Middle Level School Reform: The Rhetoric and the Reality

Clark, Sally N.; Clark, Donald C.

doi:10.1086/461734

Cited by 25 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 13 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Twenty-six percent of these teachers, interestingly, do not feel that they successfully teach all of the students in their classrooms. Responses to the MSCIS did not reveal the reasons of this discrepancy, but the researchers speculate that this lack of efficacy on the part of the teachers may stem from their lack of specific training for teaching at the middle level, a situation that can improve with strong, informed leadership (Lipsitz, 1984), additional targeted professional development, and rigorous initial teacher preparation (Clark & Clark, 1993).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testing vs. Teaching: The Perceived Impact of Assessment Demands on Middle Grades Instructional Practices

Faulkner

Cook

2006

RMLE Online

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

As a result of the pressures of educational reform and high-stakes assessment, some schools run the risk of foregoing active, student-centered learning activities for building test-taking skills and the memorization of discrete facts (Gredler, 1999;Jackson & Davis, 2000). Coupled with the additional pressure to fulfill the expectations of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), educators may feel the need to abandon the tenets of the middle school philosophy for more teacher-centered instructional approaches. Since the enactment of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) in 1990, schools and teachers have been accountable for the achievement of students and implementation of the state's assessment standards. Using the responses of 216 educators from 17 middle schools in Northern Kentucky, this descriptive study explores middle grade teachers' perceptions of how high-stakes testing and state accountability standards influence instructional strategies utilized in the classroom. Results indicate that though teachers acknowledge the importance of including active and student-centered strategies on a consistent basis, the state tests seem to drive the curriculum and warrant more teacher-focused instructional methods-lecture, worksheets, and whole-class discussion. In addition, recommendations are offered to improve instructional practice, enhance middle grades teacher preparation programs, and guide future research. ________________________________

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testing vs. Teaching: The Perceived Impact of Assessment Demands on Middle Grades Instructional Practices

Faulkner

Cook

2006

RMLE Online

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This began with the introduction of the first junior high schools in the early 1900s, which were developed as a means of improving educational quality and rigor that were lacking in existing elementary (K-8) schools (Clark and Clark 1993). The 1960s ushered in a backlash against the junior high structure, with educators and reformers critiquing junior high schools as impersonal institutions that simply mimicked the educational patterns observed in high schools.…”

Section: Limitations Of Existing Research and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Transition to High School: Current Knowledge, Future Directions

2011

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In the American educational system, school transitions are frequent and predictable, but they can disrupt student functioning across developmental domains. How students experience school transitions has been a focus of research for some time, but the high school transition has received less attention, and the limited research often focuses on a particular developmental domain (e.g., academics and socioemotional well-being) to the exclusion of a more integrated model. This review relies on life course theory to establish an organizational framework for interpreting and connecting the diffuse and sometimes disparate findings on the high school transition, including adolescent developmental trajectories and the influence of social ties, changing sociocultural contexts, and stratification systems. Conclusions identify aspects for future inquiry suggested by current knowledge and the tenets of the life course perspective.

show abstract

“…Rappahannock, Warren, Falls City Public Schools, and Manassas City were also eliminated from the study because these districts did not follow the middle school organization, grades 5 to 8 or 6 to 8, configurations defined by Clark and Clark (1993). Madison and Orange County used a 4 × 4 block schedule and were eliminated.…”

Section: The Study Groupmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Two Fairfax schools, Glasgow and Holmes, were used for the study; the remaining schools in Fairfax were omitted because of the grade organization, seven through eight. Rappahannock, Warren, Falls City Public Schools, and Manassas City were also eliminated from the study because these districts did not follow the middle school organization, grades 5 to 8 or 6 to 8, configurations defined by Clark and Clark (1993). Madison and Orange County used a 4 × 4 block schedule and were eliminated.…”

Section: The Study Groupmentioning

confidence: 99%

Middle School A/B Block and Traditional Scheduling

Gill

2011

NASSP Bulletin

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether a difference existed in the percentage performance of students earning a pass/advanced score on the Standards of Learning (SOL) Test in math and reading in Virginia's Region IV for schools using an A/B block schedule and those using a traditional schedule. The research also examined if the percentage performance by race-Black, Hispanic, and White-differed on the math and reading SOL Test for Region IV in Virginia. Forty-three schools were included in the study-23 block and 20 traditional schools. The percentage performance in math and reading of each school and the percentage performance by race for each school were studied. Analyses of variance and t tests were used to examine differences. The t-test results do not show significant differences in the percentage performance of students earning pass/advanced scores in reading and math in block and traditional schools. Significant differences were shown in the percentage of Black and Hispanic students earning pass/advanced scores on the math and reading SOL Test for Region IV in Virginia. A larger percentage of Black and Hispanic students earned pass/advanced scores in the A/B block-scheduled schools than in the traditional schools.

show abstract

Middle Level School Reform: The Rhetoric and the Reality

Cited by 25 publications

References 13 publications

Testing vs. Teaching: The Perceived Impact of Assessment Demands on Middle Grades Instructional Practices

Testing vs. Teaching: The Perceived Impact of Assessment Demands on Middle Grades Instructional Practices

The Transition to High School: Current Knowledge, Future Directions

Middle School A/B Block and Traditional Scheduling

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About