Factors influencing the social and educational environment of junior high schools are discussed, and recommendations for the improvement of the school environment through increased cooperation among students, teachers, and administrators are given. The needs of early adolescents are identified, and the degree to which the junior high school can meet those needs is examined. The influence of the principal on the overall school emotional climate is stressed. The inclusion of a wide range of extracurricular activities in the junior high school program is presented as crucial to the individual development of the students, the successful interaction between school and community, and the general expansion of the schools's scope as a learning environment. (LH)