the lower, middle, and upper SES groups, respectively, with a disparity ratio of 1.6 across all SES groups. For all outcomes, African American infants born in the upper SES group fared the same or worse than white infants born in the lower SES group. Although higher SES appeared to have a protective effect for whites in Milwaukee, it did not have the same protective effect for African Americans.

  6. "Find the Strength in Every Teacher": Urban Middle School Teachers' Perceptions of Effective Change Leadership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Allen, Timothy Clancy

    2013-01-01

    Urban middle schools face many accountability measures which often create the need for school improvement. Leading urban middle schools through the change process is extremely challenging for principals. The combination of leading change, leading urban schools, and leading middle schools is an uphill climb. Teachers' perceptions of leadership…

  7. 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…

  8. Satisfaction of Middle School Lunch Program Participants and Non-Participants with the School Lunch Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Stephanie; Cunningham-Sabo, Leslie; Auld, Garry

    2015-01-01

    Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine middle school students' satisfaction with the school lunch experience, using two validated surveys; the Middle/Junior High School Student Participation Survey and the Middle/Junior High School Student Non-Participation Survey, both developed by the National Food Service Management…

  9. Fostering a Developmentally Responsive Middle-to-High School Transition: The Role of Transition Supports

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ellerbrock, Cheryl R.; Denmon, Jennifer; Owens, Ruchelle; Lindstrom, Krista

    2015-01-01

    This yearlong qualitative multisite case study investigated ways middle and high school transition supports foster a developmentally responsive transition for students. A total of 23 participants engaged in this study, including 4 students, 4 middle school teachers, 13 high school teachers, 1 middle school principal, and 1 high school principal.…

  10. Associations between Parental Limits, School Vending Machine Purchases, and Soft Drink Consumption among Kentucky Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nickelson, Jen; Roseman, Mary G.; Forthofer, Melinda S.

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To examine associations between parental limits on soft drinks and purchasing soft drinks from school vending machines and consuming soft drinks among middle school students. Design: Secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the middle school Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Setting: Eight public middle schools in central Kentucky.…

  11. Delaware Middle Schools Beating the Odds. Technical Report Number T2010.4

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grusenmeyer, Linda; Fifield, Steve; Murphy, Aideen; Nian, Qinghua; Qian, Xiaoyu

    2010-01-01

    The investigation identified Delaware public and charter middle schools across the state which outperformed other Delaware middle schools with similar student demographic profiles. Teachers and administrators at six of these "Beating the Odds" schools and at six comparison middle schools were surveyed regarding their schools…

  12. Classroom Management and the Middle School Philosophy. Fastback 500.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dougherty, John W.

    This document explores how teachers can connect the instructional and interpersonal approaches embedded in middle-school philosophy to effective classroom management. It describes the current mismatch between middle-school philosophy and practice and how the creation of middle-school grades introduced a volatile mismatch between a school's…

  13. Woodbridge Middle School: Getting Better Together

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Principal Leadership, 2012

    2012-01-01

    This article features Woodbridge Middle School, a middle school in Woodbridge, Virginia, which has always celebrated a tradition of excellence. Today's Woodbridge Middle School in no way resembles the school that existed in 2005. Then, the students were mostly White and few qualified for the free and reduced-price meals program; today, there is no…

  14. 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…

  15. Middle School Students' Beliefs about Matter

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nakhleh, Mary B.; Samarapungavan, Ala; Saglam, Yilmaz

    2005-01-01

    The objective of this study was to examine middle school students' developing understanding of the nature of matter and to compare middle school students' ideas to those of elementary schools students, as was done by Nakhleh and Samarapungavan ["J Res Sci Teach" 36(7):777-805, 1999]. Nine middle school students were interviewed using a scripted,…

  16. Engaging Musical Practices: A Sourcebook for Middle School General Music

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burton, Suzanne L., Ed.

    2012-01-01

    Middle school general music may be a student's last encounter with school music. A practical book with accessible pedagogical resources on middle school general music is needed for methods courses and music practitioners' use. The book "Engaging Musical Practices: A Sourcebook for Middle School General Music" presents numerous ways to engage…

  17. The Challenge of Counseling in Middle Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Rourke, Kathleen, Ed.

    This book of readings presents 33 articles that address topics of importance to counselors who serve middle school students. It was written for counselors already working in middle schools and for individuals who are preparing for careers as middle school counselors. The book will also benefit both elementary school counselors who help children…

  18. Middle School Teachers' Theories of Puberty.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    LeTendre, Gerald

    This study explored middle school teachers' perspectives on and expectations of adolescence and puberty, using observations and interviews of 15 teachers in two Japanese middle schools and two United States (U.S.) middle schools, as well as a survey of teachers in selected schools in both nations. Teachers in the U.S. described puberty as being…

  19. The Cultural Contradictions of Middle Schooling for Rural Community Survival.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeYoung, Alan J.; And Others

    During 1968-91, middle schools were the only school type to grow in number, increasing by over 400 percent. Middle school advocates focus on early adolescents' need for developmentally appropriate institutions, but show only a weak historical understanding of the emergence and status of middle schools. Critical factors in early support for the…

  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. Working While in Middle School: Student Perceptions of School Climate & Connectedness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Sabrena

    2016-01-01

    Does working during the school year result in lowered perceptions of school climate and connectedness for middle school students? According to outcomes from a Rocky Mountain Region School District's (RMRSD) school climate survey, 20% of their middle school student population works during the school year. Existing literature on youth employment…

  2. Leisure Time Physical Inactivity and Sedentary Behaviour and Lifestyle Correlates among Students Aged 13-15 in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member States, 2007-2013.

    PubMed

    Peltzer, Karl; Pengpid, Supa

    2016-02-15

    The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between self-reported leisure time physical inactivity frequency and sedentary behaviour and lifestyle correlates among school children in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. The analysis included 30,284 school children aged 13-15 years from seven ASEAN countries that participated in the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) between 2007 and 2013. The measure asked about overall physical activity, walking or biking to school, and on time spent sitting. Overall, the prevalence of physical inactivity was 80.4%, ranging from 74.8% in Myanmar to 90.7% in Cambodia and sedentary behaviour 33.0%, ranging from 10.5% in Cambodia and Myanmar to 42.7% in Malaysia. In multivariate logistic regression, not walking or biking to school, not attending physical education classes, inadequate vegetable consumption and lack of protective factors (peer and parental or guardian support) were associated with physical inactivity, and older age (14 and 15 years old), coming from an upper middle income country, being overweight or obese, attending physical education classes, alcohol use, loneliness, peer support and lack of parental or guardian supervision were associated with sedentary behaviour. In boys, lower socioeconomic status (in the form of having experienced hunger) and coming from a low income or lower middle income country were additionally associated with physical inactivity, and in girls, higher socioeconomic status, not walking or biking to school and being bullied were additionally associated with sedentary behaviour. In conclusion, a very high prevalence of leisure physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour among school going adolescents in ASEAN was found and several factors identified that may inform physical activity promotion programmes in school-going adolescents in ASEAN.

  3. Schools in the Middle: Developing a Middle-Level Orientation. The Practicing Administrator's Leadership Series.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McKay, Jack A.

    This handbook was designed to help school administrators, teachers, and community members make a successful transition from a junior high school to a middle school. The focus is on the process rather than content. Chapter 1 provides an example of how one junior high school faculty and administration made the shift to a middle school. Chapter 2…

  4. Findings from the First & Only National Data Base on Elemiddle & Middle Schools (Executive Summary)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hough, David L.

    2009-01-01

    The study presented here is the first large scale effort on a national level to examine the relationship between K-8 Elemiddle Schools and 6-8 Middle Schools. From a population of more than 2,000 middle grades schools in 49 public school districts across 26 states, a sample of 542 Elemiddle and 506 Middle Schools was drawn. Both regression and…

  5. English Language Arts Scores among Sixth Grade Students Enrolled on an Elementary versus Middle School Campus

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, La-Trice

    2013-01-01

    A K-12 school district located in southern California was faced with overcrowding at 1of its middle schools for the 2011-2012 school year. This project study was designed to explore if an elementary or middle school campus was best in supporting students' academics while they were in transition to 6th grade middle school. Maslow's hierarchy of…

  6. Preservice Teachers' Understanding of Variable

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Sue; Bergman, Judy

    2013-01-01

    This study examines the research on middle school students' understanding of variables and explores preservice elementary and middle school teachers' knowledge of variables. According to research studies, middle school students have limited understanding of variables. Many studies have examined the performance of middle school students and offered…

  7. Differences in Stress and Social Support among Students Entering Urban, Urban Fringe, or Suburban Middle Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wenz-Gross, Melodie; Parker, Robin

    Noting that both stress and social support play an important role in middle school students' adjustment and motivation for school, two studies compared the stress and social support experienced by students entering middle school in different settings. The two studies of middle school students included overlapping measures of stress, social…

  8. Middle School Mathematics: 2006-07 to 2008-09. Impact Evaluation. E&R Report No. 10.11

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Paeplow, Colleen

    2010-01-01

    In 2006-07, seven Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) middle schools piloted Algebraic Thinking as an alternate approach to teaching middle school mathematics. Algebraic Thinking was developed to help students in grade 6 reach higher mathematics courses by combining the regular and advanced middle school mathematics courses into one…

  9. 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…

  10. The association between postural alignment and psychosocial factors to upper quadrant pain in high school students: a prospective study.

    PubMed

    Brink, Yolandi; Crous, Lynette Christine; Louw, Quinette Abigail; Grimmer-Somers, Karen; Schreve, Kristiaan

    2009-12-01

    Prolonged sitting and psychosocial factors have been associated with musculoskeletal symptoms among adolescents. However, the impact of prolonged static sitting on musculoskeletal pain among South African high school students is uncertain. A prospective observational study was performed to determine whether sitting postural alignment and psychosocial factors contribute to the development of upper quadrant musculoskeletal pain (UQMP) in grade ten high school students working on desktop computers. The sitting postural alignment, depression, anxiety and computer use of 104 asymptomatic students were measured at baseline. At three and six months post baseline, the prevalence of UQMP was determined. Twenty-seven students developed UQMP due to seated or computer-related activities. An extreme cervical angle (<34.75 degrees or >43.95 degrees; OR 2.8; 95% CI: 1.1-7.3) and a combination of extreme cervical and thoracic angles (<63.1 degrees or >71.1 degrees; OR 2.2; 95% CI: 1.1-5.6) were significant postural risk factors for the development of UQMP. Boys with any extreme angle were more likely to suffer pain compared with boys with all middle range angles (OR 4.9; 95% CI: 1.0-24.5). No similar effect was found for girls. There was no strong relationship between depression, anxiety, computer exposure and UQMP among South African high school students.

  11. GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL CHAMBER; SOUTH WALL, UPPER MIDDLE. Glass plate stereopair ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL CHAMBER; SOUTH WALL, UPPER MIDDLE. Glass plate stereopair number PA-1430-139 LC-HABS-GS05-GC-S-4 157.4836. Right (not printed) - Independence Hall Complex, Independence Hall, 500 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA

  12. The Middle-to-Upper Palaeolithic transition in Cova Gran (Catalunya, Spain) and the extinction of Neanderthals in the Iberian Peninsula.

    PubMed

    Martínez-Moreno, Jorge; Mora, Rafael; de la Torre, Ignacio

    2010-03-01

    The excavations carried out in Cova Gran de Santa Linya (Southeastern PrePyrenees, Catalunya, Spain) have unearthed a new archaeological sequence attributable to the Middle Palaeoloithic/Upper Palaeolithic (MP/UP) transition. This article presents data on the stratigraphy, archaeology, and (14)C AMS dates of three Early Upper Palaeolithic and four Late Middle Palaeolithic levels excavated in Cova Gran. All these archaeological levels fall within the 34-32 ka time span, the temporal frame in which major events of Neanderthal extinction took place. The earliest Early Upper Palaeolithic (497D) and the latest Middle Palaeolithic (S1B) levels in Cova Gran are separated by a sterile gap and permit pinpointing the time period in which the Mousterian disappeared from Northeastern Spain. Technological differences between the Early Upper Palaeolithic and Late Middle Palaeolithic industries in Cova Gran support a cultural rupture between the two periods. A series of 12 (14)C AMS dates prompts reflections on the validity of reconstructions based on radiocarbon data. Thus, results from excavations in Cova Gran lead us to discuss the scenarios relating the MP/UP transition in the Iberian Peninsula, a region considered a refuge of late Neanderthal populations. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Biostratigraphic sequence analysis of two Lower Miocene to Pliocene sections, Eastern Falcon, Northwestern Venezuela

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Diaz De Gamero, M.L.; Giffuni, G.; Castro Mora, M.

    1993-02-01

    The eastern region of the Falcon Basin in northwestern Venezuela comprises a thick sedimentary sequence deposited from a deep marine bathyal to neritic environment, ranging in age from the Middle Eocene to the Pliocene. A detailed biostratigraphic study (foraminifera and calcareous nannoplankton) was carried out in two sedimentary sequences outcropping in Cumarebo and Piritu, adjacent areas of eastern Falcon, representing: platform, slope and basinal settings. The Cumarebo section is continuous in the studied interval, from the Middle Miocene to the Pliocene. The Piritu section is continuous from the Lower to the lower Upper Miocene, terminating unconformably beneath a thin intervalmore » of middle Pliocene platform sediments, indicating tectonism during the latest Miocene. The sequence stratigraphical interpretation was based on the biostratigraphic analysis of the benthic and planktonic fossils, facies distribution and sedimentological data. Systems tracts, sequence boundaries and maximum flooding surfaces from cycles TB2.4 to TB3.5 of the cycle chart were identified. In the Cumarebo section, the upper Middle and Upper Miocene is mostly composed of shales, with some turbiditic sands belonging to a LSW system tract. The upper most Miocene contains a thick carbonate buildup (HST), and it is overlain by a Pliocene section that shallows upward from upper slope to outer shelf depositional environments. In the basinal (Piritu) section, most of the sediments are deep-water shales belonging to a LSW system tract, with some turbiditic sands in the upper Lower Miocene. TST and HST sediments, with scattered carbonate buildups in the upper Middle Miocene were also identified.« less

  14. Space Projects and Research by Kids (SPARK): A Web Based Research Journal for Middle School Students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Limaye, S. S.; Pertzborn, R. A.

    1999-05-01

    Project SPARK is designed to facilitate opportunities for upper elementary and middle school students to develop the necessary skills to conduct investigations that focus on the subjects of astronomy, space exploration, and earth remote sensing. This program actively engages students in conducting their own research project to acquire increased understanding and content knowledge in the space sciences. While the development of scientific inquiry skills and content literacy is the primary focus, students also enhance their critical thinking, analytical, technological and communications skills. As in the professional science community, the web based SPARK Journal presents an avenue for students to effectively communicate the results of their investigations and work to classmates as well as the "global learning community" via the world wide web. Educational outreach staff at the Sapce Science and Engineering Center have developed active partnerships with teachers and schools throughout Wisconsin to facilitate the development of standards based curriculum and research projects focusing on current topics in the space sciences. Student research projects and activities arising from these initiatives were submitted in the Spring and Fall of 1998 for inclusion in SPARK, Volume 1. The second volume of SPARK will be published in Spring, 1999. Support for the development of this journal was provided by the NASA/IDEAS Program.

  15. Geriatric dentistry education and context in a selection of countries in 5 continents.

    PubMed

    Marchini, Leonardo; Ettinger, Ronald; Chen, Xi; Kossioni, Anastassia; Tan, Haiping; Tada, Sayaka; Ikebe, Kazunori; Dosumu, Elizabeth Bosede; Oginni, Fadekemi O; Akeredolu, Patricia Adetokunbo; Butali, Azeez; Donnelly, Leeann; Brondani, Mario; Fritzsch, Bernd; Adeola, Henry A

    2018-05-01

    To summarize and discuss how geriatric dentistry has been addressed in dental schools of different countries regarding to (1) teaching students at the predoctoral level; (2) advanced training, and (3) research. A convenience sample of faculty members from a selection of high, upper-middle and lower-middle income countries were recruited to complete the survey. The survey had 5 open-ended main topics, and asked about (1) the size of their elderly population, (2) general information about dental education; (3) the number of dental schools teaching geriatric dentistry, and their teaching methods; (4) advanced training in geriatric dentistry; (5) scholarship/research in geriatric dentistry. (1) There is great variation in the size of elderly population; (2) duration of training and content of dental education curriculum varies; (3) geriatric dentistry has not been established as a standalone course in dental schools in the majority of the countries, (4) most countries, with the exception of Japan, lack adequate number of dentists trained in geriatric dentistry as well as training programs, and (5) geriatric dentistry-related research has increased in recent years in scope and content, although the majority of these papers are not in English. © 2018 Special Care Dentistry Association and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. Middle Triassic molluscan fossils of biostratigraphic significance from the Humboldt Range, northwestern Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Silberling, Norman J.; Nichols, K.M.

    1982-01-01

    Cephalopods and bivalves of the genus Daonella occur at certain levels throughout the Middle Triassic section in the Humboldt Range, northwestern Nevada. These fossiliferous strata are assigned to the Fossil Hill Member and upper member of the Prida Formation, which here forms the oldest part of the Star Peak Group. The distribution and abundance of fossils within the section is uneven, partly because of original depositional patterns within the dominantly calcareous succession and partly because of diagenetic secondary dolomitization and hydrothermal metamorphism in parts of the range.Lower and middle Anisian fossil localities are restricted to the northern part of the range and are scattered, so that only three demonstrably distinct stratigraphic levels are represented. Cephalopods from these localities are characteristic of the Caurus Zone and typify the lower and upper parts of the Hyatti Zone, a new zonal unit whose faunas have affinity with those from the older parts of the Varium Zone in Canada.The upper Anisian and lowermost Ladinian, as exposed in the vicinity of Fossil Hill in the southern part of the range, are extremely fossiliferous. Cephalopod and Daonella shells form a major component of many of the limestone interbeds in the calcareous fine-grained clastic section here. Stratigraphically controlled bedrock collections representing at least 20 successive levels have been made from the Fossil Hill area, which is the type locality for the Rotelliformis, Meeki, and Occidentalis Zones of the upper Anisian and the Subasperum Zone of the lower Ladinian. Above the Subasperum Zone fossils are again scarce; upper Ladinian faunas representing the Daonella lommeli beds occur at only a few places in the upper member of the Prida Formation.Although unevenly fossiliferous, the succession of Middle Triassic cephalopod and Daonella faunas in the Humboldt Range is one of the most complete of any known in the world. Newly collected faunas from this succession provide the basis for revising the classic monograph on Middle Triassic marine invertebrates of North America published in 1914 by J. P. Smith and based largely on stratigraphically uncontrolled collections from the Humboldt Range. Taxonomic treatment of these collections, old and new, from the Humboldt Range provides the documentation necessary to establish this Middle Triassic succession as a biostratigraphic standard of reference.Of the 68 species of ammonites described or discussed, 4 are from the lower Anisian, 20 from the middle Anisian, 39 from the upper Anisian, 4 from the lower Ladinian, and 1 from the upper Ladinian. A few additional ammonite species from other localities in Nevada are also treated in order to clarify their morphologic characteristics and stratigraphic occurrence. Other elements in the Middle Triassic molluscan faunas of the Humboldt Range comprise five species of nautiloids and three of coleoids from the middle and upper Anisian parts of the section. Eight more or less stratigraphically restricted species of Daonella occur in the upper Anisian and Ladinian.

  17. Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Interactive Whiteboards on Student Engagement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Phelps, Robin J.

    2012-01-01

    This study examined the effectiveness of interactive whiteboards on student engagement. Perceptions from 108 middle school students and one middle school teacher were analyzed to answer the research question: What are the perceptions of middle school students and one middle school teacher regarding student engagement during lessons using an…

  18. STEM and Career Exploratory Classes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chase, Darrell

    2010-01-01

    Districts face increasing pressure to improve students' mastery of curriculum in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Yet the number of students enrolling in science and math courses drops dramatically in middle and high school. At Sylvester Middle School, Chinook Middle School and Cascade Middle School of the…

  19. 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…

  20. 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…

  1. 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…

  2. Transitions between subclasses of bullying and victimization when entering middle school.

    PubMed

    Williford, Anne; Boulton, Aaron J; Jenson, Jeffrey M

    2014-01-01

    We examined the effects of depressive symptoms, antisocial attitudes, and perspective-taking empathy on patterns of bullying and victimization during the transition from late elementary (4th grade to 5th grade) to middle school (6th grade) among 1,077 students who participated in the Youth Matters (YM) bullying prevention trial. Latent transition analysis was used to establish classes of bullying, victimization, bully-victimization, and uninvolvement. The intervention had a positive impact on children as they moved from elementary to middle school. More students in the YM group transitioned from the involved statuses to the uninvolved status than students in the control group during the move to middle school. Elementary school bullies with higher levels of depressive symptoms were less likely than other students to move to an uninvolved status in the first year of middle school. Students who held greater antisocial attitudes were more likely to be a member of the bully-victim status than the uninvolved status during the move to middle school. Perspective-taking empathy, however, was not a significant predictor of status change during the transition to middle school. Implications for school-based prevention programs during the move to middle school are noted. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. 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…

  4. Middle School Principals' Perceptions and Preferences When Hiring Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mee, Molly; Haverback, Heather Rogers

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate middle school principals' knowledge of the state's new middle level teacher certification, their hiring preferences for newly certified teachers, and their perceptions of middle certified teacher' competencies in teaching various subject areas to middle school students. Survey data indicated that the…

  5. School Libraries and Science Achievement: A View from Michigan's Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mardis, Marcia

    2007-01-01

    If strong school library media centers (SLMCs) positively impact middle school student reading achievement, as measured on standardized tests, are they also beneficial for middle school science achievement? To answer this question, the researcher built upon the statistical analyses used in previous school library impact studies with qualitative…

  6. 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…

  7. Adult and Middle School Girls' Perceptions of Risk-Taking Behavior: Implications for School Practitioners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Solomon, Brett Johnson; Garibaldi, Mark

    2013-01-01

    There is an overwhelming disconnect between young adolescent girls and adults, in relationship to perceptions of middle schoolgirl risk taking. This mixed-methods study investigates the differences between adult practitioners and middle school girls' perceptions of risk taking, understanding of consequences, and needs among middle school girls.…

  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. 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…

  10. Fieldale-Collinsville Middle School: Banishing Anonymity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Principal Leadership, 2010

    2010-01-01

    It is no accident that the staff at Fieldale-Collinsville Middle School adopted a central tenet of "Breaking Ranks in the Middle"--to banish anonymity by creating a personalized learning environment for all of its students. The school was created six years ago when the four middle schools in Henry County, VA, were consolidated into two…

  11. 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

  12. Middle School: Lessons from the Rand Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bunting, Carolyn E.

    2005-01-01

    This article reports on a recent study by the Rand Corporation that concluded that there is cause for middle schools to worry. Commissioned by the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, one of four major philanthropies supporting the middle school movement, the Rand investigation is clear in its assessment: The American middle school leaves adolescents…

  13. Against All Odds

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Manzo, Kathleen Kennedy

    2005-01-01

    More than a decade ago, no one held out much hope for the poor, immigrant children at Kennedy Middle School. Nobody thinks that now. This article presents how Kennedy Middle School transformed and beat all the odds to be a "school to watch." In many ways, Kennedy Middle School has become a model of middle-grades improvement. Test scores,…

  14. Looking Forward to High School and College: Middle Grade Indicators of Readiness in Chicago Public Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Allensworth, Elaine M.; Gwynne, Julia A.; Moore, Paul; de la Torre, Marisa

    2014-01-01

    There is a very large population of students who struggle with the transition from the middle grades to high school, raising concerns that high school failures are partially a function of poor middle grade preparation. As a result, middle grade practitioners are grappling with questions about what skills students need to succeed in high school,…

  15. Does elementary school alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use increase middle school risk?

    PubMed

    Wilson, Nance; Battistich, Victor; Syme, S Leonard; Boyce, W Thomas

    2002-06-01

    To assess whether alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use in elementary school may have serious implications for continued ATOD use in middle school and beyond. Longitudinal analyses were conducted on questionnaire data from 331 middle school students who had previously provided ATOD-use data during elementary school. Non-school personnel administered questionnaires in three participating school districts in three different states. The sample of students was ethnically and geographically diverse, including students from a range of low socioeconomic status backgrounds living in rural, urban or inner-city environments. Middle school alcohol use was almost three times as likely to occur if alcohol use had occurred in elementary school (OR = 2.94, p <.001). Elementary school use of tobacco and marijuana also greatly increased the likelihood of middle school use (OR = 5.35, p <.001 and OR = 4.25, p <.05, respectively). Early use of ATOD is associated with greatly increased odds of later use, which has important implications for the timing of drug prevention programs. Preventive interventions designed for use in pediatric practice settings should commence no later than elementary school, during the middle childhood years.

  16. Planetary Science Educational Materials for Out-of-School Time Educators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barlow, Nadine G.; Clark, Joelle G.

    2017-10-01

    Planetary Learning that Advances the Nexus of Engineering, Technology, and Science (PLANETS) is a five-year NASA-funded (NNX16AC53A) interdisciplinary and cross-institutional partnership to develop and disseminate STEM out-of-school time (OST) curricular and professional development units that integrate planetary science, technology, and engineering. The Center for Science Teaching and Learning (CSTL) and Department of Physics and Astronomy (P&A) at Northern Arizona University, the U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center (USGS ASC), and the Museum of Science Boston (MoS) are partners in developing, piloting, and researching the impact of three out-of-school time units. Planetary scientists at USGS ASC and P&A have developed two units for middle grades youth and one for upper elementary aged youth. The two middle school units focus on greywater recycling and remote sensing of planetary surfaces while the elementary unit centers on exploring space hazards. All units are designed for small teams of ~4 youth to work together to investigate materials, engineer tools to assist in the explorations, and utilize what they have learned to solve a problem. Youth participate in a final share-out with adults and other youth of what they learned and their solution to the problem. Curriculum pilot testing of the two middle school units has begun with out-of-school time educators. A needs assessment has been conducted nationwide among educators and evaluation of the curriculum units is being conducted by CSTL during the pilot testing. Based on data analysis, the project is developing and testing four tiers of professional support for OST educators. Tier 1 meets the immediate needs of OST educators to teach curriculum and include how-to videos and other direct support materials. Tier 2 provides additional content and pedagogical knowledge and includes short content videos designed to specifically address the content of the curriculum. Tier 3 elaborates on best practices in education and gives guidance on methods, for example, to develop cultural relevancy for underrepresented students. Tier 4 helps make connections to other NASA or educational products that support STEM learning in out of school settings.

  17. Using (137)Cs to quantify the redistribution of soil organic carbon and total N affected by intensive soil erosion in the headwaters of the Yangtze River, China.

    PubMed

    Guoxiao, Wei; Yibo, Wang; Yan Lin, Wang

    2008-12-01

    Characteristics of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (total N) are important for determining the overall quality of soils. Studies on spatial and temporal variation in SOC and total N are of great importance because of global environmental concerns. Soil erosion is one of the major processes affecting the redistribution of SOC and total N in the test fields. To characterize the distribution and dynamics of SOC and N in the intensively eroded soil of the headwaters of the Yangtze River, China, we measured profiles of soil organic C, total N stocks, and (137)Cs in a control plot and a treatment plot. The amounts of SOC, (137)Cs of sampling soil profiles increased in the following order, lower>middle>upper portions on the control plot, and the amounts of total N of sampling soil profile increase in the following order: upper>middle>lower on the control plot. Intensive soil erosion resulted in a significant decrease of SOC amounts by 34.9%, 28.3% and 52.6% for 0-30cm soil layer at upper, middle and lower portions and (137)Cs inventory decreased by 68%, 11% and 85% at upper, middle and lower portions, respectively. On the treatment plot total N decreased by 50.2% and 14.6% at the upper and middle portions and increased by 48.9% at the lower portion. Coefficients of variation (CVs) of SOC decreased by 31%, 37% and 30% in the upper, middle and lower slope portions, respectively. Similar to the variational trend of SOC, CVs of (137)Cs decreased by 19.2%, 0.5% and 36.5%; and total N decreased by 45.7%, 65.1% and 19% in the upper, middle and lower slope portions, respectively. The results showed that (137)Cs, SOC and total N moved on the sloping land almost in the same physical mechanism during the soil erosion procedure, indicating that fallout of (137)Cs could be used directly for quantifying dynamic SOC and total N redistribution as the soil was affected by intensive soil erosion.

  18. Associations between School Climate, Suicidal Thoughts, and Behaviors and Ethnicity among Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    La Salle, Tamika P.; Wang, Cixin; Parris, Leandra; Brown, Jacqueline A.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of the current study is to investigate the relationships between suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs), school climate, and student demographics among middle school students. The study was conducted with a sample of 152,191 middle school students across 607 schools within 182 school districts in a southeastern state. Results support…

  19. Alignment of Hands-On STEM Engagement Activities with Positive STEM Dispositions in Secondary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Christensen, Rhonda; Knezek, Gerald; Tyler-Wood, Tandra

    2015-01-01

    This study examines positive dispositions reported by middle school and high school students participating in programs that feature STEM-related activities. Middle school students participating in school-to-home hands-on energy monitoring activities are compared to middle school and high school students in a different project taking part in…

  20. Uniforms in the Middle School: Student Opinions, Discipline Data, and School Police Data

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sanchez, Jafeth E.; Yoxsimer, Andrew; Hill, George C.

    2012-01-01

    This study investigated public middle school students' opinions on the benefits of wearing a school uniform. A review of related literature is provided along with results of the opinions obtained from 604 seventh- and eighth-grade middle school students attending a public school in Nevada that had recently initiated a school uniform policy.…

  1. Growth and obesity status of children from the middle socioeconomic group in Lucknow, northern India: A comparison with studies on children from the upper socioeconomic group.

    PubMed

    Gupta, Priyanka; Mittal, Nitya; Kulkarni, Abhishek; Meenakshi, J V; Bhatia, Vijayalakshmi

    2015-01-01

    Children from the upper socioeconomic group in India currently show a modest positive secular trend in height, accompanied by a high prevalence of obesity. We examined the anthropometric pattern among children from the middle socioeconomic group. A cross-sectional study of anthropometry in 3794 schoolchildren from the middle socioeconomic group in the city of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. A comparison with the data of a 20-year-old study of children from the upper socioeconomic group showed that the height of boys in our study was at par with or higher than that of boys of the same (Lucknow-Allahabad-Varanasi) region or national data, at all centiles. In contrast, girls in our study were shorter than national data at all centiles and shorter than girls of the same region at the 3rd centile. Children from the middle socioeconomic group did not show the large increase in weight centiles seen in the recent data of the upper socioeconomic group. The values of body mass index at the 85th and 95th percentile at 17 or 18 years of age in girls and boys were 23 and 25 kg/m2, respectively. Obesity was prevalent in 1% of children of the middle socioeconomic group and an additional 5.7% were overweight. Children from the middle socioeconomic group in Lucknow have grown taller than their 20-year-old counterparts from the upper socioeconomic group. Boys have fared better than girls. Children from the middle socioeconomic group in Lucknow are at present spared from the epidemic of obesity. Copyright 2015, NMJI.

  2. 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…

  3. Mental disorders among college students in the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys.

    PubMed

    Auerbach, R P; Alonso, J; Axinn, W G; Cuijpers, P; Ebert, D D; Green, J G; Hwang, I; Kessler, R C; Liu, H; Mortier, P; Nock, M K; Pinder-Amaker, S; Sampson, N A; Aguilar-Gaxiola, S; Al-Hamzawi, A; Andrade, L H; Benjet, C; Caldas-de-Almeida, J M; Demyttenaere, K; Florescu, S; de Girolamo, G; Gureje, O; Haro, J M; Karam, E G; Kiejna, A; Kovess-Masfety, V; Lee, S; McGrath, J J; O'Neill, S; Pennell, B-E; Scott, K; Ten Have, M; Torres, Y; Zaslavsky, A M; Zarkov, Z; Bruffaerts, R

    2016-10-01

    Although mental disorders are significant predictors of educational attainment throughout the entire educational career, most research on mental disorders among students has focused on the primary and secondary school years. The World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys were used to examine the associations of mental disorders with college entry and attrition by comparing college students (n = 1572) and non-students in the same age range (18-22 years; n = 4178), including non-students who recently left college without graduating (n = 702) based on surveys in 21 countries (four low/lower-middle income, five upper-middle-income, one lower-middle or upper-middle at the times of two different surveys, and 11 high income). Lifetime and 12-month prevalence and age-of-onset of DSM-IV anxiety, mood, behavioral and substance disorders were assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). One-fifth (20.3%) of college students had 12-month DSM-IV/CIDI disorders; 83.1% of these cases had pre-matriculation onsets. Disorders with pre-matriculation onsets were more important than those with post-matriculation onsets in predicting subsequent college attrition, with substance disorders and, among women, major depression the most important such disorders. Only 16.4% of students with 12-month disorders received any 12-month healthcare treatment for their mental disorders. Mental disorders are common among college students, have onsets that mostly occur prior to college entry, in the case of pre-matriculation disorders are associated with college attrition, and are typically untreated. Detection and effective treatment of these disorders early in the college career might reduce attrition and improve educational and psychosocial functioning.

  4. Mental disorders among college students in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys

    PubMed Central

    Auerbach, Randy P.; Alonso, Jordi; Axinn, William G.; Cuijpers, Pim; Ebert, David D.; Green, Jennifer Greif; Hwang, Irving; Kessler, Ronald C.; Liu, Howard; Mortier, Philippe; Nock, Matthew K.; Pinder-Amaker, Stephanie; Sampson, Nancy A.; Aguilar-Gaxiola, Sergio; Al-Hamzawi, Ali; Andrade, Laura H.; Benjet, Corina; Caldas-de-Almeida, José Miguel; Demyttenaere, Koen; Florescu, Silvia; de Girolamo, Giovanni; Gureje, Oye; Haro, Josep Maria; Karam, Elie G.; Kiejna, Andrzej; Kovess-Masfety, Viviane; Lee, Sing; McGrath, John J.; O’Neill, Siobhan; Pennell, Beth-Ellen; Scott, Kate; ten Have, Margreet; Torres, Yolanda; Zaslavsky, Alan M.; Zarkov, Zahari; Bruffaerts, Ronny

    2016-01-01

    Background Although mental disorders are significant predictors of educational attainment throughout the entire educational career, most research on mental disorders among students has focused on the primary and secondary school years. Methods The World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys were used to examine the associations of mental disorders with college entry and attrition by comparing college students (n = 1,572) and nonstudents in the same age range (18–22; n = 4,178), including nonstudents who recently left college without graduating (n = 702) based on surveys in 21 countries (4 low/lower-middle income, 5 upper middle-income, 1 lower-middle or upper-middle at the times of two different surveys, and 11 high income). Lifetime and 12-month prevalence and age-of-onset of DSM-IV anxiety, mood, behavioural and substance disorders were assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Results One-fifth (20.3%) of college students had 12-month DSM-IV/CIDI disorders. 83.1% of these cases had pre-matriculation onsets. Disorders with pre-matriculation onsets were more important than those with post-matriculation onsets in predicting subsequent college attrition, with substance disorders and, among women, major depression the most important such disorders. Only 16.4% of students with 12-month disorders received any 12-month healthcare treatment for their mental disorders. Conclusions Mental disorders are common among college students, have onsets that mostly occur prior to college entry, in the case of pre-matriculation disorders are associated with college attrition, and are typically untreated. Detection and effective treatment of these disorders early in the college career might reduce attrition and improve educational and psychosocial functioning. PMID:27484622

  5. First Steps Toward Improving DoD STEM Workforce Diversity: Response to the 2012 Department of Defense STEM Diversity Summit

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-01-01

    student achievement or par- ticipation in STEM fields. For example, facilitators of a middle school student program...Assessment Annual Cost navy Seaperch Middle school Middle school robotics competition 45% 35,000 students , 4,000 teachers missing number of annual...participating in Seaperch increased interest in studying engineering in 25% of middle school and 30% of high school students program

  6. Lesher Middle School: Commitment by Choice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Principal Leadership, 2012

    2012-01-01

    This article features Lesher Middle School, a school of choice, as are all of the schools in the Poudre School District in Ft. Collins, Colorado. In 2004, it was a traditional junior high school with a declining enrollment that housed an application-based International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB MYP) that resulted in tracking…

  7. Middle School Program and Participatory Planning Drive School Design.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sullivan, Kevin

    1996-01-01

    Uses the example of award-winning Black Hawk Middle School in Minnesota to examine: (1) developing a middle school architecture; (2) benefits of the house concept; (3) the need for staff involvement in school design; (4) assembling houses into schools; (5) reduced discipline problems; (6) fostering teacher collaboration; and (7) measuring success.…

  8. Exploring School- and Home-Related Protective Factors for Economically Disadvantaged Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Okilwa, Nathern S. A.

    2016-01-01

    This study explored the experiences of middle school students, particularly focusing on the academic achievement of economically disadvantaged students. For low SES middle school students, the known cumulative effects of poverty coupled with school transition and early adolescence development heighten the potential risks for school failure. By…

  9. 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,…

  10. 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,…

  11. 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…

  12. Recruiting Middle School Students into Nursing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Matutina, Robin E.

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this literature review is to illustrate the importance of initiating nursing recruitment during the middle school years. Data sources included citations from the years 1989 to 2006. The study focused on middle school students 9 to 13 years of age in Grades 6 to 8. One survey compared middle school students' perceptions of an ideal…

  13. Promoting Academic Achievement in the Middle School Classroom: Integrating Effective Study Skills Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thorpe, Christin

    2010-01-01

    This study aimed to discover what study skills are most useful for middle school students, as well as strategies for integrating study skills instruction into the four main content area classrooms (English, math, science, and social studies) at the middle school level. Twenty-nine in-service middle school teachers participated in the study by…

  14. 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.

  15. Hydrogen Radicals, Nitrogen Radicals, and the Production of Ozone in the Middle and Upper Troposphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bui, T. P.

    1997-01-01

    The concentrations of hydrogen radicals, OH and HO2, in the middle and upper troposphere were measured simultaneously with those of NO, O3,CO, H20, CH4, non-methane hydrocarbons, and with the ultraviolet and visible radiation field.

  16. Shifting Attendance Trajectories from Middle to High School: Influences of School Transitions and Changing School Contexts

    PubMed Central

    Benner, Aprile D.; Wang, Yijie

    2014-01-01

    In the current study, we examine patterns of school attendance across middle and high school with a diverse sample of 8,908 students (48% female; 54% Latino, 31% White, 13% African American, 2% Asian American). Attendance declined from middle through high school, but this overall pattern masked important variations. In total, 44% of students maintained their attendance trajectories from middle to high school (11% stable high, 19% high-decreasing, 10% mid-decreasing, 4% low-decreasing), and shifting attendance trajectories often signaled greater school disengagement (38% shifted to poorer attendance trajectories, 18% experienced improved attendance trajectories). Transition experiences, school structural characteristics, and the divergence between students’ middle and high schools provided insights into which students recovered, becoming more engaged in high school versus those who became more disconnected. Implications for identifying and intervening with disengaged youth are discussed. PMID:24364827

  17. Helping Middle School Girls at Risk for School Failure Recover Their Confidence and Achieve School Success: An Experimental Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mann, Michael J.

    2013-01-01

    Middle school girls who are at risk have experienced a disproportionate number of intense and disruptive traumatic life events. Such events can adversely affect healthy development and often contribute to higher levels of school failure and problem behavior. Few programs focus on helping at-risk middle school girls achieve school success through…

  18. Are middle schools harmful? The role of transition timing, classroom quality and school characteristics.

    PubMed

    Holas, Igor; Huston, Aletha C

    2012-03-01

    Are middle schools ill-suited for early adolescents, or can school characteristics account for any differences in student functioning? Achievement, school engagement, and perceived competence of children starting middle schools in 5th and 6th grades were compared to those of their same-grade peers in elementary schools in a national, longitudinal sample (NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, n = 855; 52% Female, 82% White). Classroom quality (observed and teacher-reported) and school characteristics (composition and size) were considered as explanations for any relationships between school-level and student functioning. Fifth grade middle school students did not differ from those in elementary school, but students entering middle school in 6th grade, compared to those in elementary school, experienced lower classroom quality, which in turn predicted slightly lower achievement. They also had lower school engagement, explained by larger school size. Classroom quality and school characteristics predicted youth functioning regardless of school type. We suggest reshaping the research and policy debate with renewed focus on classroom quality and school size instead of grade organization.

  19. Rural Middle School Students' Perceptions of Bullying

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taylor, Jonte' C.

    2009-01-01

    The present study is an examination of bullying perceptions by rural middle school students. Three rural middle schools participated in the study which involved 138 students completing The School Bullying Survey to determine their experiences with bullying by types and the overall school climate as it relates to bullying behavior. Results from…

  20. 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…

  1. Middle School Advisement.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ball, Tricia

    Designed for those teaching an advisement program to middle school students, this book provides a year-long program with suggestions for many activities geared to middle school students. The text is divided into the traditional four-quarter school year but can be adapted to any school year configuration. The activities are designed so that the…

  2. Building Success into Your Montessori Middle School Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sutton, Ann

    2007-01-01

    Montessori middle schools can be immensely successful and highly beneficial to students. Traditional schools notice differences in students who come from Montessori backgrounds; they find them to be adaptable self-starters who often take on leadership roles. Prestigious high schools seek to recruit Montessori middle school graduates. As more…

  3. 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…

  4. Identification of the Centrifuged Lipoaspirate Fractions Suitable for Postgrafting Survival.

    PubMed

    Qiu, Lihong; Su, Yingjun; Zhang, Dongliang; Song, Yajuan; Liu, Bei; Yu, Zhou; Guo, Shuzhong; Yi, Chenggang

    2016-01-01

    The Coleman centrifugation procedure generates fractions with different adipocyte and progenitor cell densities. This study aimed to identify all fractions that are feasible for implantation. Human lipoaspirates were processed by Coleman centrifugation. The centrifugates were divided arbitrarily into upper, middle, and lower layers. Adipocyte viability, morphology, numbers of stromal vascular fraction cells, and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells of each layer were determined. The 12-week volume retention of subcutaneously implanted 0.3-ml lipoasperate of each layer was investigated in an athymic mice model. Most damaged adipocytes were located in the upper layers, whereas the intact adipocytes were distributed in the middle and lower layers. A gradient of stromal vascular fraction cell density was formed in the centrifugates. The implant volume retentions of samples from the upper, middle, and lower layers were 33.44 ± 5.9, 55.11 ± 4.4, and 71.2 ± 5.8 percent, respectively. Furthermore, the middle and lower layers contained significantly more adipose-derived stem cells than did the upper layer. The lower layer contains more viable adipocytes and stromal vascular fraction cells leading to the highest implant volume retention, whereas the most impaired cells are distributed in the upper layer, leading to the least volume retention. Although with a lower stromal vascular fraction content, the middle layer has a substantial number of intact adipocytes that are capable of retaining partial adipose tissue volume after implantation, suggesting that the middle layer may be an alternative fat source when large volumes of fat grafts are needed for transplantation.

  5. Anatomically preserved marattiales from coal swamps of the Desmoinesian and Missourian of the midcontinent United States: Systematics, ecology and evolution

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lesnikowska, A.D.

    1989-01-01

    Eleven species-level assemblages of stems, frond members and fertile foliage of anatomically preserved Marattiales are proposed, based on specimens in coal balls from 16 coals in the Desmoinesian and Missourian (Westphalian D and Stephanian) of the Illinois, Forest City and Arkoma Basins. Four new combinations, Psaronius calicifolius (Millay) Lesnikowska, and Psaronius gnomus (Lesnikowska Millay) Lesnikowska, Psaronius illinoensis (Eqart) Lesnikowska, and Psaronius minor (Hoskins) Lesnikowska are made to accommodate well documented assemblages and seven are treated informally. The taxonomy of the fertile foliage is revised as follows: Scolecopteris dispora Lesnikowska sp. nov. is described from an Iowa coal and Scolecopteris parkerensismore » Lesnikowska sp. nov. from the Parker Coal of Indiana. Scolecopteris fragilis is made a synonym of S. mamayi, and S. revoluta, and S. saharaensis synonyms of S. minor. The type and Middle Pennsylvanian specimens of Scolecopteris parvifolia belong in S. minor but the Upper Pennsylvanian specimens are S. illinoensis. Only one species occurs in both the Middle and the Upper Pennsylvanian; the extinction event near the Middle/Upper Pennsylvanian boundary extended to coal-swamp Marattiales as well as tree lycopods. The Upper Pennsylvanian tree ferns are interpreted as derived from clastic-swamp species that recolonized the coal-swamp habitat after this extinction. Upper Pennsylvanian tree ferns were significantly larger than Middle Pennsylvanian ones and were characterized by a massive root mantle whereas as least one Middle Pennsylvanian species lacked a root mantle and had a scrambling habit. Biomass allocation to reproduction was significantly greater in the Middle Pennsylvanian species.« less

  6. Girls in Foster Care: Risk and Promotive Factors for School Adjustment Across the Transition to Middle School.

    PubMed

    Pears, Katherine C; Kim, Hyoun K; Leve, Leslie D

    2012-01-01

    Girls in foster care may face difficulties across the transition to middle school. Latent growth curve modeling was employed to examine trajectories and predictors of academic competence and aggression from and against peers for 75 girls in foster care from the end of elementary school to the 2(nd) year of middle school. Across the transition to middle school, academic competence increased. Poor self-regulation was associated with decreased academic competence, and higher caregiver support was associated with increased academic competence. Frequency of aggression from peers decreased across the transition, with perceived school competence predicting smaller decreases. Aggression against peers dropped initially and then increased to pretransition levels by the end of the 2(nd) year of middle school. Lower caregiver support was associated with higher rates of aggression against peers at the end of the 1(st) year of middle school. The results are discussed in terms of implications for interventions for girls in foster care.

  7. Girls in Foster Care: Risk and Promotive Factors for School Adjustment Across the Transition to Middle School

    PubMed Central

    Pears, Katherine C.; Kim, Hyoun K.; Leve, Leslie D.

    2011-01-01

    Girls in foster care may face difficulties across the transition to middle school. Latent growth curve modeling was employed to examine trajectories and predictors of academic competence and aggression from and against peers for 75 girls in foster care from the end of elementary school to the 2nd year of middle school. Across the transition to middle school, academic competence increased. Poor self-regulation was associated with decreased academic competence, and higher caregiver support was associated with increased academic competence. Frequency of aggression from peers decreased across the transition, with perceived school competence predicting smaller decreases. Aggression against peers dropped initially and then increased to pretransition levels by the end of the 2nd year of middle school. Lower caregiver support was associated with higher rates of aggression against peers at the end of the 1st year of middle school. The results are discussed in terms of implications for interventions for girls in foster care. PMID:22389543

  8. School Size and Incidents of Violence among Texas Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kohler, Elizabeth A.; Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J.; Combs, Julie P.; Bustamante, Rebecca M.; Edmonson, Stacey L.

    2015-01-01

    Although many studies have been conducted regarding (a) school violence in middle schools and (b) the size of schools, to date, no researcher appears to have examined the role that the size of the middle school plays in determining incidents of violence specifically fighting, assaults, and aggravated assaults. Thus, the purpose of this study was…

  9. Predicting Middle School Students' Use of Web 2.0 Technologies out of School Using Home and School Technological Variables

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hughes, Joan E.; Read, Michelle F.; Jones, Sara; Mahometa, Michael

    2015-01-01

    This study used multiple regression to identify predictors of middle school students' Web 2.0 activities out of school, a construct composed of 15 technology activities. Three middle schools participated, where sixth- and seventh-grade students completed a questionnaire. Independent predictor variables included three demographic and five computer…

  10. Schooling Experiences and Perceptions of Resettled Sub-Saharan African Refugee Middle School Students in a Southwest U.S. State

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sallu, Adama

    2012-01-01

    This study examined the schooling experiences and perceptions of resettled sub-Saharan African middle school refugee students in a metropolitan area of the United States Southwest. The research questions underpinning this study included: What are the schooling experiences and perceptions of resettled sub-Saharan African middle school refugee…

  11. Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in the Middle and Upper Magdalena Basins, Colombia, 2017

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schenk, Christopher J.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Le, Phuong A.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Finn, Thomas M.; Hawkins, Sarah J.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Marra, Kristen R.; Klett, Timothy R.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Woodall, Cheryl A.

    2017-09-22

    Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated mean undiscovered, technically recoverable continuous resources of 0.45 billion barrels of oil and 1.0 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Middle and Upper Magdalena Basins, Colombia.

  12. Middle School Configuration Relationship with Eighth Grade Achievement with Administrator Perceptions of Strengths and Weaknesses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Billings, Tawny J.

    2014-01-01

    This mixed-method research study sought to investigate the relationship between middle school configuration and the academic achievement of eighth grade students in English Language Arts (ELA) and Algebra 1. The California Content Standards exam scores of 646 elementary middle schools (K-8) and 1,282 traditional middle schools (6-8, 7-8) in…

  13. Effects of a Teacher Professional Development Program on the Mathematics Achievement of Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sample McMeeking, Laura B.; Orsi, Rebecca; Cobb, R. Brian

    2012-01-01

    The effect of a 15- to 24-month in-service professional development (PD) program on state accountability mathematics test scores for middle school students was examined using a quasi-experimental design. Middle level mathematics teachers (n = 128) from 7 school districts and 64 middle schools volunteered for a PD sequence of content-oriented…

  14. Transforming High-Poverty Urban Middle Schools into Strong Learning Institutions: Lessons from the First Five Years of the Talent Development Middle School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Balfanz, Robert; Mac Iver, Doug

    2000-01-01

    Two developers of the Talent Development Middle School model discuss 10 lessons from implementing, refining, and evaluating this model in 5 high-poverty middle schools in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and describe obstacles encountered and breakthroughs experienced in developing the knowledge base, materials, and infrastructure of the model. (SLD)

  15. Student Achievement in High Performing, Suburban Middle Schools and Low Performing, Urban Middle Schools: Plausible Explanations for the Differences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

    2004-01-01

    Utilizing a qualitative, multisite case study design and the theoretical framework of Hoy and Hannum (1997), the design and execution of this research investigates plausible explanations for the difference in student achievement between high performing (HPS) suburban middle schools and low performing (LPS) urban middle schools. Aside from the…

  16. Science Achievement and Self-Efficacy among Middle School Age Children as Related to Student Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carter, William; Sottile, James M., Jr.; Carter, Jennifer

    The purpose of this research was to document the relationship among student development, science achievement, and self-efficacy among middle school students. A novel survey was created to determine the self-efficacy levels of the middle school students. The middle school students were also administered two novel content quizzes in the area of…

  17. 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…

  18. Unfinished but Not yet Exhausted: A Review of Australian Middle Schooling

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prosser, Brenton

    2008-01-01

    The state of Middle Schooling in many Western countries has been described as under threat, at a crossroads and like a wasteland. Within Australia, it has also been claimed that the past generation focus on Middle Schooling is unfinished and exhausted. But a Middle Schooling movement continues in Australia that provides examples of a way out of a…

  19. A Naturalistic Inquiry into the Attitudes toward Mathematics and Mathematics Self-Efficacy Beliefs of Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stramel, Janet K.

    2010-01-01

    While there has been much quantitative research done in the area of attitudes and self-efficacy beliefs, this study sought hear the voices of the middle school child. Therefore, this qualitative study investigated the attitudes toward mathematics and mathematics self-efficacy beliefs of middle school students in one middle school in western…

  20. Are Boys Left Behind? The Evolution of the Gender Achievement Gap in Beijing's Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lai, Fang

    2010-01-01

    Using one cohort of 7235 middle school students in Beijing, China, we examined the evolution of the gender achievement gap in middle school. Our study found a more significant female dominance than in U.S. studies: even though boys gradually caught up during middle school, especially in Math and Science, and the gender achievement gap decreased…

  1. Neogene stratigraphy, foraminifera, diatoms, and depositional history of Maria Madre Island, Mexico: Evidence of early Neogene marine conditions in the southern Gulf of California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McCloy, C.; Ingle, J.C.; Barron, J.A.

    1988-01-01

    Foraminifera and diatoms have been analyzed from an upper Miocene through Pleistocene(?) sequence of marine sediments exposed on Maria Madre Island, largest of the Tre??s Marias Islands off the Pacific coast of Mexico. The Neogene stratigraphic sequence exposed on Maria Madre Island includes a mid-Miocene(?) non-marine and/or shallow marine sandstone unconformably overlain by a lower upper Miocene to uppermost Miocene upper to middle bathyal laminated and massive diatomite, mudstone, and siltstone unit. This unit is unconformably overlain by lower Pliocene middle to lower bathyal sandstones and siltstones which, in turn, are unconformably overlain by upper Pliocene through Pleistocene(?) upper bathyal to upper middle bathyal foraminiferal limestones and siltstones. These beds are unconformably capped by Pleistocene terrace deposits. Basement rocks on the island include Cretaceous granite and granodiorite, and Tertiary(?) andesites and rhyolites. The upper Miocene diatomaceous unit contains a low diversity foraminiferal fauna dominated by species of Bolivina indicating low oxygen conditions in the proto-Gulf Maria Madre basin. The diatomaceous unit grades into a mudstone that contains a latest Miocene upper to middle bathyal biofacies characterized by Baggina californica and Uvigerina hootsi along with displaced neritic taxa. An angular unconformity separates the upper Miocene middle bathyal sediments from overlying lower Pliocene siltstones and mudstones that contain a middle to lower bathyal biofacies and abundant planktonic species including Neogloboquadrina acostaensis and Pulleniatina primalis indicating an early Pliocene age. Significantly, this Pliocene unit contains common occurrences of benthic species restricted to Miocene sediments in California including Bulimina uvigerinaformis. Pliocene to Pleistocene(?) foraminiferal limestones and siltstones characterize submarine bank accumulations formed during uplift of the Tre??s Marias Island area, and include abundant planktonic foraminifera such as Pulleniatina obliquiloculata and Neogloboquadrina duterteri. Common benthic foraminifera in this unit are indicative of upper bathyal water depths. The Neogene depositional history recorded on Maria Madre Island involves an early late Miocene subsidence event marking formation of the Tre??s Marias Basin with relatively undiluted diatomaceous sediment deposited in a low oxygen setting. Subsidence and deepening of the basin continued into the early Pliocene along with rapid deposition of terrigenous clastics. Uplift of the basinal sequence began in late Pliocene time accompanied by deposition of upper Pliocene-Pleistocene foraminiferal limestones on a rising submarine bank. Continued episodic uplift of the Neogene deposits brought the island above sea level by late Pleistocene time. ?? 1988.

  2. Condom vending machines in Canada's secondary schools.

    PubMed

    Kerr, D L

    1990-03-01

    A case study of 1 of the 3 school boards approving in 1989 installation of condom machines is presented: The Lisgar Collegiate Institute, Ottawa, Canada. The school is characterized as having 1000 college preparatory students from middle and upper middle class homes and university educated parents. The project was student initiated and involved 1) meeting with communication consultants to determine feasibility, 2) conducting an informal peer consultation to seek out interest and support, 3) meeting with public health officials to gain support and ideas, and 4) conducting research. Condom machine installation (2) was only 1 component; a pilot sexuality education program was included as well. The student proposal was presented and rejected by the principal and the Superintendent of Student Services. Students then lobbied the school board trustees. 2 students lobbies each school board member. Letters of support were obtained from parents' advisory groups, parents, the student council, and other influential people. The media provided coverage in a popular morning television show. The student proposal was submitted to the Board of Education's Education Committee in June 1989; students were assisted by teachers and the Parents Advisory Committee. The school board approved. In the fall of 1989, sexuality awareness week was designated as October 30-November 3. Parents were asked for comments on the designated program, but only 50 contributed in a supportive way. During this week lunch-hour displays and videos, peer-facilitated discussion groups, informal talks by experts, and student theater presentations were sponsored activities. Following this event, the school board arranged for the installment of machines in the men's and women's washrooms near where social events were held and in toilet cubicles in order to provide privacy, as requested by students. The individual cost is US$1/condom. Evaluation is planned. Students have been amused by the amount of public response to this action. Other participating schools include Qualicum School District in Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and Toronto's 36 secondary schools.

  3. Petroleum systems of the Southeast Tertiary basins and Marbella area, Southeast Mexico

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fuentes, F.

    1996-08-01

    This study was done in an area where insufficient organic-rich rocks were available for a reliable oil-source rock correlation. However, oil-rock correlations, molecular characteristics of key horizons, paleofacies maps, maturation and potential migration pathways suggest the Tithonian as a major source rock. Moreover, there is good evidence of high quality source rocks in Oxfordian, Kimmeridgian, Middle-Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene (mainly in the Eocene). Plays were identified in Upper Jurassic oolitic sequences, Early-Middle Cretaceus carbonate platform rocks and breccias, Late Cretaceous basinal fracture carbonates, Paleogene carbonates and breccias, Early-Middle Miocene mounds and submarine fans and isolated carbonate platform sediments and Miocene-Recentmore » turbidites. Seal rocks are shaly carbonates and anhydrites from Tithonian, basinal carbonates and anhydrites from Middle-Upper Cretaceous, basinal carbonates and marls from Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene shales, and bathyal shales from Early Miocene-Recent. The first phase of oil migration from upper Jurassic-Early Cretaceous source rocks occurred in the Early-Middle Cretaceous. In the Upper Cretaceous the Chortis block collided with Chiapas, and as a result mild folding and some hydrocarbons were emplaced to the structural highs. The main phase of structuration and folding of the Sierra de Chiapas started in the Miocene, resulting in well-defined structural traps. Finally, in Plio-Pleistocene the Chortis block was separated, the major compressional period finished and the southern portion of Sierra de Chiapas was raised isostatically. As a result of major subsidence, salt withdrawal and increased burial depth, conditions were created for the generation of liquid hydrocarbons from the Paleogene shales.« less

  4. 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…

  5. Mid South Middle Start: Studies of Three Middle Start Schools in the Mid South Delta

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rose, Lea Williams; Cheney, Nancy

    2005-01-01

    These three case studies highlight the implementation and impact of Mid South Middle Start by: (1) contributing toward an in-depth understanding of what it means to be a school implementing Middle Start; (2) describing a holistic portrait of the schools' participation in Mid South Middle Start; and (3) assisting the Academy for Educational…

  6. An Advocate for Every Student at Millard Central Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Balkus, Beth

    2006-01-01

    Central Middle School, part of the Millard Public School District, is a grade six through eight urban school located in Omaha, Nebraska. Omaha has a metropolitan and surrounding suburban population of approximately one million. Along with approximately 800 students in traditional middle school teams, CMS also offers a Montessori mini-magnet and…

  7. My Classroom: China

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gordon, Rebekah

    2016-01-01

    This article describes the teaching practice of two senior high school English teachers, Yu Huang and Yu Zhu. Their school is in Hezhang County--the No. 2 Middle School in the province of Guizhou. In China, most middle schools consist of six grades of students; the first three years are considered junior middle school and the latter three years…

  8. Private Middle School Parents' Perspectives Regarding School-Located Immunization Programs (SLIPs)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Venkatesh, Sheila R.; Acosta, Amy B.; Middleman, Amy B.

    2013-01-01

    The perspectives of parents of private middle school students regarding the use of school-located immunization programs (SLIPs) are unknown. Parents of private middle school students in a large, urban setting were surveyed "N" = 1,210) regarding their willingness to use SLIPs. Analyses included frequencies and chi-square analyses. Data…

  9. Focus on Curriculum Design for Middle School Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaminski, Lorraine B.; Dornbos, Karen L.

    The middle school concept was devised to counteract the tendency of junior high school programs to mimic those of the high school at the expense of addressing the developmental needs of students who are in the process of physical maturation. This book on curriculum design focuses on the importance of the middle school and understanding…

  10. Perceived Competence in Addressing Student Substance Abuse: A National Survey of Middle School Counselors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burrow-Sanchez, Jason J.; Lopez, Adriana L.; Slagle, Clark P.

    2008-01-01

    Background: Student substance abuse is a serious concern for middle school personnel. School counselors are most likely to deliver mental health services, including substance abuse, in school settings. However, limited research is available on the perceived competence of middle school counselors for addressing student substance abuse concerns. The…

  11. Observations of the Middle School Environment: The Context for Student Behavior beyond the Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rusby, Julie C.; Crowley, Ryann; Sprague, Jeffrey; Biglan, Anthony

    2011-01-01

    This article describes the use of an observation system to measure middle school staff practices, environment characteristics, and student behavior in the school common areas. Data were collected at baseline from 18 middle schools participating in a randomized controlled trial of school-wide Positive Behavior Support. The observations were…

  12. An After-School Counseling Program for High-Risk Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kruczek, Theresa; Alexander, Charlene M.; Harris, Kevin

    2005-01-01

    There are a number of middle school students who experience difficulty making the transition from childhood to early adolescence and may be described as high-risk. This article describes an after-school program designed to promote healthy identity and adaptive personal choice behaviors in a high-risk group of middle school students.

  13. Oscar F. Smith Middle School: One Extra Degree

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Principal Leadership, 2012

    2012-01-01

    This article features Oscar F. Smith Middle School, a challenging school in Chesapeake, Virginia. When Principal Linda Scott exclaims, "Oscar F. Smith Middle School is "hot"!" to visitors, she is not referring to the inside temperature of the bustling school of grades 6-8 located in the historic South Norfolk borough of…

  14. Grades of undernutrition and socioeconomic status influence cognitive development in school children of Kolkata.

    PubMed

    Ghosh, Satabdi; Chowdhury, Sutanu Dutta; Chandra, Ananga Mohan; Ghosh, Tusharkanti

    2015-02-01

    Cognitive development of children is influenced by different environmental factors like nutritional and socio-economic status. The objectives of the present study were to determine the influence of grades of undernutrition and socio-economic status (SES) on the cognitive development of school children of Kolkata. Five hundred sixty six (566) school children having 5-12 years of age were selected from different schools of Kolkata. The cognitive development was measured by the scores of Raven's colored progressive matrices (RCPM). The chronic and acute nutritional statuses were measured from height-for-age (HAZ) and weight-for-age (WAZ) Z scores respectively with reference to the values of WHO. SES was determined by updated Kuppuswamy scale. The prevalences of undernutrition in the observed children were 57.95% (according to HAZ) and 52.82% (according to WAZ). The age dependent growth curve of RCPM scores of the observed children remains in between the 10th and 25th centile of British children. The children belonging to superior and intellectual deficit IQ classes were 21.55 and 36.40%, respectively of the total subjects. Most of the subjects belong to lower middle (39.93%) and upper middle (36.40%) class of SES. RCPM scores of school children were gradually decreased with the grades of undernutrition and SES. RCPM scores were significantly correlated with HAZ, WAZ, SES, age, and sex (P < 0.001) and strongly associated with HAZ, SES, age, and sex (P < 0.001, P < 0.05). Present study indicates that cognitive development of school children of Kolkata is influenced by the grade of undernutrition and SES. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. BookTalks/Read Alouds, Special Programs, and Service Projects To Encourage Middle School Student Participation in the Library.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crowther, Eleanor

    The practicum reported here was designed to increase middle school students' participation in and use of the school library programs and resources. BookTalks, Read Alouds, a special service project, and three all-school programs were accomplished in this independent school setting during a three-month period. Middle school students were encouraged…

  16. Attitudes toward Diversity and the School Choice Process: Middle-Class Parents in a Segregated Urban Public School District

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kimelberg, Shelley McDonough; Billingham, Chase M.

    2013-01-01

    White flight from urban public schools has been well documented, but little attention has been paid to middle-class reinvestment in urban schools. This article combines findings from interviews with middle-class parents of Boston Public School students with demographic data from the city's public elementary schools to examine the motivations of…

  17. 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…

  18. School-Wide Discipline Policies: In-School Suspension in One Middle School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chung, Gloria; Paul, Rachel

    One of the more perplexing problems facing middle schools is the use of in-school suspension (ISS). So as to understand better the effects of this practice, one middle school's ISS program was studied and evaluated. Current research on ISS polices and practices is limited, and there is little evidence that supports its use or reform; however, in…

  19. Self-Efficacy, Intrinsic Motivation, and Academic Outcomes among Latino Middle School Students Participating in an After-School Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Niehaus, Kate; Rudasill, Kathleen Moritz; Adelson, Jill L.

    2012-01-01

    This longitudinal study examined how academic self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, and participation in an after-school program contributed to the academic achievement of Latino middle school students over the course of one school year. Participants were 47 Latino students in sixth through eighth grades who attended two public middle schools in…

  20. Relations between Popularity and Prosocial Behavior in Middle School and High School Chinese Adolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lu, Ting; Li, Ling; Niu, Li; Jin, Shenghua; French, Doran C.

    2018-01-01

    The concurrent and longitudinal associations between popularity, likeability, and prosocial behavior were evaluated in this three-year study of middle school and high school Chinese adolescents. The initial sample included 766 middle school (mean age = 13.3 years) and 668 high school participants (mean age = 16.6 years); there were 880 (399 girls)…

  1. The Concerns and Attitudes of Early Adolescent Middle School Students in Transition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sierer, Timothy M.; Winfield, Linda F.

    Junior high schools have been blamed for failing to meet the needs of early adolescents. Proponents of the new middle school structure favored moving grade nine to the high school and moving grade five and or six from the elementary school to the new structural organization. The uniqueness of the middle school is in how the philosophy behind this…

  2. The impact of bullying and sexual harassment on middle and high school girls.

    PubMed

    Gruber, James E; Fineran, Susan

    2007-06-01

    The impact of bullying and sexual harassment on six health outcomes among middle school girls were compared to these outcomes among high school girls. High school girls experienced more bullying and sexual harassment and poorer health outcomes than their middle school counterparts, but the impact of these experiences was less among high school students. Differences in outcomes may be the result of better support systems and coping mechanisms among high school girls and/or challenging developmental changes during middle school. Sexual orientation, race, and disability had some notable relationships to bullying and sexual harassment experiences as well as health outcomes.

  3. Opening the Classroom Door--A Survey of Middle Grades Teachers Who Mentor Preservice Teachers--Lessons from Clinical Partnerships and Implications for Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Turner, Steven L.; Greene, Carie C.

    2017-01-01

    Middle school mentor teachers who participate in school-university clinical experiences have a unique opportunity to support preservice middle grades teachers' development and improve the schooling of young adolescents. This article investigates an early clinical experience and presents data from a survey of 38 middle school teachers who served as…

  4. Social Studies in the Middle School: A Report of the Task Force on Social Studies in the Middle School. Position Statement & Guidelines.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Council for the Social Studies, Washington, DC.

    This task force report is designed to focus attention on the young adolescent learner and provide direction for developing appropriate and meaningful social studies instruction for the middle school. Schools at the middle level characteristically focus on the unique developmental needs of young adolescents. A number of these needs are listed, in…

  5. 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…

  6. 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…

  7. Are You Ready: The Perceptions of Middle School Counselors on Preparing Students to Be College and Career Ready

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wright, Gerilyn

    2017-01-01

    This research examined, through a qualitative approach, the perceptions of middle school counselors and resources to prepare middle school students to be college and career ready. In the past, there has been a limited amount of research that has been completed on middle school students in the area of college and career readiness, most research has…

  8. 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.

  9. The Cambrian-Ordovician rocks of Sonora, Mexico, and southern Arizona, southwestern margin of North America (Laurentia): chapter 35

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Page, William R.; Harris, Alta C.; Repetski, John E.; Derby, James R.; Fritz, R.D.; Longacre, S.A.; Morgan, W.A.; Sternbach, C.A.

    2013-01-01

    The most complete sections of Ordovician shelf rocks in Sonora are 50 km (31 mi) northwast of Hermosillo. In these sections, the Lower Ordovician is characterized by intraclastic limestone, siltstone, shale, and chert. The Middle Ordovician is mostly silty limestone and quartzite, and the Upper Ordovician is cherty limestone and some argillaceous limestone. A major disconformity separates the Middle Ordovician quartzite from the overlying Upper Ordovician carbonate rocks and is similar to the disconformity between the Middle and Upper Ordovician Eureka Quartzite and Upper Ordovician Ely Springs Dolomite in Nevada and California. In parts of northwestern Sonora, Ordovician rocks are disconformably overlain by Upper Silurain rocks. Northeastward in Sonora and Arizona, toward the craton, Ordovician rocks are progressively truncated by a major onlap unconformity and are overliand by Devonian rocks. Except in local area, Ordovician rocks are generally absent in cratonic platform sequences in northern Sonora and southern Arizona.

  10. Cognitive Development Effects of Teaching Probabilistic Decision Making to Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mjelde, James W.; Litzenberg, Kerry K.; Lindner, James R.

    2011-01-01

    This study investigated the comprehension and effectiveness of teaching formal, probabilistic decision-making skills to middle school students. Two specific objectives were to determine (1) if middle school students can comprehend a probabilistic decision-making approach, and (2) if exposure to the modeling approaches improves middle school…

  11. Preparing New Teachers for Contemporary Middle Grades Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Edwards, Susan

    2013-01-01

    This article describes the middle grades teacher preparation program at Augusta State University in Georgia. It describes the negotiation between the middle school concept and the standardized testing culture of the local schools as the faculty redesigned the undergraduate middle grades program to adequately address both. Ways in which new…

  12. [Relationship between cyberbullying and the suicide related psychological behavior among middle and high school students in Anhui Province].

    PubMed

    Wang, Gengfu; Fang, Yu; Jiang, Liu; Zhou, Guiyang; Yuan, Shanshan; Wang, Xiuxiu; Su, Puyu

    2015-11-01

    To examine the prevalence rate of cyberbullying in middle and high school students in Anhui Province and explore the relationship between cyberbullying and suicide related psychological behavior. A total of 5726 middle and high school students from the 7th to the 12th grades in three regular middle schools and three regular high schools recruited from three cities in the Anhui Province (Tongling, Chuzhou, and Fuyang). Tongling, Chuzhou, and Fuyang are in the south, middle and north of Anhui, respectively. Each city was selected one regular middle school and one regular high school, and 8 classes were selected form each grade from each school. A stratified cluster random sampling method was used to randomly select 5726 participants among the six schools. Self-reports on cyberbullying and suicide related psychological behavior were collected. Among these 5726 adolescents, 46.8% of them involved in cyberbullying. Among them, 3.2% were bullies, 23.8% were victims, and 19.8% were both. Prevalence rates of suicide idea, suicide plan, suicide preparation, suicide implementation were 19.3%, 6.9%, 4.7% and 1.8%, respectively. Cyberbullying involvement, as victims, bullies or bully-victims, increased the risk of four kinds of suicide related psychological behavior (suicide idea, suicide plan, suicide preparation, suicide implementation) (P < 0.05). Cyberbullying has become a common occurrence in middle and high school students. Additionally, cyberbullying is closely related to suicide related psychological behavior among middle and high school students.

  13. Changing friend selection in middle school: A social network analysis of a randomized intervention study designed to prevent adolescent problem behavior

    PubMed Central

    DeLay, Dawn; Ha, Thao; Van Ryzin, Mark; Winter, Charlotte; Dishion, Thomas J.

    2015-01-01

    Adolescent friendships that promote problem behavior are often chosen in middle school. The current study examines the unintended impact of a randomized school based intervention on the selection of friends in middle school, as well as on observations of deviant talk with friends five years later. Participants included 998 middle school students (526 boys and 472 girls) recruited at the onset of middle school (age 11-12 years) from three public middle schools participating in the Family Check-up model intervention. The current study focuses only on the effects of the SHAPe curriculum—one level of the Family Check-up model—on friendship choices. Participants nominated friends and completed measures of deviant peer affiliation. Approximately half of the sample (n=500) was randomly assigned to the intervention and the other half (n=498) comprised the control group within each school. The results indicate that the SHAPe curriculum affected friend selection within School 1, but not within Schools 2 or 3. The effects of friend selection in School 1 translated into reductions in observed deviancy training five years later (age 16-17 years). By coupling longitudinal social network analysis with a randomized intervention study the current findings provide initial evidence that a randomized public middle school intervention can disrupt the formation of deviant peer groups and diminish levels of adolescent deviance five years later. PMID:26377235

  14. Middle School Buildings for the 21st Century.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    George, Paul S.

    2003-01-01

    Discusses "pods,""team areas," and "houses" as middle school physical environments that support the type of learning opportunities young adolescents need. Offers examples of such school designs from Cleveland, Tennessee; British Columbia; and Milledgeville, Georgia. Concludes by suggesting specifications for new middle school buildings. (EV)

  15. [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.

  16. Predictors and consequences of prescription drug misuse during middle school.

    PubMed

    Tucker, Joan S; Ewing, Brett A; Miles, Jeremy N V; Shih, Regina A; Pedersen, Eric R; D'Amico, Elizabeth J

    2015-11-01

    Non-medical prescription drug use (NMPDU) is a growing public health problem among adolescents. This is the first study to examine the correlates of early NMPDU initiation during middle school, and how early initiation is associated with four domains of functioning in high school (mental health, social, academic, and delinquency). Students initially in 6th-8th grades from 16 middle schools completed in-school surveys between 2008 and 2011 (Waves 1-5), and a web-based survey in 2013-2014 (Wave 6). We used discrete time survival analysis to assess predictors of initiation from Waves 1 to 5 based on students who provided NMPDU information at any of these waves (n=12,904), and regression analysis to examine high school outcomes associated with initiation based on a sample that was followed into high school, Wave 6 (n=2539). Low resistance self-efficacy, family substance use, low parental respect, and offers of other substances from peers were consistently associated with NMPDU initiation throughout middle school. Further, perceiving that more of one's peers engaged in other substance use was associated with initiation at Wave 1 only. By high school, those students who initiated NMPDU during middle school reported lower social functioning, and more suspensions and fighting, compared to students who did not initiate NMPDU during middle school. NMPDU initiation during middle school is associated with poorer social functioning and greater delinquency in high school. It is important for middle school prevention programs to address NMPDU. Such programs should focus on both family and peer influences, as well as strengthening resistance self-efficacy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. 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…

  18. Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades: Why Some Schools Do Better. A Large-Scale Study of Middle Grades Practices and Student Outcomes. Technical Appendix B

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    EdSource, 2010

    2010-01-01

    This appendix focuses on the descriptive statistics of the middle study schools that participated in the "Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades: Why Some Schools Do Better. A Large-Scale Study of Middle Grades Practices and Student Outcomes. Initial Research." This appendix contains the following figures: (1) Student…

  19. 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.…

  20. Mother-Daughter Communication about Sex and Sexual Intercourse among Middle- to Upper-Class African American Girls

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Usher-Seriki, Kimberly K.; Bynum, Mia Smith; Callands, Tamora A.

    2008-01-01

    This study investigated linkages between various dimensions of mother-daughter communication about sex and sexual intercourse in a sample of 274 middle- to upper-income African American adolescent girls, drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Logistic regression analysis revealed that girls who reported closer…

  1. Teachers in Class

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Galen, Jane

    2008-01-01

    In this article, I argue for a closer read of the daily "class work" of teachers, as posited by Reay, 1998. In developing exploratory class portraits of four teachers who occupy distinctive social positions (two from working-class homes now teaching upper-middle-class children and two from upper-middle-class homes now teaching poor children), I…

  2. 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

  3. Middle School Developmental Guidance. "Steps to Success."

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Orange County Public Schools, Orlando, FL.

    This document articulates the goals and objectives of the middle school guidance program in Orange County, Florida Public Schools system. Professional roles and responsibilities are discussed, as well as program implementation. These goals to assist students are listed for the middle school guidance program: (1) understanding the school…

  4. Exploring Parental Involvement Strategies Utilized by Middle School Interdisciplinary Teams

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robbins, Chris; Searby, Linda

    2013-01-01

    Adolescents present a unique collection of characteristics and challenges which middle school interdisciplinary teams were designed to address. This article describes a research study which explored parental involvement strategies employed by interdisciplinary teaching teams from three very different middle schools: an affluent suburban school, a…

  5. The Relationships among School Types, Teacher Efficacy Beliefs, and Academic Climate: Perspective from Asian Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chong, Wan Har; Klassen, Robert M.; Huan, Vivien S.; Wong, Isabella; Kates, Allison Diane

    2010-01-01

    The authors explored how prior student achievement, through school types, predicted teacher self- and collective efficacy and perceived academic climate of 222 middle school teachers in Singapore. Teachers assigned to high-track and regular middle schools differed in their perception of self- and collective efficacy to promote organizational…

  6. 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…

  7. Identifying Factors in Successful Transformations from Junior High to Middle School: A Multi-Case Study Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shapiro, Michael N.

    2016-01-01

    This dissertation investigated the reasons that school districts chose to change the structure of their middle grades learning environments from the traditional junior high school to the newer middle school model. The study answers the following research questions: According to the perceptions of teachers, school and district administrators, and…

  8. Violence Prevention in Middle School: A Preliminary Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    KIllam, Wendy K.; Roland, Catherine B.; Weber, Bill

    2014-01-01

    Violence in schools continues reflecting violence within society. There is a growing need for violence prevention programs within the schools that provide students with the skills needed to cope with interpersonal and relationship is-sues effectively. This study was conducted at a middle school and there were 345 middle school students (6th to 8th…

  9. Association of Being Bullied in School with Suicide Ideation and Planning among Rural Middle School Adolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bhatta, Madhav P.; Shakya, Sunita; Jefferis, Eric

    2014-01-01

    Background: This study examined the association of ever being bullied in school with suicide ideation (ever thinking about killing oneself) and ever seriously making a plan to kill oneself (suicide planning) among rural middle school adolescents. Methods: Using the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Middle School Youth Risk Behavior…

  10. A Program Review of a Middle School Gay-Straight Alliance Club

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Quasha, Scott; McCabe, Paul C.; Ortiz, Samuel O.

    2014-01-01

    This program review examined a middle school Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) club within a northeastern suburban school situated in a large metropolitan area. The GSA was the first in the region to start exclusively in a standalone middle school. The review was accomplished through a staff survey comparing school climates for lesbian, gay, bisexual,…

  11. Change Is Hard: Easing into the Middle Grades

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    George, Marshall A.; Breslin, Mary Claire; Evans, William

    2007-01-01

    Although the transition from elementary school to middle school can be an exciting time for students, it can also be vexing and traumatic. Often, when parents drop off their children at middle school on the first day of school, the scene is reminiscent of the first day of school for kindergarteners and their parents. At Albert Leonard Middle…

  12. 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…

  13. Improving Middle School Quality in Poor Countries: Evidence from the Honduran "Sistema De Aprendizaje Tutorial"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McEwan, Patrick J.; Murphy-Graham, Erin; Torres Irribarra, David; Aguilar, Claudia; Rápalo, Renán

    2015-01-01

    This article evaluates the impact and cost-effectiveness of offering an innovative middle school model--the Sistema de Aprendizaje Tutorial (SAT)--to Honduran villages instead of traditional middle schools. We identified a matched sample of villages with either type of school and collected baseline data among primary school graduates eligible to…

  14. 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…

  15. Impacts of a University-School Partnership on Middle School Students' Fractional Knowledge: A Quasiexperimental Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aydin, Utkun; Tunç-Pekkan, Zelha; Taylan, Rukiye Didem; Birgili, Bengi; Özcan, Mustafa

    2018-01-01

    In this quasiexperimental study, the authors investigated the effects of university within school partnership model, within which faculty members acted as teacher-researchers to improve fractional knowledge among middle school (Grades 5-8) students. Students in nine Grade 6 mathematics classes from two public middle schools in Turkey were assigned…

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

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marinell, William H.; Coca, Vanessa M.; Arum, Richard; Goldstein, Jennifer; Kemple, James; Pallas, Aaron; Bristol, Travis; Buckley, Clare; Scallon, Amy; Tanner, Barbara

    2013-01-01

    There is growing evidence that the middle school years are critical to students' long-term success. In New York City, middle schools have been the target of several high-profile improvement initiatives. One factor that has the potential to facilitate or complicate these efforts is the stability of the middle school teaching force. Yet there have…

  17. Using the Internet in Middle Schools: A Model for Success. A Collaborative Effort between Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Los Alamos Middle School (LAMS).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Addessio, Barbara K.; And Others

    Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) developed a model for school networking using Los Alamos Middle School as a testbed. The project was a collaborative effort between the school and the laboratory. The school secured administrative funding for hardware and software; and LANL provided the network architecture, installation, consulting, and…

  18. Youth tobacco surveillance--United States, 2001-2002.

    PubMed

    Marshall, LaTisha; Schooley, Michael; Ryan, Heather; Cox, Patrick; Easton, Alyssa; Healton, Cheryl; Jackson, Kat; Davis, Kevin C; Homsi, Ghada

    2006-05-19

    Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, accounting for approximately 440,000 deaths each year. The prevalence of cigarette smoking nationwide among high school students (grades 9-12) increased during the 1990s, peaking during 1996-1997, and then declined. Approximately 80% of tobacco users initiate use before age 18 years. An estimated 6.4 million children aged <18 years who are living today will die prematurely as adults because they began to smoke cigarettes during adolescence. The annual health-related economic cost associated with tobacco use exceeds 167 billion dollars. Because of these health and economic consequences, CDC has recommended that states establish and maintain comprehensive tobacco-control programs to reduce tobacco use among youth. This report covers data collected during January 2001-December 2002. The National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) and state youth tobacco surveys (YTS) were developed to provide states with data to support the design, implementation, and evaluation of comprehensive tobacco-control programs. NYTS is representative of middle and high school students in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. During spring 2002, a total of 26,149 students in 246 schools completed NYTS questionnaires. Weighted data for the YTS were achieved by 13 states in 2001 and by 20 states in 2002; state sample sizes varied (range: 982-38,934). This report summarizes data from the 2002 NYTS and the 2001 and 2002 YTS. Findings from the 2002 NYTS indicate that current use of any tobacco product ranged from 13.3% among middle school students to 28.2% among high school students. Cigarette smoking was the most prevalent form of tobacco use, with 9.8% of middle school students and 22.5% of high school students reporting that they currently smoke cigarettes. Cigar smoking was the second most prevalent form of tobacco use, with 6.0% of middle school students and 11.6% of high school students reporting that they currently smoke cigars. Among current cigarette smokers, 41.8% of middle school students and 52.0% of high school students reported that they usually smoke Marlboro cigarettes. Black middle school and high school students who smoke were more likely to smoke Newport cigarettes than any other brand (58.3% and 66.8%, respectively). Among middle school students aged <18 years, 75.9% were not asked to show proof of age when they bought or tried to buy cigarettes, and 63.4% were not refused purchase because of their age. Among high school students aged <18 years, 58.5% were not asked to show proof of age when they bought or tried to buy cigarettes, and 60.6% were not refused purchase because of their age. Nearly half (49.6%) of middle school students and 62.1% of high school students who smoke reported a desire to stop smoking cigarettes, with 55.4% of middle school students and 53.1% of high school students reported having made at least one cessation attempt during the 12 months preceding the survey. Among students who have never smoked cigarettes, 21.3% of middle school students and 22.9% of high school students were susceptible to initiating cigarette smoking in the next year. Exposure to secondhand smoke (i.e., environmental tobacco smoke) was high. During the week before the survey, 1) 88.3% of middle school students and 91.4% of high school students who currently smoke cigarettes and 47.1% of middle school students and 53.3% of high school students who have never smoked cigarettes were in the same room with someone who was smoking cigarettes; 2) 81.7% of middle school students and 83.7% of high school students who currently smoke cigarettes and 31.5% of middle school students and 29.1% of high school students who have never smoked cigarettes rode in a car with someone who was smoking cigarettes; and 3) 71.5% of middle school students and 57.5% of high school students who currently smoke cigarettes and 33.3% of middle school students and 29.9% of high school students who have never smoked cigarettes lived in a home in which someone else smoked cigarettes. Media and advertising influence was also noted, with 58.1% of middle school students and 54.9% of high school students who currently use tobacco and 11.0% of middle school students and 13.7% of high school students who have never used tobacco reporting that they would wear or use an item with a tobacco company name or logo on it. Although 84.6% of middle school students and 91.2% of high school students had seen or heard antismoking commercials on television or radio, 89.9% of middle school students and 91.3% of high school students also had seen actors using tobacco on television or in the movies. Health and education officials use YTS and NYTS data to plan, evaluate, and improve national and state programs to prevent and control youth tobacco use. States can use these data in presentations to their state legislators to demonstrate the need for funding comprehensive tobacco-control programs, including tobacco cessation and prevention programs for youth.

  19. 9-13 Middle Schools: A Local View

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gorwood, Brian

    1978-01-01

    States that his experience leads him to question the similarity of constitution among middle schools. Examines the causes of that diversity which he believes characterizes the nine to thirteen middle school system in Hull. (Author/RK)

  20. 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…

  1. 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,…

  2. CT measurement of glenoid erosion in arthritis.

    PubMed

    Mullaji, A B; Beddow, F H; Lamb, G H

    1994-05-01

    We studied serial CT scans of 45 arthritic shoulders (34 rheumatoid, 11 osteoarthritic) and 19 normal shoulders, making measurements at three levels on axial images. The maximum anteroposterior diameter of the glenoid was increased in rheumatoid glenoids at the upper and middle levels by 6 mm and in osteoarthritic glenoids at all levels by 5 to 8 mm as compared with normal. In rheumatoid cases, nearly half the available surface of the glenoid was of unsupported bone, mainly posteriorly at the upper and middle levels. In osteoarthritic glenoids, the best supported bone was anterior at the upper level and central at the middle and lower levels. The depth of the rheumatoid glenoid was reduced by a mean of 6 mm at the upper and middle levels and by 3 mm at the lower level. This inclined the surface of the glenoid superiorly. The depth at the middle level in osteoarthritis was reduced by a mean of 5 mm, suggesting central protrusion. Osteoarthritic glenoids were retroverted by a mean of 12.5 degrees, but of rheumatoid glenoids two-thirds were retroverted (mean 15.1 degrees) and one-third anteverted (mean 8.2 degrees). Our findings have important implications for the planning and placement of the glenoid component of total shoulder replacements; CT can provide useful information.

  3. Evolution of Meso-Cenozoic lithospheric thermal-rheological structure in the Jiyang sub-basin, Bohai Bay Basin, eastern North China Craton

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Wei; Qiu, Nansheng; Wang, Ye; Chang, Jian

    2018-01-01

    The Meso-Cenozoic lithospheric thermal-rheological structure and lithospheric strength evolution of the Jiyang sub-basin were modeled using thermal history, crustal structure, and rheological parameter data. Results indicate that the thermal-rheological structure of the Jiyang sub-basin has exhibited obvious rheological stratification and changes over time. During the Early Mesozoic, the uppermost portion of the upper crust, middle crust, and the top part of the upper mantle had a thick brittle layer. During the early Early Cretaceous, the top of the middle crust's brittle layer thinned because of lithosphere thinning and temperature increase, and the uppermost portion of the upper mantle was almost occupied by a ductile layer. During the late Early Cretaceous, the brittle layer of the middle crust and the upper mantle changed to a ductile one. Then, the uppermost portion of the middle crust changed to a thin brittle layer in the late Cretaceous. During the early Paleogene, the thin brittle layer of the middle crust became even thinner and shallower under the condition of crustal extension. Currently, with the decrease in lithospheric temperature, the top of the upper crust, middle crust, and the uppermost portion of the upper mantle are of a brittle layer. The total lithospheric strength and the effective elastic thickness ( T e) in Meso-Cenozoic indicate that the Jiyang sub-basin experienced two weakened stages: during the late Early Cretaceous and the early Paleogene. The total lithospheric strength (approximately 4-5 × 1013 N m-1) and T e (approximately 50-60 km) during the Early Mesozoic was larger than that after the Late Jurassic (2-7 × 1012 N m-1 and 19-39 km, respectively). The results also reflect the subduction, and rollback of Pacific plate is the geodynamic mechanism of the destruction of the eastern North China Craton.

  4. [Influences of life event and coping style on left-behind middle school student mental health in a three-gorge area county].

    PubMed

    Wu, Rui; Li, Jianqiao; Liu, Qin; Wang, Hong

    2014-07-01

    To study the effects of life event and coping style on left-behind middle school student mental health. 1405 left-behind middle school students were selected by multi-stage cluster random sampling method and investigated with Middle School Student Mental Health Scale (MSSMHS), Multidimensional Life Events Rating Questionnaire for Middle School Students (MLERQ) and Trait Coping Style Questionnaire (TCSQ). The mental health detection rate of left-behind middle school students was 26.33%. Life event have significant influence on mental health (F = 447.624, P = 0.000). The main effect for negative coping style on mental health was significant (F = 263.669, P = 0.000). Positive coping style have effect on mental health but the main effect was not significant (F = 2.436, P = 0.119). The interaction effect of life event and negative coping style was significant (F = 23.173, P = 0.000). Life event and coping style has a certain effect on left-behind middle school student mental health, but its mechanism is complicated and still uncertain.

  5. Expanding global access to radiotherapy.

    PubMed

    Atun, Rifat; Jaffray, David A; Barton, Michael B; Bray, Freddie; Baumann, Michael; Vikram, Bhadrasain; Hanna, Timothy P; Knaul, Felicia M; Lievens, Yolande; Lui, Tracey Y M; Milosevic, Michael; O'Sullivan, Brian; Rodin, Danielle L; Rosenblatt, Eduardo; Van Dyk, Jacob; Yap, Mei Ling; Zubizarreta, Eduardo; Gospodarowicz, Mary

    2015-09-01

    Radiotherapy is a critical and inseparable component of comprehensive cancer treatment and care. For many of the most common cancers in low-income and middle-income countries, radiotherapy is essential for effective treatment. In high-income countries, radiotherapy is used in more than half of all cases of cancer to cure localised disease, palliate symptoms, and control disease in incurable cancers. Yet, in planning and building treatment capacity for cancer, radiotherapy is frequently the last resource to be considered. Consequently, worldwide access to radiotherapy is unacceptably low. We present a new body of evidence that quantifies the worldwide coverage of radiotherapy services by country. We show the shortfall in access to radiotherapy by country and globally for 2015-35 based on current and projected need, and show substantial health and economic benefits to investing in radiotherapy. The cost of scaling up radiotherapy in the nominal model in 2015-35 is US$26·6 billion in low-income countries, $62·6 billion in lower-middle-income countries, and $94·8 billion in upper-middle-income countries, which amounts to $184·0 billion across all low-income and middle-income countries. In the efficiency model the costs were lower: $14·1 billion in low-income, $33·3 billion in lower-middle-income, and $49·4 billion in upper-middle-income countries-a total of $96·8 billion. Scale-up of radiotherapy capacity in 2015-35 from current levels could lead to saving of 26·9 million life-years in low-income and middle-income countries over the lifetime of the patients who received treatment. The economic benefits of investment in radiotherapy are very substantial. Using the nominal cost model could produce a net benefit of $278·1 billion in 2015-35 ($265·2 million in low-income countries, $38·5 billion in lower-middle-income countries, and $239·3 billion in upper-middle-income countries). Investment in the efficiency model would produce in the same period an even greater total benefit of $365·4 billion ($12·8 billion in low-income countries, $67·7 billion in lower-middle-income countries, and $284·7 billion in upper-middle-income countries). The returns, by the human-capital approach, are projected to be less with the nominal cost model, amounting to $16·9 billion in 2015-35 (-$14·9 billion in low-income countries; -$18·7 billion in lower-middle-income countries, and $50·5 billion in upper-middle-income countries). The returns with the efficiency model were projected to be greater, however, amounting to $104·2 billion (-$2·4 billion in low-income countries, $10·7 billion in lower-middle-income countries, and $95·9 billion in upper-middle-income countries). Our results provide compelling evidence that investment in radiotherapy not only enables treatment of large numbers of cancer cases to save lives, but also brings positive economic benefits. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Radiolarian biochronology of upper Anisian to upper Ladinian (Middle Triassic) blocks and tectonic slices of volcano-sedimentary successions in the Mersin Mélange, southern Turkey: New insights for the evolution of Neotethys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tekin, U. Kagan; Bedi, Yavuz; Okuyucu, Cengiz; Göncüoglu, M. Cemal; Sayit, Kaan

    2016-12-01

    The Mersin Ophiolitic Complex located in southern Turkey comprises two main structural units; the Mersin Mélange, and a well-developed ophiolite succession with its metamorphic sole. The Mersin Mélange is a sedimentary complex including blocks and tectonic slices of oceanic litosphere and continental crust in different sizes. Based on different fossil groups (Radiolaria, Conodonta, Foraminifera and Ammonoidea), the age of these blocks ranges from Early Carboniferous to early Late Cretaceous. Detailed fieldwork in the central part of the Mersin Mélange resulted in identification of a number of peculiar blocks of thick basaltic pillow-and massive lava sequences alternating with pelagic-clastic sediments and radiolarian cherts. The oldest ages obtained from the radiolarian assemblages from the pelagic sediments transitional to the volcano-sedimentary succession in some blocks are middle to late Late Anisian. These pelagic sediments are overlain by thick sandstones of latest Anisian to middle Early Ladinian age. In some blocks, sandstones are overlain by clastic and pelagic sediments with lower Upper to middle Upper Ladinian radiolarian fauna. Considering the litho- and biostratigraphical data from Middle Triassic successions in several blocks in the Mersin Mélange, it is concluded that they correspond mainly to the blocks/slices of the Beysehir-Hoyran Nappes, which were originated from the southern margin of the Neotethyan Izmir-Ankara Ocean. As the pre-Upper Anisian basic volcanics are geochemically evaluated as back-arc basalts, this new age finding suggest that a segment of the Izmir-Ankara branch of the Neotethys was already open prior to Middle Triassic and was the site of intraoceanic subduction.

  7. Student Perceptions of the Transition from Elementary to Middle School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akos, Patrick

    2002-01-01

    This study sought to learn more about student perceptions during the transition from elementary to middle school. In response to students' concerns, it is suggested that school counselors implement preventive or proactive programming to assist students with the elementary to middle school transition. (Contains 22 references.) (GCP)

  8. Middle School Transition Stress: Links with Academic Performance, Motivation, and School Experiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldstein, Sara E.; Boxer, Paul; Rudolph, Erin

    2015-01-01

    The present study investigates links between early adolescents' subjective experiences of stress associated with the middle school transition and their academic outcomes. Seventh and eighth grade students (N?=?774) were surveyed about their experiences during their transition to middle school. Students answered questions about stress…

  9. The Netherlands: Report on the Middle School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Western European Education, 1985

    1985-01-01

    The Commission for Renewal of the Middle School (ICM) in the Netherlands has been concentrating its efforts on introducing the middle school into the secondary school system. Described is a report published by the ICM in which the group discusses what it is proposing and problems that it is encountering. (RM)

  10. 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…

  11. Examination of the Attitudes of Middle School Students towards Social Media

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bulu, Sanser; Numanoglu, Mustafa; Keser, Hafize

    2016-01-01

    This study aims to identify middle school students` general attitudes towards social media. Participants of this descriptive study were middle school students from three public schools (n = 367) in Ankara. Data was collected using "Demographic Information Form" and "Social Media Attitudes Survey for Students" developed by…

  12. 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…

  13. Middle School Teachers and Principals Perspectives on Technology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Majeski, Mark

    2013-01-01

    In this study, the researcher endeavored to examine Morris County, New Jersey, middle school teacher and principal perspectives on the use of technology in their classrooms and schools. Specifically, this study examined teacher engagement, implementation and limitations related to the use of technology with middle school students. This study used…

  14. Interactions between Classroom Discourse, Teacher Questioning, and Student Cognitive Engagement in Middle School Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smart, Julie B.; Marshall, Jeff C.

    2013-01-01

    Classroom discourse can affect various aspects of student learning in science. The present study examines interactions between classroom discourse, specifically teacher questioning, and related student cognitive engagement in middle school science. Observations were conducted throughout the school year in 10 middle school science classrooms using…

  15. Middle school students' beliefs about matter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nakhleh, Mary B.; Samarapungavan, Ala; Saglam, Yilmaz

    2005-05-01

    The objective of this study was to examine middle school students' developing understanding of the nature of matter and to compare middle school students' ideas to those of elementary schools students, as was done by Nakhleh and Samarapungavan [J Res Sci Teach 36(7):777-805, 1999]. Nine middle school students were interviewed using a scripted, semistructured interview. The interview probed students' understanding of the composition and particulate (atomic/molecular) structure of a variety of material substances; the relationship between particulate structure and macroscopic properties such as fluidity and malleability; as well as understanding of processes such as phase transition and dissolving. The results indicate that most of the middle school students interviewed knew that matter was composed of atoms and molecules and some of them were able to use this knowledge to explain some processes such as phase transitions of water. In contrast, almost no elementary students knew that matter was composed of atoms and molecules. However, the middle school students were unable to consistently explain material properties or processes based on their knowledge of material composition. In contrast to elementary school students, who had scientifically inaccurate but relatively consistent (macrocontinuous or macroparticulate) knowledge frameworks, the middle school students could not be classified as having consistent knowledge frameworks because their ideas were very fragmented. The fragmentation of middle school students' ideas about matter probably reflects the difficulty of assimilating the microscopic level scientific knowledge acquired through formal instruction into students' initial macroscopic knowledge frameworks.

  16. Palynology of the Lost Branch Formation of Kansas - New insights on the major floral transition at the Middle-Upper Pennsylvanian boundary

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Peppers, R.A.

    1997-01-01

    Palynological assemblages from two outcrops of the upper part of the Memorial Formation, the Lost Branch Formation, and the overlying Hepler unit in Kansas were examined to discover which stratigraphic interval marks the change from the lycopod-dominated coal swamp floras of Middle Pennsylvanian (Westphalian D) age to the fern-dominated coal swamp floras of Late Pennsylvanian (Stephanian) age. The Lost Branch Formation underlies the Pleasanton Group, whose base is recognized as the Middle-Upper Pennsylvanian boundary in the Midcontinent. The outcrops include the youngest Middle Pennsylvanian coal (Dawson), just below the Lost Branch Formation, and the oldest Upper Pennsylvanian coal ('Hepler') within the Pleasanton Group. Lycospora dominates the spore assemblage in the Middle Pennsylvanian (Desmoinesian) Dawson coal in the Memorial Shale and is abundant in shale between the coal and just below the Glenpool limestone bed at the top of the Lost Branch Formation. It is rare between the limestone and the Upper Pennsylvanian (Missourian) 'Hepler' coal. Granasporites medius and Thymospora pseudothiessenii disappear below the limestone. The 'Hepler' coal is dominated by fern and seed fern spores Cyclogranisporites and Apiculatasporites, and the sphenopsid spore Calamospora is third in abundance. Florinites, Potonieisporites and other gymnospermic monosaccate pollen are abundant between the two coals. Bisaccate conifer-like pollen, such as Protohaploxipinus, are most common between the Dawson coal and Glenpool limestone, but Wilsonites, which is thought to have been produced by seed ferns, is very abundant from the Glenpool limestone to the 'Hepler' coal. On the basis of macroinvertebrate evidence, the Glenpool limestone is Middle Pennsylvanian in age, but the palynological evidence indicates that the floral change took place slightly before deposition of the limestone. Thus, the major change in climate that occurred near the Middle-Upper Pennsylvanian boundary apparently affected the floras earlier than the faunas. The floral change cannot be explained as resulting from a major marine regression and hiatus because the change is recorded in a marine section within a single transgressive-regressive sequence.

  17. Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Upper-middle Class toward the Importance of a Pediatric Dentist.

    PubMed

    Sadana, Gunmeen; Walia, Satinder; Rai, Hashmit Kaur; Aggarwal, Neha; Bhargava, Ankita

    2017-10-01

    This study was carried out to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of upper middle class toward the importance of a pediatric dentist in the city of Amritsar, Punjab. A cross-sectional study was carried out among the parents of children belonging to upper middle class in the city of Amritsar. This proposed study was assessed by the Institutional Ethical Committee (531/IDSR/2016) and their clearance was attained. A total of 950 parents were selected using a convenient sampling technique, and a self-made questionnaire was presented to them. Responses from the parents were evaluated in terms of numbers and percentages and were statistically analyzed using SPSS for Windows release 14.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Differences at the 5% level were accepted as being statistically significant. The results of the study show limited knowledge about a pediatric dentist among the well-educated, well-placed, and economically sound citizens of Amritsar city. Consequently, the attitude and practices among this socioeconomic group are unconstructive and unprepared, respectively. Although the importance of taking a child to a pediatrician is a common practice among the upper and upper-middle classes of the society, it is clear that they do not give the same importance to a pediatric dentist, who is the pediatrician of dentistry.

  18. Revised hydrogeologic framework of the Floridan aquifer system in the northern coastal area of Georgia and adjacent parts of South Carolina

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Williams, Lester J.; Gill, Harold E.

    2010-01-01

    The hydrogeologic framework for the Floridan aquifer system has been revised for eight northern coastal counties in Georgia and five coastal counties in South Carolina by incorporating new borehole geophysical and flowmeter log data collected during previous investigations. Selected well logs were compiled and analyzed to determine the vertical and horizontal continuity of permeable zones that make up the Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers and to define more precisely the thickness of confining beds that separate these aquifers. The updated framework generally conforms to the original framework established by the U.S. Geological Survey in the 1980s except for adjustments made to the internal boundaries of the Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers and the individual permeable zones that compose these aquifers. The revised boundaries of the Floridan aquifer system were mapped by taking into account results from local studies and regional correlations of geologic and hydrogeologic units. Because the revised framework does not match the previous regional framework along all edges, additional work will be needed to expand the framework into adjacent areas. The Floridan aquifer system in the northern coastal region of Georgia and parts of South Carolina can be divided into the Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers, which are separated by a middle confining unit of relatively lower permeability. The Upper Floridan aquifer includes permeable and hydraulically connected carbonate rocks of Oligocene and upper Eocene age that represent the most transmissive part of the aquifer system. The middle confining unit consists of low permeability carbonate rocks that lie within the lower part of the upper Eocene in Beaufort and Jasper Counties, South Carolina, and within the upper to middle parts of the middle Eocene elsewhere. Locally, the middle confining unit contains thin zones that have moderate to high permeability and can produce water to wells that tap them. The Lower Floridan aquifer includes all permeable strata that lie below the middle confining unit and above the base of the aquifer system. Beneath Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, the middle Floridan aquifer is now included as part of the Lower Floridan aquifer. The base of the Floridan aquifer system generally is located at the top of lower Eocene rocks in Georgia and the top of Paleocene rocks in South Carolina. The Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers are interconnected to varying degrees depending on the thickness and permeability of the middle confining unit that separates these aquifers. In most places, hydraulic head differences between the two aquifers range from a few inches to a few feet or more. Monitoring at several vertically clustered well-point sites where wells were set at different depths in the aquifer revealed variations in the degree of hydraulic separation with depth. In general, the head separation between the Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers increases with depth, which indicates that the deeper zones are more hydraulically separated than the shallower parts of the Lower Floridan aquifer.

  19. Healing patterns revealed in middle school boys' experiences of being bullied using Roger's Science of Unitary Human Beings (SUHB).

    PubMed

    Willis, Danny G; Griffith, Catherine A

    2010-08-01

    Although two of the primary risk factors for being bullied include "male" and "middle school" status, a gap in knowledge exists of middle school boys' personal accounts and meanings of being bullied and their healing. Giorgi's descriptive phenomenological approach using open-ended semi-structured individual interviews was used to collect and analyze evidence related to middle school boys' lived experiences of being bullied and healing. Roger's Science of Unitary Human Beings (SUHB) guided interpretation of the healing patterns. Three patterns of healing were identified in boys' experiences: meaning-making, self-transcendence, and nonviolently claiming personal power. Evidence of healing patterns exists in middle school boys' experiences of being bullied, offering a foundation for further research and practice focused on healing. When working with middle school boys who have been bullied, nurses need to ask about their experiences and promote their healing.

  20. 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.

  1. The First 90 Days of the New Middle School Principal in a Turnaround School: In-Depth Case Study of the Transition Period (First 90 Days)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baeza, Marco A.

    2010-01-01

    This study analyzed skills, strategies, and theories that new middle school principals used to be successful during their transition period (the first 90 days) in turnaround schools. Based on research on transitions, three research questions guided the study: 1. Do middle school principals in a turnaround school situation find the transition…

  2. New York State Middle Schools and Instructional Scheduling, Teaming and Common Planning: A Descriptive Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Corey, Chad; Babo, Gerard

    2016-01-01

    Data regarding the type of instructional scheduling utilized along with the use of teaming and common planning at the middle school level has not been collected nor reported on the New York State School Report Card, and therefore it is not known whether and how middle schools are implementing these three school supports. Consequently, the purpose…

  3. Haymon-Morris Middle School: Keeping the Peace in Georgia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Principal Leadership, 2011

    2011-01-01

    This article features Haymon-Morris Middle School in Winder, Georgia. This highly successful Title I middle school is tucked behind the high school in a rural area 50 miles northeast of Atlanta. The staff is dedicated to creating a culture where it is believed that a calm, serene school setting results in less stress for both students and staff…

  4. The Talent Development Middle School Model: Context, Components, and Initial Impacts on Students' Performance and Attendance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Herlihy, Corinne M.; Kemple, James J.

    2004-01-01

    The Talent Development Middle School model was created to make a difference in struggling urban middle schools. The model is part of a trend in school improvement strategies whereby whole-school reform projects aim to improve performance and attendance outcomes for students through the use of major changes in both the organizational structure and…

  5. Smokey Road Middle School: Striving to Reach and Motivate Each Child

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Principal Leadership, 2011

    2011-01-01

    This article features Smokey Road Middle School, a Title I school serving 850 middle level students in grades 6-8. The school is located on the outskirts of Newnan, Georgia, a historic city of approximately 27,000 residents. The growth and development of the Coweta County School District is largely attributed to its close proximity to Atlanta. In…

  6. Middle School Math Acceleration and Equitable Access to Eighth-Grade Algebra: Evidence from the Wake County Public School System

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dougherty, Shaun M.; Goodman, Joshua S.; Hill, Darryl V.; Litke, Erica G.; Page, Lindsay C.

    2015-01-01

    Taking algebra by eighth grade is considered an important milestone on the pathway to college readiness. We highlight a collaboration to investigate one district's effort to increase middle school algebra course-taking. In 2010, the Wake County Public Schools began assigning middle school students to accelerated math and eighth-grade algebra based…

  7. Accelerated Middle Schools. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2008

    2008-01-01

    Accelerated middle schools are self-contained academic programs designed to help middle school students who are behind grade level catch up with their age peers. If these students begin high school with other students their age, the hope is that they will be more likely to stay in school and graduate. The programs serve students who are one to two…

  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. The Effects of School-Wide Positive Behavior Support on Middle School Climate and Student Outcomes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caldarella, Paul; Shatzer, Ryan H.; Gray, Kristy M.; Young, K. Richard; Young, Ellie L.

    2011-01-01

    This study investigated the effects of school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) on middle school climate and student outcomes. Data consisted of more than 300 teacher responses and 10,000 student responses in two middle schools in the western United States. This study used a quasi-experimental (non-equivalent two-group, pretest-posttest)…

  10. Effect of the Reread-Adapt and Answer-Comprehend Intervention on the Reading Achievement of Middle and High School Readers Who Are Deaf

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schirmer, Barbara R.; Schaffer, Laura; Therrien, William J.; Schirmer, Todd N.

    2016-01-01

    Two studies were conducted to determine if the Reread-Adapt and Answer-Comprehend (RAAC) repeated reading fluency intervention is effective in improving the reading achievement of deaf middle school and high school students. Participants included six middle school students and eight high school students. We found consistently good comprehension…

  11. Hydrogeologic framework of the Floridan aquifer system in Florida and in parts of Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Miller, James A.

    1986-01-01

    The Floridan aquifer system of the Southeastern United States is comprised of a thick sequence of carbonate rocks that are mostly of Paleocene to early Miocene age and that are hydraulically connected in varying degrees. The aquifer system consists of a single vertically continuous permeable unit updip and of two major permeable zones (the Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers) separated by one of seven middle confining units downdip. Neither the boundaries of the aquifer system or of its component high- and low-permeability zones necessarily conform to either formation boundaries or time-stratigraphic breaks. The rocks that make up the Floridan aquifer system, its upper and lower confining units, and a surficial aquifer have been separated into several chronostratigraphic units. The external and internal geometry of these stratigraphic units is presented on a series of structure contour and isopach maps and by a series of geohydrologic cross sections and a fence diagram. Paleocene through middle Eocene units consist of an updip clastic facies and a downdip carbonate bank facies, that extends progressively farther north and east in progressively younger units. Upper Eocene and Oligocene strata are predominantly carbonate rocks throughout the study area. Miocene and younger strata are mostly clastic rocks. Subsurface data show that some modifications in current stratigraphic nomenclature are necessary. First, the middle Eocene Lake City Limestone cannot be distinguished lithologically or faunally from the overlying middle Eocene Avon Park 'Limestone.' Accordingly, it is proposed that the term Lake City be abandoned and the term Avon Park Formation be applied to the entire middle Eocene carbonate section of peninsular Florida and southeastern Georgia. A reference well section in Levy County, Fla., is proposed for the expanded Avon Park Formation. The Avon Park is called a 'formation' more properly than a 'limestone' because the unit contains rock types other than limestone. Second, like the Avon Park, the lower Eocene Oldsmar and Paleocene Cedar Keys 'Limestones' of peninsular Florida practically everywhere contain rock types other than limestone. It is therefore proposed that these units be referred to more accurately as Oldsmar Formation and Cedar Keys Formation. The uppermost hydrologic unit in the study area is a surficial aquifer that can be divided into (1) a fluvial sand-and-gravel aquifer in southwestern Alabama and westernmost panhandle Florida, (2) limestone and sandy limestone of the Biscayne aquifer in southeastern peninsular Florida, and (3) a thin blanket of terrace and fluvial sands elsewhere. The surficial aquifer is underlain by a thick sequence of fine clastic rocks and low-permeability carbonate rocks, most of which are part of the middle Miocene Hawthorn Formation and all of which form the upper confining unit of the Floridan aquifer system. In places, the upper confining unit has been removed by erosion or is breached by sinkholes. Water in the Floridan aquifer system thus occurs under unconfined, semiconfined, or fully confined conditions, depending upon the presence, thickness, and integrity of the upper confining unit. Within the Floridan aquifer system, seven low permeability zones of subregional extent split the aquifer system in most places into an Upper and Lower Floridan aquifer. The Upper Floridan aquifer, which consists of all or parts of rocks of Oligocene age, late Eocene age, and the upper half of rocks of middle Eocene age, is highly permeable. The middle confining units that underlie the Upper Floridan are mostly of middle Eocene age but may be as young as Oligocene or as old as early Eocene. Where no middle confining unit exists, the entire aquifer system is comprised of permeable rocks and for hydrologic discussions is treated as the Upper Floridan aquifer. The Lower Floridan aquifer contains a cavernous high-permeability horizon in the lower part of the early Eocene of south

  12. Changing Friend Selection in Middle School: A Social Network Analysis of a Randomized Intervention Study Designed to Prevent Adolescent Problem Behavior.

    PubMed

    DeLay, Dawn; Ha, Thao; Van Ryzin, Mark; Winter, Charlotte; Dishion, Thomas J

    2016-04-01

    Adolescent friendships that promote problem behavior are often chosen in middle school. The current study examines the unintended impact of a randomized school-based intervention on the selection of friends in middle school, as well as on observations of deviant talk with friends 5 years later. Participants included 998 middle school students (526 boys and 472 girls) recruited at the onset of middle school (age 11-12 years) from three public middle schools participating in the Family Check-up model intervention. The current study focuses only on the effects of the SHAPe curriculum-one level of the Family Check-up model-on friendship choices. Participants nominated friends and completed measures of deviant peer affiliation. Approximately half of the sample (n = 500) was randomly assigned to the intervention, and the other half (n = 498) comprised the control group within each school. The results indicate that the SHAPe curriculum affected friend selection within school 1 but not within schools 2 or 3. The effects of friend selection in school 1 translated into reductions in observed deviancy training 5 years later (age 16-17 years). By coupling longitudinal social network analysis with a randomized intervention study, the current findings provide initial evidence that a randomized public middle school intervention can disrupt the formation of deviant peer groups and diminish levels of adolescent deviance 5 years later.

  13. School personnel social support and nonsupport for bystanders of bullying: Exploring student perspectives.

    PubMed

    Wood, Laura; Smith, Jennifer; Varjas, Kris; Meyers, Joel

    2017-04-01

    Defending behaviors by bystanders in bullying situations have been associated with decreases in the frequency and negative effects of bullying incidents. The current study utilized qualitative methodology to investigate the role of perceived school personnel support and nonsupport in students' decisions to display defending behaviors. Forty-six semi-structured interviews were conducted with upper-elementary (n=26) and middle school (n=20) students in the southeastern United States. Qualitative data were analyzed using constant comparison and a recursive inductive-deductive approach. The findings resulted in the conceptualization of a combined social support-nonsupport framework that provides details about the source, description, evaluation, and perceived effects of different types of support and nonsupport bystanders receive from school personnel. Unique contributions to the literature included expanding the sources of support and nonsupport to consider school personnel other than teachers, providing descriptions and evaluations of support and nonsupport specific to bystanders, and demonstrating an overlap between various types of support and nonsupport reiterating the need to consider both supports and nonsupports concurrently. Implications for research and practice are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. The inadequacy of Individual Educational Program (IEP) goals for high school students with word-level reading difficulties.

    PubMed

    Catone, William V; Brady, Susan A

    2005-06-01

    This investigation analyzed goals from the Individual Educational Programs (IEPs) of 54 high school students with diagnosed reading disabilities in basic skills (decoding and/or word identification). Results showed that for 73% of the students, the IEPs written when they were in high school failed to specify any objectives regarding their acute difficulties with basic skills. IEPs from earlier points in the students' educations were also reviewed, as available. For 23 of the students, IEPs were present in the students' files for three time points: elementary school (ES), middle school (MS), and high school (HS). Another 20 students from the sample of 54 had IEPs available for two time points (HS and either MS or ES). Comparisons with the IEPs from younger years showed a pattern of decline from ES to MS to HS in the percentage of IEPs that commented on or set goals pertaining to weaknesses in decoding. These findings suggest that basic skills deficits that persist into the upper grade levels are not being sufficiently targeted for remediation, and help explain why older students frequently fail to resolve their reading problems.

  15. Impact of School Uniforms on Student Discipline and the Learning Climate: A Comparative Case Study of Two Middle Schools with Uniform Dress Codes and Two Middle Schools without Uniform Dress Codes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dulin, Charles Dewitt

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this research is to evaluate the impact of uniform dress codes on a school's climate for student behavior and learning in four middle schools in North Carolina. The research will compare the perceptions of parents, teachers, and administrators in schools with uniform dress codes against schools without uniform dress codes. This…

  16. Influence of socio-economic status on access to different components of SCI management across Indian population.

    PubMed

    Chhabra, H S; Bhalla, A M

    2015-11-01

    To assess the influence of financial constraints on access to different components of spinal cord injury (SCI) management in various socio-economic strata of the Indian population. Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC). One hundred fifty SCI individuals who came for follow-up at ISIC between March 2009 and March 2013 with at least 1 year of community exposure after discharge were included in the study. Socio-economic classification was carried out according to the Kuppuswamy scale, a standard scale for the Indian population. A self-designed questionnaire was administered. No sample was available from the lower group. There was a statistically significant difference (P<0.05) for the levels of difficulty perceived by different socio-economic groups in accessing different components of SCI management. Aided upper lower group was dependent on welfare schemes for in-hospital treatment but could not access other components of management once discharged. Unaided upper lower group either faced severe difficulty or could not access management. Majority of lower middle group faced severe difficulty. Upper middle group was equally divided into facing severe, moderate or no difficulty. Most patients in the upper group faced no difficulty, whereas some faced moderate and a small number of severe difficulty. Financial constraints affected all components of SCI management in all except the upper group. The results of the survey suggest that a very large percentage of the Indian population would find it difficult to access comprehensive SCI management and advocate extension of essential medical coverage to unaided upper lower, lower middle and upper middle groups.

  17. On the Observed Changes in Upper Stratospheric and Mesospheric Temperatures from UARS HALOE

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Remsberg, Ellis E.

    2006-01-01

    Temperature versus pressure or T(p) time series from the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) have been extended and re-analyzed for the period of 1991-2005 and for the upper stratosphere and mesosphere in 10-degree wide latitude zones from 60S to 60N. Even though sampling from a solar occultation experiment is somewhat limited, it is shown to be quite adequate for developing both the seasonal and longer-term variations in T(p). Multiple linear regression (MLR) techniques were used in the re-analyses for the seasonal and the significant interannual, solar cycle (SC-like or decadal-scale), and linear trend terms. A simple SC-like term of 11-yr period was fitted to the time series residuals after accounting for the seasonal and interannual terms. Highly significant SC-like responses were found for both the upper mesosphere and the upper stratosphere. The phases of these SC-like terms were checked for their continuity with latitude and pressure-altitude, and in almost all cases they are directly in-phase with that of standard proxies for the solar flux variations. The analyzed, max minus min, responses at low latitudes are of order 1 K, while at middle latitudes they are as large as 3 K in the upper mesosphere. Highly significant, linear cooling trends were found at middle latitudes of the middle to upper mesosphere (about -2 K/decade), at tropical latitudes of the middle mesosphere (about -1 K/decade), and at 2 hPa (or order -1 K/decade).

  18. Association of being bullied in school with suicide ideation and planning among rural middle school adolescents.

    PubMed

    Bhatta, Madhav P; Shakya, Sunita; Jefferis, Eric

    2014-11-01

    This study examined the association of ever being bullied in school with suicide ideation (ever thinking about killing oneself) and ever seriously making a plan to kill oneself (suicide planning) among rural middle school adolescents. Using the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Survey instrument, 2 cross-sectional surveys were conducted among middle school adolescents (N = 1082) in a rural Appalachian county in Ohio in 2009 and 2012. Multivariable logistic regression models assessed the relationship of ever being bullied in school with suicide ideation and planning. Overall, a total of 468 participants (43.1%) reported ever being bullied in school, and 22.3% and 13.2% of the adolescents surveyed reported suicide ideation and planning, respectively. In the multivariable analyses, ever being bullied in school was significantly associated with both suicide ideation (odds ratio [OR] = 2.4; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.7-3.5) and planning (OR = 2.5; 95% CI: 1.6-3.8). The results show a strong association between being bullied in school and suicide ideation and planning among rural middle school adolescents. Prevention of bullying in school as early as in middle school should be a strategy for reducing suicide ideation and planning among adolescents. © 2014, American School Health Association.

  19. 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…

  20. "I Am Smart and I Am not Joking": Aiming High in the Middle Years of Schooling

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prosser, Brenton; McCallum, Faye; Milroy, Philippa; Comber, Barbara; Nixon, Helen

    2008-01-01

    In this paper, we draw on accounts from students to inform a Middle Schooling movement that has been variously described as "arrested", "unfinished" and "exhausted". We propose that if the Middle Schooling movement is to understand the changing worlds of students and develop new approaches in the middle years of…

  1. Effective Middle School Teacher Teams: A Ternary Model of Interdependency Rather than a Catch Phrase

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Main, Katherine

    2012-01-01

    The introduction of middle schooling in Australia has brought about changes to the working conditions of many teachers including finding themselves in teacher teams. The formation of such teams has been identified as critical to Australian middle school reform with teacher teams underpinning several of the fundamental components of a middle school…

  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. Understanding Middle Leaders: A Closer Look at Middle Leadership in Primary Schools in Singapore

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heng, Mary Anne; Marsh, Colin J.

    2009-01-01

    What is the nature of middle leadership in primary schools? What are middle leaders' understanding and experiences in leading learning and teaching? Set against the policy context of decentralised centralism in Singapore and an emerging worldwide trend of decentralisation as a means to encourage school-based development and innovation, this study…

  4. Higher Education Financial Assistance Tools for Middle- and Upper-Income Taxpayers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Condon, James V.; Prince, Lori H.

    2008-01-01

    This article describes higher education financial assistance tools designed mainly for students of middle- and upper-income families who may not be eligible for financial aid from other sources. It includes the 2007 legislative updates for these tools, all of which have been devised and offered by either state or federal governments. The authors…

  5. Parental Goals and Parenting Practices of Upper-Middle-Class Korean Mothers with Preschool Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Park, Ju-Hee; Kwon, Young In

    2009-01-01

    In order to understand how mothers develop their parenting styles under rapidly changing cultural contexts, this study examines and compares Korean upper-middle-class mothers' parental goals and real parenting practices as they reported. For this purpose, face-to-face in-depth interviews with 20 Korean mothers were conducted. By analyzing the…

  6. Eco-Inquiry: A Guide to Ecological Learning Experiences for the Upper Elementary/Middle Grades.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hogan, Kathleen

    Eco-Inquiry may be defined as a "whole science" curriculum that embeds hands-on science within thematic multi-dimensional learning experiences. Three modules for the upper elementary and middle grades focus on food webs, decomposition, and nutrient cycling. Each module lasts 4-7 weeks and may be used alone or in sequence. Student…

  7. Greeley's Maplewood Middle School Stellar in Solar Car Race

    Science.gov Websites

    ; Sinclair Middle School's car 21, "The Flyer," second place; Eagle Valley Middle School's car 5 , competitors designed and built vehicles no larger than 12 inches wide, 24 inches long and 12 inches high. The

  8. 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…

  9. Bullying and Symptoms of Depression in Chilean Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fleming, Lila C.; Jacobsen, Kathryn H.

    2009-01-01

    Background: The goal of this study was to assess the association between bullying and symptoms of depression among middle school students in Chile. Methods: Secondary data analysis of Chile's 2004 Global School-Based Health Survey. Results: A total of 8131 middle school students participated in the study. Forty-seven percent of students reported…

  10. Transactional Relationships between Latinos' Friendship Quality and Academic Achievement during the Transition to Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sebanc, Anne M.; Guimond, Amy B.; Lutgen, Jeff

    2016-01-01

    This study investigates whether friendship quality, academic achievement, and mastery goal orientation predict each other across the transition to middle school. Participants were 146 Latino students (75 girls) followed from the end of elementary school through the first year of middle school. Measures included positive and negative friendship…

  11. Middle School Responses to Cyberbullying: An Action Research Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zidack, Astri Marie

    2013-01-01

    This action research study engaged a small public middle school in the northwest United States in a collaborative process to address cyberbullying issues that often lead to academic and behavior problems in schools (Hinduja, 2010; Olweus, 2010). The specific purpose of this action research study was to address the middle school's cyberbullying…

  12. Middle School Math. What Works Clearinghouse Topic Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2007

    2007-01-01

    The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) reviewed interventions to promote middle school students' math knowledge and skills. Because there is some variation in how school districts organize middle school, we considered curricula aimed at students in grades 6 through 9, covering one or more of the following content areas: numbers and operations,…

  13. 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…

  14. Integrating Districts in Comprehensive School Reform in the Middle-Grades: Lessons from Middle Start CSR

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gopalan, Pritha

    2004-01-01

    This report compares district leaders' perspectives on changes in school capacity, student outcomes and district policy over three years of implementation of Middle Start (MS), a comprehensive school reform program to demonstrate the potential for improving the effectiveness and sustainability of CSR at the school level through integrating…

  15. The Fate of Teaching Constitutional Principles to Middle School Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wolf, Alvin

    1990-01-01

    Advocates teaching constitutional history and principles to middle school students in accordance with the 1988 California History-Social Science Framework. Reports findings of a survey of 118 California middle school and high school teachers that revealed a need for improved teacher knowledge about the U.S. Constitution. Recommends steps to ensure…

  16. 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…

  17. Enhancing Formative Assessment Practice and Encouraging Middle School Mathematics Engagement and Persistence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beesley, Andrea D.; Clark, Tedra F.; Dempsey, Kathleen; Tweed, Anne

    2018-01-01

    In the transition to middle school, and during the middle school years, students' motivation for mathematics tends to decline from what it was during elementary school. Formative assessment strategies in mathematics can help support motivation by building confidence for challenging tasks. In this study, the authors developed and piloted a…

  18. Teacher Perceptions of One-to-One Mobile Devices in Middle School Reading

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Still, Maridale

    2017-01-01

    Middle school reading teachers in a south Texas school district were surveyed to obtain a clearer understanding of one-to-one mobile device usage in the middle school reading classroom specifically regarding collaborative and active learning environments. The theoretical framework reviewed emerging learning theories that have steered effective…

  19. Middle School Principals' Perception of the Effect of Technology on Job Effectiveness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blackwell, James M.

    2009-01-01

    The use of computers and computer-based applications is prevalent in schools, from the classroom to the principal's office. This study of middle school principals in Virginia and West Virginia addressed the following eight questions: (a) What computer technology applications are available to middle school principals? (b) What are the perceived…

  20. Literature Discussion: Encouraging Reading Interest and Comprehension in Struggling Middle School Readers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pittman, Pamela; Honchell, Barbara

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how literature discussion affects middle school struggling readers. The focus was on 16 middle school struggling readers in a rural Title I school in the southeastern United States. Findings indicated that (a) literature discussion increased student enjoyment of reading, and (b) students…

  1. Middle School Learning, Academic Emotions and Engagement as Precursors to College Attendance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    San Pedro, Maria Ofelia Clarissa Z.

    2016-01-01

    This dissertation research focuses on assessing student behavior, academic emotions, and knowledge within a middle school online learning environment, and analyzing potential effects on students' interests and choices related to decisions about going to college. Using students' longitudinal data ranging from their middle school, to high school, to…

  2. Kagan Cooperative Learning Model and Mathematics Achievement of Economically Disadvantaged Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mourning, Erica

    2014-01-01

    Economically disadvantaged students are being outperformed by their non-disadvantaged peers in middle school mathematics. This problem is evidenced by 2013 data from a national middle school mathematics assessment which revealed an achievement gap of 27 scale score points. Closing this gap is important to schools with high populations of…

  3. 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…

  4. Let's Get into Some Scijinks! Lessons from Modernizing a Classic NOAA/NASA Kids' Weather Website

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leon, N.; Kasprak, A. H.; Mansfield, K. J.; Novati, A.; Gaches, L.; Karlson, D.

    2014-12-01

    SciJinks.gov—short for Science Hijinks—is a joint NOAA and NASA website that has been in operation for a decade. Filled with information about weather, Earth science, and satellite meteorology, it has always been a helpful resource for students and educators in and outside of the classroom. Geared toward upper middle school and early high school students, we replace around 20% of our audience each year. That means it is imperative to keep the site properly geared toward the needs of a rapidly changing group of students. Our team has recently redesigned SciJinks.gov to be mobile-friendly, modern looking, and teen-friendly. Here, we discuss our strategies and rational for this redesign and highlight the many exciting benefits to this newly imagined weather-adventure website.

  5. Leisure Time Physical Inactivity and Sedentary Behaviour and Lifestyle Correlates among Students Aged 13–15 in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member States, 2007–2013

    PubMed Central

    Peltzer, Karl; Pengpid, Supa

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between self-reported leisure time physical inactivity frequency and sedentary behaviour and lifestyle correlates among school children in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. The analysis included 30,284 school children aged 13–15 years from seven ASEAN countries that participated in the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) between 2007 and 2013. The measure asked about overall physical activity, walking or biking to school, and on time spent sitting. Overall, the prevalence of physical inactivity was 80.4%, ranging from 74.8% in Myanmar to 90.7% in Cambodia and sedentary behaviour 33.0%, ranging from 10.5% in Cambodia and Myanmar to 42.7% in Malaysia. In multivariate logistic regression, not walking or biking to school, not attending physical education classes, inadequate vegetable consumption and lack of protective factors (peer and parental or guardian support) were associated with physical inactivity, and older age (14 and 15 years old), coming from an upper middle income country, being overweight or obese, attending physical education classes, alcohol use, loneliness, peer support and lack of parental or guardian supervision were associated with sedentary behaviour. In boys, lower socioeconomic status (in the form of having experienced hunger) and coming from a low income or lower middle income country were additionally associated with physical inactivity, and in girls, higher socioeconomic status, not walking or biking to school and being bullied were additionally associated with sedentary behaviour. In conclusion, a very high prevalence of leisure physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour among school going adolescents in ASEAN was found and several factors identified that may inform physical activity promotion programmes in school-going adolescents in ASEAN. PMID:26891312

  6. "Boy Crisis" or "Girl Risk"? The Gender Difference in Nonsuicidal Self-Injurious Behavior Among Middle-School Students in China and its Relationship to Gender Role Conflict and Violent Experiences.

    PubMed

    Yang, Xueyan; Xin, Moye

    2018-03-01

    We attempted to test if there were gender differences in nonsuicidal self-injurious (NSSI) behaviors among Chinese middle-school students, and analyze the impact of gender role conflict and violent experiences on these behaviors among middle-school students of different genders. Based on the survey data from seven middle schools in Xi'an region of China, the gender difference in NSSI behaviors and its associated factors were analyzed in this study. There was no significant gender difference in NSSI behaviors among middle-school students; however, female middle-school students were more likely to experience gender role conflicts while male students were more likely to experience all kinds of violence earlier. Gender role conflicts and violent experiences can explain the prevalence of NSSI behaviors by gender, to some extent. The hypothesis on gender patterns of "boy crisis" or "girl risk" on NSSI prevalence was not verified; however, a "girl risk" for gender role conflicts and a "boy crisis" in violent experiences were found. The gender role conflicts were significantly associated with NSSI prevalence among middle-school students to some extent; however, this relationship was adjusted by variables of violent experiences. The different variables of violent experiences were the important predictors of NSSI prevalence among male and female middle-school students with specific contents varying across genders.

  7. A Study of Teacher Stereotypes: How Do Tuition-Free Teacher Candidates and General Undergraduates Think about Middle School and University Teachers in China?

    PubMed

    Zuo, Youxia; Zhao, Yufang; Peng, Chunhua; Chen, Youguo

    2017-01-01

    A tuition-free teacher candidate is an undergraduate who receives tuition-free teacher education and must work as a teacher in a middle school after their graduation. Tuition-free candidates are of the focus of many researchers; however, no study reports how tuition-free teacher candidates think about teachers. The present study explored stereotypes about middle school and university teachers held by teacher candidates. Specifically, we looked for the differences between the stereotypes held by the teacher candidates and general undergraduates. This study attempted to provide a potential tool to predict the actual willingness of teacher candidates to work as middle school teachers. University and middle school teachers were evaluated using descriptive phrases or words on a five-point Likert scale by 116 tuition-free teacher candidates and 155 general undergraduates. Exploratory factor analyses revealed a three-factor stereotype model including occupational cognition, occupational personality, and occupational emotion. Compared with general undergraduates, teacher candidates held more positive occupational personality and emotions toward middle school teachers; they held more negative occupational emotions toward university teachers. Further, the undergraduates' willingness to be middle school teachers positively correlated with positive occupational emotions and negatively correlated with negative occupational personality and emotions toward middle school teachers. This supported previous studies that individuals' professional willingness were influenced by their stereotypes about professions.

  8. A Study of Teacher Stereotypes: How Do Tuition-Free Teacher Candidates and General Undergraduates Think about Middle School and University Teachers in China?

    PubMed Central

    Zuo, Youxia; Zhao, Yufang; Peng, Chunhua; Chen, Youguo

    2017-01-01

    A tuition-free teacher candidate is an undergraduate who receives tuition-free teacher education and must work as a teacher in a middle school after their graduation. Tuition-free candidates are of the focus of many researchers; however, no study reports how tuition-free teacher candidates think about teachers. The present study explored stereotypes about middle school and university teachers held by teacher candidates. Specifically, we looked for the differences between the stereotypes held by the teacher candidates and general undergraduates. This study attempted to provide a potential tool to predict the actual willingness of teacher candidates to work as middle school teachers. University and middle school teachers were evaluated using descriptive phrases or words on a five-point Likert scale by 116 tuition-free teacher candidates and 155 general undergraduates. Exploratory factor analyses revealed a three-factor stereotype model including occupational cognition, occupational personality, and occupational emotion. Compared with general undergraduates, teacher candidates held more positive occupational personality and emotions toward middle school teachers; they held more negative occupational emotions toward university teachers. Further, the undergraduates' willingness to be middle school teachers positively correlated with positive occupational emotions and negatively correlated with negative occupational personality and emotions toward middle school teachers. This supported previous studies that individuals' professional willingness were influenced by their stereotypes about professions. PMID:28469587

  9. Investigating Stakeholder Attitudes and Opinions on School-Based Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Programs

    PubMed Central

    Nodulman, Jessica A.; Starling, Randall; Kong, Alberta S.; Buller, David B.; Wheeler, Cosette M.; Woodall, W. Gill

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND In several countries worldwide, school-based human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programs have been successful; however, little research has explored US stakeholders’ acceptance toward school-based HPV vaccination programs. METHODS A total of 13 focus groups and 12 key informant interviews (N = 117; 85% females; 66% racial/ethnic minority) were conducted with 5 groups of stakeholders: parents of adolescent girls, parents of adolescent boys, adolescent girls, middle school nurses, and middle school administrators throughout the 5 public health regions of New Mexico. RESULTS All groups of stakeholders lacked knowledge on HPV and HPV vaccines. Stakeholders were interested in—but apprehensive about—the benefits of HPV vaccination. Despite previous literature showing the benefits of using middle schools as an HPV vaccination site, stakeholders did not deem middle schools as a viable site for vaccination. Nurses reported that using the school as an HPV vaccination site had not occurred to them; parents and adolescents stated they were uncertain about using this type of program. School administrators indicated that they lacked implementation authority. CONCLUSIONS Our study uncovered barriers to using middle schools as a site of HPV vaccination. Resources should be directed toward increased support and education for middle school nurses who function as opinion leaders relevant to the uptake of HPV vaccination. PMID:25846308

  10. 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.

  11. Greeley's Maplewood Middle School Stellar in Solar Car Race

    Science.gov Websites

    - Students from Greeley's Maplewood Middle School built the fastest model solar car and won the Junior Solar Monarch K-8 School in Louisville won top honors for design. Forty-one teams from across Colorado entered School's car 13 "Crème de la Crème," fourth place; and Golden's Bell Middle School, fifth place

  12. Youth Risk Behavior Survey of Middle School Students Attending Bureau Funded Schools, 1997.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shaughnessy, Lana; Everett, Sherry; Ranslow, Steve

    This report presents findings from a spring 1997 survey of all middle-school students (grades 6-8) enrolled in schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The Centers for Disease Control Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) was completed by 6,990 students in 115 of the 122 BIA-funded middle schools; the overall response rate was 74 percent.…

  13. The Effects of Implementing Change on a Middle School Culture a First Year Principal's Journey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gettemeier, Edward Robert

    2012-01-01

    This study is a first year principal's quest to transform the culture of Midwest Middle School (MMS). The study covers the 2009-2010 school year. The data from the 2008-2009 school year provided the baseline data for this study. Alarming results of a state survey regarding the culture of the medium sized suburban middle school caused concern. The…

  14. 76 FR 30152 - East Calloway County Middle School Mercury Spill Site, Murray, Calloway County, KY; Notice of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-24

    ... Middle School Mercury Spill Site, Murray, Calloway County, KY; Notice of Settlement AGENCY: Environmental... Calloway County Middle School Mercury Spill Site located in Murray, Calloway County, Kentucky for... County [[Page 30153

  15. 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…

  16. Building Middle School Teacher Capacity to Implement Reading Comprehension Strategies for Improved Student Academic Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sircey, Samantha Taylor

    2017-01-01

    In the middle school setting, reading is a requirement if students are to access the curriculum and demonstrate content proficiency. By grade three, students are expected to read on grade level, but by middle grades (7-8), some students still struggle with reading for comprehension. In addition, some middle school teachers struggle to implement…

  17. 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.

  18. Using Social Cognitive Theory to Predict Physical Activity and Fitness in Underserved Middle School Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, Jeffrey J.; McCaughtry, Nate; Flory, Sara; Murphy, Anne; Wisdom, Kimberlydawn

    2011-01-01

    Few researchers have used social cognitive theory and environment-based constructs to predict physical activity (PA) and fitness in underserved middle-school children. Hence, we evaluated social cognitive variables and perceptions of the school environment to predict PA and fitness in middle school children (N = 506, ages 10-14 years). Using…

  19. Middle School Students' Statistical Literacy: Role of Grade Level and Gender

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yolcu, Ayse

    2014-01-01

    This study examined the role of gender and grade level on middle school students' statistical literacy. The study was conducted in the spring semester of the 2012-2013 academic year with 598 middle-school students (grades 6-8) from three public schools in Turkey. The data were collected using the Statistical Literacy Test, developed based on…

  20. 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…

  1. Experiences and Perceptions of Middle School Handbell Participants

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rohwer, Debbie

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of the current study was to describe the process of music learning and the perceptions of members in a school-based middle school handbell setting. The participants were 39 students and one music teacher in a middle school in Texas. The design of the current study was a case study using observation and interview data. The results…

  2. 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.…

  3. Classroom Management Strategies of Highly Effective Teachers in Diverse Middle Schools: Be Strict and Calm, Not Mean

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGregor, Katheryne L.

    2012-01-01

    This qualitative research study investigated and identified the classroom management strategies of 12 highly effective middle school teachers who served diverse student populations at two different school sites. In addition, this research explored the beliefs and experiences of 305 diverse middle school students regarding their experiences with…

  4. Preparing Students for Middle School through After-School STEM Activities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moreno, Nancy P.; Tharp, Barbara Z.; Vogt, Gregory; Newell, Alana D.; Burnett, Christopher A.

    2016-01-01

    The middle school years are a crucial time for cultivating students' interest in and preparedness for future STEM careers. However, not all middle school children are provided opportunities to engage, learn and achieve in STEM subject areas. Engineering, in particular, is neglected in these grades because it usually is not part of science or…

  5. Middle School Deaf Students' Problem-Solving Behaviors and Strategy Use

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, ChongMin

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this research is to describe and understand the ways in which deaf middle school students understood and solved compare word problems, and to examine their overall strategy use in learning mathematics. The participants in the study were deaf middle school students, attending a residential state school for the deaf. Most of them used…

  6. Assessing the Roles of Student Engagement and Academic Emotions within Middle School Computer- Based Learning in College-Going Pathways

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    San Pedro, Maria Ofelia Z.

    2015-01-01

    This dissertation research focuses on assessing student behavior, academic emotions, and knowledge from a middle school online learning environment, and analyzing their potential effects on decisions about going to college. Using students' longitudinal data ranging from their middle school, to high school, to postsecondary years, I leverage…

  7. 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…

  8. 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…

  9. Investigating Indian Elementary and Middle School Students' Images of Designers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ara, Farhat; Natarajan, Chitra

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents an investigation into Indian elementary and middle school students' images of designers. A "Draw a designer at work" test was used with 511 students from Classes 5 to 9 from a school located in Mumbai. Findings from the study indicate that Indian elementary and middle school students, who had no experience in design…

  10. Democratic Leadership in Middle Schools of Chihuahua Mexico: Improving Middle Schools through Democracy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Delgado, Manuel Lopez

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to analyse the effects of the implementation of a democratic approach to lead and manage middle schools in Chihuahua, Mexico. This research was based on a Likert questionnaire and semistructured interviews to explore the level of involvement of students, teachers, and parents in schools participating in a programme…

  11. The Effect of Teacher Pedagogical Content Knowledge and the Instruction of Middle School Geometry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lenhart, Sara Talley

    2010-01-01

    This study investigated the relationship between middle school math teacher pedagogical content knowledge as gathered from a teacher assessment and student Standards of Learning scores. Nine middle-school math teachers at two rural schools were assessed for their pedagogical content knowledge in geometry and measurement in the specific area of…

  12. Middle School Students' Views on the United States Pledge of Allegiance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, Leisa A.

    2011-01-01

    Although the United States Pledge of Allegiance is a ritual in many schools, research on middle school students' views about this tradition is limited. Therefore, this grounded theory study included a survey of 100 middle school students on the Pledge with 33 follow-up interviews. Socialization and counter-socialization served as the theoretical…

  13. Evaluating Mathematics Achievement of Middle School Students in a Looping Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Franz, Dana Pomykal; Thompson, Nicole L.; Fuller, Bob; Hare, R. Dwight; Miller, Nicole C.; Walker, Jacob

    2010-01-01

    Looping, a school structure where students remain with one group of teachers for two or more school years, is used by middle schools to meet the diverse needs of young adolescents. However, little research exists on how looping effects the academic performance of students. This study was designed to determine if looping influenced middle school…

  14. Examining the Relationship between Classroom Climate and Student Achievement of Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barksdale, Christopher J.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this sequential mixed method study was to examine the relationship between classroom climate and student achievement of middle school students. This study included a review of data collected from the Learning Environment Inventory from a purposeful sample of middle school students from a large suburban school district. A purposeful…

  15. School Attachment Theory and Restitution Processes: Promoting Positive Behaviors in Middle Years Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Penner, Christine; Wallin, Dawn

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents the findings of a case study that examined school attachment and restitution strategies used in a middle years school to determine if the program had provided a viable means of promoting and sustaining positive behaviors among middle years students. Data were gathered by interviewing five teachers who had Restitution I training…

  16. Motivacion y estudiantes de secundaria (Motivation and Middle School Students). ERIC Digest.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderman, Lynley Hicks; Midgley, Carol

    Research has shown a decline in motivation and performance for many children as they move from elementary school into middle school; however, research has also shown that the nature of motivational change on entry to middle school depends on characteristics of the learning environment in which students find themselves. This Digest outlines some…

  17. An Analysis of the Relationship between Organizational Servant Leadership and Student Achievement in Middle Level Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Babb, Corbett A.

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this exploratory quantitative research study was to determine if middle schools in which higher levels of servant leadership are evident perform better on school effectiveness measures than middle schools that exhibit lower degrees of servant leadership. Furthermore, it sought to identify contextual factors that were correlated with…

  18. Development of the Spatial Ability Test for Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yildiz, Sevda Göktepe; Özdemir, Ahmet Sükrü

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop a test to determine spatial ability of middle school students. The participants were 704 middle school students (6th, 7th and 8th grade) who were studying at different schools from Istanbul. Item analysis, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, reliability analysis were used to analyse the data.…

  19. Alcohol and Other Drug Use in Middle School: The Interplay of Gender, Peer Victimization, and Supportive Social Relationships

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wormington, Stephanie V.; Anderson, Kristen G.; Tomlinson, Kristin L.; Brown, Sandra A.

    2013-01-01

    The current study examined the impact of supportive social relationships (i.e., teacher support, adult support, school relatedness) and peer victimization on middle school students' substance use. Over 3,000 middle school students reported on alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use, supportive social relationships, and instances in which they were…

  20. 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)

  1. Development of a Multidisciplinary Middle School Mathematics Infusion Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Russo, Maria; Hecht, Deborah; Burghardt, M. David; Hacker, Michael; Saxman, Laura

    2011-01-01

    The National Science Foundation (NSF) funded project "Mathematics, Science, and Technology Partnership" (MSTP) developed a multidisciplinary instructional model for connecting mathematics to science, technology and engineering content areas at the middle school level. Specifically, the model infused mathematics into middle school curriculum…

  2. 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…

  3. Measurement of students' perceptions of nursing as a career.

    PubMed

    Matutina, Robin E; Newman, Susan D; Jenkins, Carolyn M

    2010-09-01

    Middle school has been identified as the prime age group to begin nursing recruitment efforts because students have malleable perceptions about nursing as a future career choice. The purpose of this integrative review is to present a brief overview of research processes related to middle school students' perceptions of nursing as a future career choice and to critically evaluate the current instruments used to measure middle and high school students' perceptions of nursing as a career choice. An integrative review of the years 1989 to 2009 was conducted searching Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), National Library of Medicine PubMed service (PubMed), and Ovid MEDLINE databases using the key words career, choice, future, ideal, nursing, and perception. Reference lists of retrieved studies were hand searched, yielding a total of 22 studies. Inclusion criteria were (a) sample of middle school students, (b) sample of high school students, (c) mixed sample including middle or high school students, and (4) samples other than middle or high school students if the instrument was tested with middle or high school students in a separate study. Ten studies met these criteria. Of the 10 studies, samples were 30% middle school students; 40% high school students; 10% mixed, including school-aged students; and 20% college students with an instrument tested in middle school students. Eighty percent of participants were White females. Overall, participants' socioeconomic status was not identified. A single study included a theoretical framework. Five instruments were identified and each could be completed in 15 to 30 min. The most commonly used instrument is available free of charge. Seventy percent of the studies used Cronbach's alpha to report instrument reliability (0.63 to 0.93), whereas 30% failed to report reliability. Fifty percent of the studies established validity via a "panel of experts," with three of those studies further describing the panel of experts. Samples of white females may hinder generalization. Socioeconomic status was not consistently reported and may be an important factor with regard to perceptions of nursing as a career choice. An overall absence of theoretical framework hinders empirical data from being applied to nursing theories that in turn may support nursing concepts. The reporting of reliability and validity may be improved by further defining panel of experts and expanding the number of experts (more than seven). More in-depth evaluation of the psychometric properties of the instruments with more diverse populations is needed. Rigorously tested instruments may be useful in determining middle school students' perceptions about nursing. Therefore, future researchers should consider testing existing instruments in the middle school population, adhering to theoretical frameworks, diversifying the sample population, and clearly reporting reliability and validity to gain knowledge about middle school students' perceptions about a nursing career.

  4. A preliminary riparian/wetland vegetation community classification of the Upper and Middle Rio Grande watersheds in New Mexico

    Treesearch

    Paula Durkin; Esteban Muldavin; Mike Bradley; Stacey E. Carr

    1996-01-01

    The riparian wetland vegetation communities of the upper and middle Rio Grande watersheds in New Mexico were surveyed in 1992 through 1994. The communities are hierarchically classified in terms of species composition and vegetation structure. The resulting Community Types are related to soil conditions, hydrological regime, and temporal dynamics. The classification is...

  5. Winds and Waves (4 Min - 11 Yrs) in the Upper Middle Atmosphere (60-110 Km) at Saskatoon, Canada (52 Deg N, 107 Deg W): MF Radar (2.2 Mhz) Soundings 1973 - 1983

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Manson, A. H.; Meek, C. E.; Gregory, J. B.

    1984-01-01

    Examples of gravity waves (GW), tides, planetary waves (PW), and circulation effects in the upper middle atmosphere are presented. Energy densities of GW, tides, and PW are compared. Fourier and spectral analyses are applied to the data.

  6. Longitudinal Examination of the Bullying-Sexual Violence Pathway across Early to Late Adolescence: Implicating Homophobic Name-Calling.

    PubMed

    Espelage, Dorothy L; Basile, Kathleen C; Leemis, Ruth W; Hipp, Tracy N; Davis, Jordan P

    2018-03-02

    The Bully-Sexual Violence Pathway theory has indicated that bullying perpetration predicts sexual violence perpetration among males and females over time in middle school, and that homophobic name-calling perpetration moderates that association among males. In this study, the Bully-Sexual Violence Pathway theory was tested across early to late adolescence. Participants included 3549 students from four Midwestern middle schools and six high schools. Surveys were administered across six time points from Spring 2008 to Spring 2013. At baseline, the sample was 32.2% White, 46.2% African American, 5.4% Hispanic, and 10.2% other. The sample was 50.2% female. The findings reveal that late middle school homophobic name-calling perpetration increased the odds of perpetrating sexual violence in high school among early middle school bullying male and female perpetrators, while homophobic name-calling victimization decreased the odds of high school sexual violence perpetration among females. The prevention of bullying and homophobic name-calling in middle school may prevent later sexual violence perpetration.

  7. Middle school students' attitudes toward math and STEM career interests: A 4-year follow-up study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schneider, Madalyn R.

    The purpose of the current study is to examine middle school students' attitudes toward math, intent to pursue STEM-related education and occupations, and STEM interest from middle school to high school. The data used in this study are from a larger, on-going National Science Foundation (NSF) grant-funded study that is investigating middle school students' disengagement while using the Assistments system (Baker, Heffernan & San Pedro, 2012), a computer-based math tutoring system. The NSF grant study aims to explore how disengagement with STEM material can aid in the prediction of students' college enrollment as well as how it may interact with other factors affecting students' career choices (San Pedro, Baker, Bowers, Heffernan, 2013). Participants are students from urban and suburban schools in Massachusetts measured first in middle school and again four years later. Measures at Time 1 included: various items related to attitudes toward mathematics, occupations they could see themselves doing as adults, and the Brief Self-Control Scale (Tangney, Baumeister, & Luzio Boone, 2004). Measures at Time 2 included: items requesting the students' current mathematics and science courses and intended majors or occupations following high school graduation. Exploratory factor analysis, multiple regression and logistic regression analyses were used to test the following four hypotheses: I. There will be several distinct factors that emerge to provide information about middle school students' attitudes toward math; II. Students' attitudes toward math will correlate positively and significantly with students' intent to pursue STEM-related careers at Time 1 with a medium effect; III. Middle school attitudes toward mathematics will relate positively and significantly to level of high school mathematics and science courses with a medium effect; IV. Middle school intent to pursue STEM will correlate positively and significantly with high school intent to pursue STEM majors/careers with a medium effect. Results supported a 2-factor model of Attitudes toward Mathematics consisting of Math Self-Concept and Attitudes toward Assistments. Other significant findings include: a positive relationship between students' Attitudes toward Assistments and level of math class taken in high school; a positive relationship between students' Math Self-Concept and Self Control; a positive relationship between Self Control and students' endorsement of STEM careers while in middle school, and discrepancy between male and female students' endorsement of STEM careers as early as middle school. Although many of the study's primary hypotheses were not supported, the present study provides a framework and baseline for several important considerations. Limitations, including those related to the present study's small sample size, and future implications of the present study, which add to career development literature in STEM, are discussed in regard to both research and practice. Keywords: career development, middle school, attitudes, math, STEM, self-concept

  8. 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…

  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. Evaluation of postoperative patient satisfaction after covering the nasal dorsum with upper lateral cartilage: "upper lateral closing".

    PubMed

    Çağıcı, Can Alper

    2017-11-16

    Following nasal hump removal during septorhinoplasty, the middle vault should be reconstructed to avoid functional and esthetic problems. Middle vault reconstruction, however, may result in widening of the middle vault and may need a camouflage graft to cover dorsal irregularities. To present the results of reconstructing the middle vault with a technique that covers the nasal dorsum with upper lateral cartilage, from the viewpoint of patient satisfaction. Retrospective study of patients who underwent septorhinoplasty that included nasal dorsum closure with upper lateral cartilage from December 1, 2014 to January 31, 2016. Those with postoperative follow-up of less than 3 months were excluded. The final study group included 39 patients. The same surgeon performed all septorhinoplasties. The dorsum was closed using an "upper lateral closing" technique that approximated upper lateral cartilages to each other over the septum. Postoperative patient satisfaction was determined using a visual analog scale and the rhinoplasty outcomes evaluation questionnaire. The questionnaire evaluates patient esthetic and functional satisfaction with the operated nose. High scores indicate improved esthetic results. No dorsal irregularities were seen at postoperative follow-up evaluation of the patients. For esthetic nasal appearance, the median visual analogue scale scores was 86%, and the mean for the questionnaire was 77.03%. The natural dome-shaped anatomy of the nasal dorsum was achieved by approximating the upper lateral cartilages to each other. Closing the dorsum with this technique also covers any dorsal irregularities and results in a smooth dorsum. Patients expressed satisfaction with the esthetic and functional aspects of the smooth, attractive nasal dorsum. Copyright © 2017 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  11. 30 years of Physics Education Research at the University of Washington

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shaffer, Peter S.

    2017-01-01

    Over the past 30 years, members of the UW Physics Education Group have examined student learning in courses serving a wide range of populations. Most of the focus has been on elementary, middle, and high school teachers and students in introductory university physics courses, but more recently, the effort has expanded to include physics majors in upper-division courses on quantum mechanics and electrodynamics. In general, the group has taken a practical approach that focuses on identifying instructional strategies that are effective at promoting conceptual understanding and student reasoning ability. Examples will be drawn from across these courses to illustrate common themes and connections.

  12. Investigating Gifted Middle School Students' Images about Scientists: A Cultural Similarity Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bayri, N.; Koksal, M. S.; Ertekin, P.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to investigate gifted middle school students' images about scientists in terms of cultural similarity. Sample of the study is 64 gifted middle school students taking courses from a formal school for gifted students. The data were collected by using Draw-a-scientist (DAST) instrument and was analysed by two researchers…

  13. Elementary Organizational Structures and Young Adolescents' Self-Concept and Classroom Environment Perceptions across the Transition to Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parker, Audra K.

    2009-01-01

    Transitions can be difficult at any age; however, the move from elementary school to middle school, coupled with the onset of adolescence, is often associated with a myriad of psychological and academic declines. One strategy currently used to "ready" elementary students for middle school is a departmentalized organizational structure. The purpose…

  14. Practices Middle School Principals in Large School Divisions Located within the Commonwealth of Virginia Employ during the Supervisory Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hitchman, Ryan Patrick

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the practices middle school principals employed during the supervisory process. The qualitative study focused on practices middle school principals followed during the pre-observation process, observation process, and post observation process. The study also detailed how the data collected from formal…

  15. The Boston Middle School-Corner Store Initiative: Development, Implementation, and Initial Evaluation of a Program Designed to Improve Adolescents' Beverage-Purchasing Behaviors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hoffman, Jessica A.; Morris, Vivien; Cook, John

    2009-01-01

    The Boston Middle School Corner Store Initiative (CSI) brought together schools, businesses, and community partners to develop, implement, and evaluate a multicomponent pilot program designed to promote healthier beverage purchasing at corner stores among 3,500 middle school students living in Boston, Massachusetts. Healthy drinks were defined for…

  16. Becoming (Less) Scientific: A Longitudinal Study of Students' Identity Work from Elementary to Middle School Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carlone, Heidi B.; Scott, Catherine M.; Lowder, Cassi

    2014-01-01

    Students' declining science interest in middle school is often attributed to psychological factors like shifts of motivational values, decrease in self-efficacy, or doubts about the utility of schooling in general. This paper adds to accounts of the middle school science problem through an ethnographic, longitudinal case study of three…

  17. Promoting Positive Achievement in the Middle School: A Look at Teachers' Motivational Knowledge, Beliefs, and Teaching Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haselhuhn, Charlotte W.; Al-Mabuk, Radhi; Gabriele, Anthony; Groen, Marc; Galloway, Sarah

    2007-01-01

    This study was prompted by previous research showing a decline in motivation as students transition from elementary to middle school. The decline in motivation may be associated with changes in the achievement goal structures of their classrooms and schools. This study describes a survey of 69 elementary and 28 middle school teachers that explored…

  18. 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…

  19. Creating Hybrid Spaces for Engaging School Science among Urban Middle School Girls

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barton, Angela Calabrese; Tan, Edna; Rivet, Ann

    2008-01-01

    The middle grades are a crucial time for girls in making decisions about how or if they want to follow science trajectories. In this article, the authors report on how urban middle school girls enact meaningful strategies of engagement in science class in their efforts to merge their social worlds with the worlds of school science and on the…

  20. A Survey of Parental Involvement in Middle Schools in New Zealand

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hornby, Garry; Witte, Chrystal

    2010-01-01

    This article reports the results of a survey of parental involvement (PI) policy and practice in middle schools in a large New Zealand city. Principals at all 11 middle schools in the city were contacted and agreed to be interviewed. Interviews were conducted using a schedule that focuses on 11 aspects of PI: encouraging parents into school,…

  1. 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…

  2. The Development of Science Achievement in Middle and High School: Individual Differences and School Effects.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ma, Xin; Wilkins, Jessie L. M.

    2002-01-01

    Used hierarchical linear models with data from the Longitudinal Study of American Youth to model the growth of student science achievement in biology, physical science, and environmental science during middle and high school. Growth was quadratic across all areas, with rapid growth at the beginning of middle school and slow growth at the ending…

  3. The Efficacy of Differentiated Instruction in Meeting the Needs of Gifted Middle School Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Light, Julie K.

    2012-01-01

    The research site is a middle school in a K-12 suburban public school district with heterogeneously grouped (mixed ability) middle school language arts, social studies, and science classes. It has been determined that the academic needs of its gifted or highly talented learners in these classes need to be better met. This action science research…

  4. A Descriptive Qualitative Study Exploring Teacher and Parental Perceptions of African-American Middle School Male Students Related to Mathematics Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fowler, Crystal Nicole

    2013-01-01

    This qualitative descriptive case study explored the perceptions of parents and teachers of the academic achievement gap in mathematics between African-American middle school males and their White counterparts. Ten parents, both African-American and White, with students attending middle school in the Cherokee County School District and 5 teachers…

  5. Replacement vs. Renovation: The Reincarnation of Hubble Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ogurek, Douglas J.

    2010-01-01

    At the original Hubble Middle School, neither the views (a congested Roosevelt Road and glimpses of downtown Wheaton) nor the century-old facility that offered them was very inspiring. Built at the start of the 20th century, the 250,000-square-foot building was converted from Wheaton Central High School to Hubble Middle School in the early 1980s.…

  6. Helping English Language Learners Succeed in Middle and High Schools. Collaborative Partnerships between ESL and Classroom Teachers Series

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pawan, Faridah, Ed.; Sietman, Ginger, Ed.

    2007-01-01

    This volume of Collaborative Partnerships between ESL and Classroom Teachers gives emphasis to collaborative partnerships in the middle and high school levels. Editors Faridah Pawan and Ginger Sietman gather expert authors who present us with models of classroom-based and school-based collaborative partnerships from middle and high schools across…

  7. Food choice, plate waste and nutrient intake of elementary- and middle-school students participating in the US National School Lunch Program.

    PubMed

    Smith, Stephanie L; Cunningham-Sabo, Leslie

    2014-06-01

    To (i) evaluate food choices and consumption patterns of elementary- and middle-school students who participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and (ii) compare students' average nutrient intake from lunch with NSLP standards. Plate waste from elementary- and middle-school students' lunch trays was measured in autumn 2010 using a previously validated digital photography method. Percentage waste was estimated to the nearest 10 % for the entrée, canned fruit, fresh fruit, vegetable, grain and milk. Univariate ANOVA determined differences in percentage waste between schools, grades and genders. Daily nutrient intake was calculated using the district's menu analysis and percentage waste. Elementary and middle schools in northern Colorado (USA). Students, grades 1-8. Plate waste was estimated from 899 lunch trays; 535 elementary- and 364 middle-school students. Only 45 % of elementary- and 34 % middle-school students selected a vegetable. Elementary-school students wasted more than a third of grain, fruit and vegetable menu items. Middle-school students left nearly 50 % of fresh fruit, 37 % of canned fruit and nearly a third of vegetables unconsumed. Less than half of the students met the national meal standards for vitamins A and C, or Fe. Few students' lunch consumption met previous or new, strengthened NSLP lunch standards. Due to the relatively low intake of vegetables, intakes of vitamins A and C were of particular concern. Effective behavioural interventions, combined with marketing, communications and behavioural economics, will likely be necessary to encourage increased vegetable intake to meet the new meal standards.

  8. In-School Suspension: Pedagogy, Praxis, and Program Effectiveness at the Middle and High School Levels for At-Risk Students and Its Affects on Academic Achievement and Retention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shipman, Larry Douglas, Sr.

    2013-01-01

    Middle and high schools across America are striving to equip their students with the tools necessary for achieving their highest academic potential to become model citizens. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the strategies and interventions available for middle and high school students referred to In-school suspension (ISS)…

  9. 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…

  10. Middle School Teachers' Perceptions Regarding the Motivation and Effectiveness of Homework

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Snead, Donald; Burris, Kathleen G.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to understand middle school teachers' perspectives on the role of homework. Approximately 118 middle school teachers volunteered to complete open-ended surveys describing their perceptions regarding the effectiveness of homework. Qualitative analysis revealed teachers identified several instructional and…

  11. Middle Grades Research: Not Yet Mature, but No Longer a Child.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mac Iver, Douglas J.; Epstein, Joyce L.

    1993-01-01

    Summarizes research on middle level schools and students that contributes to ongoing debates concerning grade span, school size, grouping of students, departmentalization, curriculum, instruction, advisory groups, interdisciplinary teaming, school-transition activities, extra-help programs, and student evaluation practices in the middle grades.…

  12. The Right Stuff: Essential Resources for Managing Your Middle School Media Center.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Manczuk, Suzanne

    1999-01-01

    Describes the following resources for managing a middle school media center: literature bibliographies with on-target middle school recommendations and useful annotations; resources for teaching primary sources; resources on censorship and banned books; basic Internet guides; copyright-law resources; information-literacy standards; and…

  13. 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…

  14. Life Satisfaction and Violent Behaviors among Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Valois, Robert F.; Paxton, Raheem J.; Zullig, Keith J.; Huebner, E. Scott

    2006-01-01

    We explored relationships between violent behaviors and perceived life satisfaction among 2,138 middle school students in a southern state using the CDC Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Survey (MSYRBS) and the Brief Multidimensional Student Life Satisfaction Scale (BMSLSS). Logistic regression analyses and multivariate models constructed…

  15. 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…

  16. Hormone-Driven Kids: A Call for Social and Emotional Learning in the Middle School Years.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stern, Robin

    1999-01-01

    Describes the basic tenets of social and emotional learning; discusses the emotional and social challenges that middle school children face; and provides suggestions for parents and teachers to help promote smooth sailing through these rocky middle school years. (SR)

  17. Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions of Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Connor, Kevin J.; D'Angelo, Christina M.

    2013-01-01

    This report shares a study that explored the perceptions pre-service teachers have of middle school students. Participants were asked to complete the "Adjective Checklist" ("ACL") by endorsing the words they considered most characteristic of a typical middle school student. Items most frequently endorsed indicated a…

  18. Teachers' Experiences with Middle-Level Mathematics Coaches

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frost, Bernard Emmanuel

    2013-01-01

    Many school districts have provided support to middle school mathematics teachers who face challenges involving delivery of instruction by hiring instructional mathematics coaches. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the experiences between classroom mathematics middle school teachers and their instructional coach, and to…

  19. Middle School Students' Perceptions of Social Dimensions as Influencers of Academic Engagement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bishop, Penny A.; Pflaum, Susanna W.

    2005-01-01

    This qualitative study investigates rural middle school students' perceptions of academic engagement. Participant-produced drawings (Kearney & Hyle, 2003), integrated with a series of semi-structured interviews (Patton, 2002), served as the primary data collection techniques. Twenty middle school students participated, stratified for socioeconomic…

  20. Academic and emotional functioning in early adolescence: longitudinal relations, patterns, and prediction by experience in middle school.

    PubMed

    Roeser, R W; Eccles, J S; Sameroff, A J

    1998-01-01

    Adopting a motivational perspective on adolescent development, these two companion studies examined the longitudinal relations between early adolescents' school motivation (competence beliefs and values), achievement, emotional functioning (depressive symptoms and anger), and middle school perceptions using both variable- and person-centered analytic techniques. Data were collected from 1041 adolescents and their parents at the beginning of seventh and the end of eight grade in middle school. Controlling for demographic factors, regression analyses in Study 1 showed reciprocal relations between school motivation and positive emotional functioning over time. Furthermore, adolescents' perceptions of the middle school learning environment (support for competence and autonomy, quality of relationships with teachers) predicted their eighth grade motivation, achievement, and emotional functioning after accounting for demographic and prior adjustment measures. Cluster analyses in Study 2 revealed several different patterns of school functioning and emotional functioning during seventh grade that were stable over 2 years and that were predictably related to adolescents' reports of their middle school environment. Discussion focuses on the developmental significance of schooling for multiple adjustment outcomes during adolescence.

  1. Education and micronutrient deficiencies: an ecological study exploring interactions between women's schooling and children's micronutrient status.

    PubMed

    Harding, Kassandra L; Aguayo, Victor M; Masters, William A; Webb, Patrick

    2018-04-10

    Formal education can be a nutrition-sensitive intervention that supports the scale-up and impact of nutrition-specific actions. Maternal education has long been linked to child survival, growth, and development while adult earnings and nutrition are tied to years in school as a child. However, less is known about the relationship between maternal education and the micronutrient status of children, women and the general population. Using country-level data and an ecological study design, we explored the global associations between women's educational attainment and: a) anemia and vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in children aged 6-59 months; b) anemia in non-pregnant women; and c) zinc deficiency, urinary iodine excretion (UIE), and the proportion of infants protected against iodine deficiency in the general population Cross-sectional relationships (2005-2013) were assessed using linear regression models. Percentage of women without schooling was negatively associated with all outcomes. Number of years of schooling among women was positively associated with all outcomes except for UIE and the proportion of infants protected against iodine deficiency. Income level was a significant effect modifier of the effect of years of women's schooling on child anemia as well as of the proportion of women without formal education on zinc deficiency in the population. The relationship was strongest in low-income countries for child anemia, and was not significant in upper middle-income countries. For zinc deficiency, the relationship was not significant in low or lower middle income countries, which may suggest that a minimum threshold of resources needs to be reached before education can influence zinc status. While relationships between maternal schooling and micronutrient outcomes vary around the globe, more schooling is generally linked to lower rates of deficiency. These findings draw policy-relevant connections between formal education and anemia and micronutrient status globally. It is necessary to examine the mechanisms through which this relationship may be working at both household and country level.

  2. 78 FR 36211 - Extension of Employment Authorization for Syrian F-1 Nonimmigrant Students Experiencing Severe...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-17

    ... graduate students, as well as elementary school, middle school, and high school students. The notice, however, applies differently to elementary school, middle school, and high school students (see the... school, and high school students in F-1 status?''). F-1 students covered by this notice who transfer to...

  3. Development of apprenticeship model for vocational school based on entrepreneurship

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sunyoto, Widodo, Joko; Samsudi

    2018-03-01

    The purpose of this study is to develop an apprenticeship model that focuses on the preparation of graduates of Vocational School to become entrepreneurs (entrepreneurs). The study was conducted by using Research and Development (R & D) method. The subjects were five Vocational Schools (State and Private) in Central Java. Data were collected through interview method and questionnaire. There were 26 teachers of Vocational School involved as respondent. In this research has produced an entrepreneurship-based model that is ready to be implemented at Vocational School. All respondents (100%) support the implementation of the offered model. There is only a small difference in the determination apprentice place whether at the business or industry sector. Most respondents (92.7%) agreed that apprenticeship place is in the small industry where the students can learn entrepreneurship from the entrepreneur. The rest of 7.7% of respondents prefer conduct the apprenticeship in the middle to upper industry where they would experience a modern and complete facility. It can be concluded that this model can be implemented with partners in small, medium, and large industries with a record of students can learn directly aspects of management with business owners instead of learning the technical aspects to employees only.

  4. Interdisciplinary Middle School Teams as Professional Learning Communities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jackson, George Ellis, Jr.

    2016-01-01

    Problem: Interdisciplinary teaming has been noted as a critical element of the middle school model associated with higher student achievement. Yet, research on middle school teams' use of common planning time suggests that the majority of meeting time is spent discussing student behavior/issues, discussing student learning problems/issues, and…

  5. Cyberbullying: What Middle School Students Want You to Know

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burnham, J. J.; Wright, V. H.

    2012-01-01

    Cyberbullying is a growing concern because youth are technologically savvy. Much is to be learned about this pervasive phenomenon, especially during the middle school years when cyberbullying often peaks. This focus group study examined cyberbullying attitudes, beliefs, and opinions among middle school students in Alabama and describes…

  6. Progress Monitoring in Middle School Mathematics: Options and Issues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foegen, Anne

    2008-01-01

    This study investigated the technical features of six potential progress-monitoring measures in mathematics appropriate for use at the middle school level, including two commercially available measures for sixth-grade mathematics, two measures used in previous middle school studies, and two new measures of numeracy concepts. Five hundred…

  7. The Relationship of Mentoring on Middle School Girls' Science-Related Attitudes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clark, Lynette M.

    2013-01-01

    This quantitative study examined the science-related attitudes of middle school girls who attended a science-focused mentoring program and those of middle school girls who attended a traditional mentoring program. Theories related to this study include social cognitive theory, cognitive development theory, and possible selves' theory. These…

  8. 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…

  9. A Multiyear Investigation of Combating Bullying in Middle School: Stakeholder Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shriberg, David; Burns, Mallory; Desai, Poonam; Grunewald, Stephanie; Pitt, Rachel

    2015-01-01

    Working collaboratively to address bullying among middle school students is an ongoing challenge. This study used participatory action research to collaborate with key stakeholders within a middle school to identify needs and implement more effective practices. Extensive qualitative and quantitative data are presented, along with process…

  10. 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…

  11. 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…

  12. Middle School Girls: Perceptions and Experiences with Robotics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hyun, Tricia

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the impact a robotics curriculum might have on the experiences and perceptions of middle school girls in two California classrooms. The research found that middle school girls in two different California classrooms felt that their experiences with robotics were personalized experiences…

  13. 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…

  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. Middle School Teachers' Views and Approaches to Implement Mathematical Tasks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yesildere-Imre, Sibel; Basturk-Sahin, Burcu Nur

    2016-01-01

    This research examines middle school mathematics teachers' views regarding implementation of mathematical tasks and their enactments. We compare their views on tasks and their implementation, and determine the causes of difference between the two using qualitative research methods. We interview sixteen middle school mathematics teachers based on…

  16. White Teachers' Reactions to the Racial Treatment of Middle-School Black Boys

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Battle, Stefan

    2017-01-01

    This qualitative exploratory study, informed by grounded theory, used questionnaires and unstructured interviews based on fictionalized vignettes to examine urban, public, middle-school White teachers' attitudes about middle-school Black boys, questioning whether and how such attitudes might influence classroom interactions. Twenty-four…

  17. 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…

  18. Reversing the Underachievement of Gifted Middle School Students: Lessons from Another Field

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ritchotte, Jennifer; Rubenstein, Lisa; Murry, Francie

    2015-01-01

    Underachievement often begins in middle school for gifted students. Unfortunately, there is no single intervention that will ameliorate underachievement for all gifted students. To date, interventions aimed at reversing the underachieving behaviors of gifted middle school students have been inconsistent and inconclusive. To create an effective…

  19. Work and Family Life: Middle School Content Competencies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ohio State Dept. of Education, Columbus. Div. of Career-Technical and Adult Education.

    This document, which lists the middle school content competencies for the Work and Family Studies curriculum within Family and Consumer Sciences in Ohio, is intended to help middle school students develop self-responsibility and competence dealing with the practical problems of early adolescence. (Career awareness and career choice options are…

  20. Musicals Enrich Middle School Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thomas, Douglas D.; North, Rita

    2005-01-01

    An enriching fine arts program has long been advocated as an essential element of an effective middle school program. The vocal music program at Pleasant Hill (Missouri) Middle School supports student growth and development beyond the regular classroom. It supports students' existing skills and talents and provides opportunities for them to…

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