Teacher shortages, like the one schools face today, are not new. Periodically over the last 50 years there were fewer teachers available than were needed, and the response was primarily to step up recruitment efforts and issue temporary teaching credentials to those without qualifications. Three things are new however: (1) The requirement that…

Poway City USD has designed a middle school program to facilitate transition from the elementary grades. Several classroom organizations are available to entering sixth-graders: self-contained, multiage, and team teaching. Most are in the self-contained Basic Education program, moving into departmentalized teaching in grades 7 and 8. (SJL)

To improve the existing junior high school's academic and activities programs as well as the school environment, a school superintendent and a middle school consultant teamed with others to effect the transition of a 7-9 grade junior high school plan to a 6-8 grade middle school plan in Augusta, Kansas. The overall plan was basically simple and…