FRANCE, WEST GERMANY, AND ITALY ARE SUBJECTS OF AN INTERNATIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDY TO ACQUAINT AMERICAN EDUCATORS WITH WHAT THE EUROPEAN SCHOOL AUTHORITIES CONSIDER GOOD SCHOOL PROGRAMS, AND WITH THE DIRECTIONS IN WHICH THE AUTHORITIES ARE MOVING TO ADJUST SCHOOLS TO THE NEEDS OF MODERN SOCIETY. INFORMATION FOR THE STUDY WAS OBTAINED BY THE AUTHOR THROUGH INTERVIEWS, PERSONAL CONTACTS, LITERATURE, AND SCHOOL AND STATE RECORDS. MIDDLE SCHOOL CURRICULA IS DISCUSSED IN TERMS OF (1) RECENT REFORMS, (2) THE STRUCTURE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, (3) THE NATURE OF AND PLANNING OF THE CURRICULUM, (4) CHANGES IN GENERAL CURRICULAR POLICIES, (5) INNOVATION, (6) DEVELOPMENTS IN SUBJECT PROGRAMS, AND (7) QUANTITATIVE COMPARISONS OF CURRICULUM PROGRAMS. APPENDICES CONTAIN A BIBLIOGRAPHY, DIAGRAMS OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS, AND THE CURRICULA. (HW)