When Principal Natasha Moore saw the application for Community School funding from Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) during her first year as principal at REACH Academy, she jumped on the opportunity to apply. East Oakland's REACH Academy serves a student body of just under 400, and is co-located with Cox Academy, a charter school.…

Describes how guidance (counseling) was integrated into school life and involves all school personnel at a middle school. Discusses structures such as "home base" and interdisciplinary teams, as well as the middle school counselor's role. (SR)

Discusses what board certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards entails for middle school teachers. Describes the certification areas, provides a rationale for seeking certification, describes components of the certification process, and discusses the impact of certification related to credibility and support of…

Argues how important it is that reading support continue in middle schools. Describes briefly the Young Hoosier Book Award Program for Indiana middle schools. Outlines conditions in schools that seem to affect participation in such programs. (SR)

Presents a conversation with Linda Rief, a middle school language-arts teacher, concerning writing workshops in the classroom. (RS)

Relates a middle school teacher's experiences using the project-based science approach with two groups of seventh graders. Describes the features of project-based science and the content and activities of the units taught. Discusses the challenges of implementing this approach and compares the strengths and weaknesses of project-based and…

This report describes Project HOT, which is designed to create knowledge about teaching higher order thinking skills across ability levels of African-American students enrolled in urban schools. The report states that three activities are central to the overall purpose of the program: (1) training students to think critically and creatively; (2)…

Describes the Power and Literacy for Disadvantaged Youth (PAL) project which includes more than 45 teachers from 20 different middle schools who are committed to work with at-risk students in a workshop atmosphere in their English language arts classrooms. Describes how each PAL teacher developed an implementation plan. Discusses what these…

Adolescence is a tumultuous stage in human development. As teenagers enter high school, they face the emotional changes that come with the challenges and pressures of approaching adulthood. This paper presents an overview of comprehensive counseling programs that provide support for students entering high school. The paper opens with a review of…

Maintains that the Montessori mathematics curriculum is on the cutting edge of meeting the mathematical literacy needs of elementary and middle school students. Discusses how the curriculum adheres to and uses the five standards or goals for school mathematics as stated by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (BB)

A principal intern enrolled at UNC-Charlotte describes "life in the trenches" at a small-town middle school. Schools should integrate interns into school operations, develop a program vision, gradually increase the intern's responsibilities, provide time for continuous evaluation, and rely on university supervisors when problems arise.…

Provides a personal view of a midsized urban school district's efforts to implement conflict-resolution programs throughout the district. The authors present the different approaches used and reflect on the successes or failures of each approach. Recommendations for overcoming common obstacles in program development are offered. (GLR)