Enough Already! Let's Rethink Middle School We're Tired of This Not Working
Studies are being done on middle school students daily but one of the most important studies ever conducted was called, Gaining Ground in the MIddle Grades. This study concluded that students, at the same level and with the same resources, can still differ in their educational achievements based on how their educational programs and goals were structured. The structure of these programs depends on school districts and administration re-design. Other factors that play into the success of middle school students are how well district programs adhered to the state’s academic standards and academic actions they take in order to kept students on track for learning.
One Last Stop before Planning Your Career Path?
Photo Credit: Nikki Kahn A Philadelphia middle school student carries a stack of books
As we cross into the third decade of the 21st century, there is more pressure than ever to raise student achievement and prepare them for high school and college. Teachers are working hard and going beyond simply teaching students from the curriculum. I feel like Middle School is the last chance to find problem areas where students are not succeeding before they go to high school and college. My concern is; if students were having trouble or struggling in elementary school, the problems don’t go away-they fester.
Why Do So Many Students Struggle?
Children who do not have a solid foundation in Elementary and are encouraged in Middle School have extremely low turnouts in college and do not do well in high school (EDU, 2016). These problems do not start in middle school, as most of them start in elementary or even kindergarten. But Middle School is the last chance for the educational system to rectify these issues before they solidify in high school.
Middle school differentiation MUST become normal!
An environment that supports these excessive students have to start with the teacher members that engage with the students on an everyday basis, creating individual success agendas and goals for each student. Teachers, as well as principals and superintendents, have to be involved so that they can provide resources, materials, and assist with the development of every student's goal. Structured Lessons are made specifically for gaps in learning. The materials students learn from in class directly build their educational foundation and can be extensions of teacher pull-out sessions, 1:1 learning, and online level-up modules.
When Princpals Listen Everyone Wins!
Principals and superintendents who supported teachers communicated their expectations for each grade and each subject and provided adequate resources for teachers to become more effective are more likely to have schools and districts that have a high student performance level. The percentage of students that perform at a higher level is far higher than students whose schools are not supportive of their educational well-being. We know that hiring highly effective principals and superintendents that listen to their team and students could make or break the performance of an entire district for the next 10 years. A principal must have strong leadership skills so they can provide that support for their educational staff to be successful (The middle GROUND, 2017).
References
EDU, A. (2016, February 23). The importance of getting middle school students on the road to college. America Education. https://www.america.edu/the-importance-of-getting-middle-school-students-on-the-road-to-college.
Getty/The Washington Post/Nikki KahnA [IMAGE] Lisette Partelow, C. B. (n.d.). 7 great education policy ideas for progressives in 2018. Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education-k-12/reports/2018/03/28/448156/7-great-education-policy-ideas-progressives-2018/.
The middle GROUND: Middle school PRINCIPALS Assess challenges and opportunities. NASSP. (2017, August 7). https://www.nassp.org/publication/principal-leadership/volume-17-2016-2017/principal-leadership-march-2017/the-middle-ground-middle-school-principals-assess-challenges-and-opportunities/.