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Young teens undergo multiple changes that seem to set them apart from other students. But do middle schools actually meet their special needs? The authors describe some of the challenges and offer ways to tackle them, such as reassessing the organization of grades K-12; specifically assisting the students most in need; finding ways to prevent disciplinary problems; and helping parents understand how they can help their children learn at home.
Dealing with theory and research before presenting examples of applying principles in practice, Weller (educational leadership, U. of Georgia) attempts to combine the quality management theory of W. Edwards Deming and his own research on middle school principles. Addressing essential skills for principals and components of quality- producing middle schools, he discusses team building and planning, interdisciplinary curriculum, intramural athletics, remedial education, community and home involvement, and scheduling. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Building on 20 years of careful research and real-world testing, the authors show administrators how to assess their schools' health. The goal is to improve middle schools by making sure the "culture" is right for all groups - students, teachers, staff. The authors call their measurement tools the Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire Revised for Middle Schools (OCDQ-RM), for tapping the openness of a school's professional interactions, and the Organizational Health Inventory for Middle Schools (OHI-M), for capturing the health of interpersonal relationships in schools. The OCDQ-RM (openness) questionnaire and the OHI-M (health) inventory are included in this book - ready to copy and administer. These measurements are user-friendly and easy to interpret; scoring directions are clearly explained. School leaders, especially superintendents and principals, can use these hands-on tools to understand what's going on in their schools and then make changes as necessary. Actual case studies show how using the questionnaires can help make every middle school a high-quality and positive learning environment.
An in-depth look at academically selective public high schools in America What is the best education for exceptionally able and high-achieving youngsters? Can the United States strengthen its future intellectual leadership, economic vitality, and scientific prowess without sacrificing equal opportunity? There are no easy answers but, as Chester Finn and Jessica Hockett show, for more than 100,000 students each year, the solution is to enroll in an academically selective public high school. Exam Schools is the first-ever close-up look at this small, sometimes controversial, yet crucial segment of American public education. This groundbreaking book discusses how these schools work--and their critical role in nurturing the country's brightest students. The 165 schools identified by Finn and Hockett are located in thirty states, plus the District of Columbia. While some are world renowned, such as Boston Latin and Bronx Science, others are known only in their own communities. The authors survey the schools on issues ranging from admissions and student diversity to teacher selection. They probe sources of political support, curriculum, instructional styles, educational effectiveness, and institutional autonomy. Some of their findings are surprising: Los Angeles, for example, has no "exam schools" while New York City has dozens. Asian-American students are overrepresented—but so are African-American pupils. Culminating with in-depth profiles of eleven exam schools and thoughtful reflection on policy implications, Finn and Hockett ultimately consider whether the country would be better off with more such schools. At a time of keen attention to the faltering education system, Exam Schools sheds positive light on a group of schools that could well provide a transformative roadmap for many of America's children.
Public schools are a vast money pit. Education officials seem to prefer inefficiency and mediocrity. We could have better schools at less cost. This book explains how. Bruce Deitrick Price is the country's most prolific and aggressive writer on education. He is good at explaining the root causes, the problems that typically occur, and the ideological obsessions that lead our Education Establishment astray. This book presents 65 articles divided into 10 themes: Reading; Math; Weird Theories and Methods; Common Core; Historical Background; Guilty as Charged; Where Are Our Leaders; and What to Do Now. You can read the articles in any order and dip in wherever you want. This is pleasant reading about grim topics. If we don't save the public schools, we're not going to save very much else.
If you lived anywhere else in the country, you would probably send your child to your neighborhood high school. In New York City, it’s much more complicated than that. But what parent has time to research hundreds of school options? To help you choose a high school that is just right for your child, Clara Hemphill and her colleagues at Insideschools visited nearly all of the city’s 400 high schools. This essential revision of the critically acclaimed parents’ guide features new school profiles; invaluable advice to help parents and students through the stressful admissions process; and new sections on alternative schools, vocational schools, and schools for students learning English. Featuring interviews with teachers, parents, and students, this guide uncovers the “inside scoop” about school atmosphere, homework, student stress, competition among students, the quality of teachers, gender issues, the condition of the building, class size, and much more. “For [this] third edition I looked for schools that spark students’ curiosity, broaden their horizons, and help them develop into thoughtful, caring adults.” —Clara Hemphill Praise for Clara Hemphill’s Parents’ Guides! New York Daily News... “Brisk, thoughtful profiles of topnotch, intriguing schools.” Big Apple Parent... “Hemphill has done for schools what Zagat’s did for restaurants.” New York Magazine... “Thoughtful, well-researched…required reading.” The New York Times... “A bible for urban parents.”
A comprehensive introduction to middle school teaching, this textbook focuses explicitly on instructional strategies that encourage adolescents to become active participants in their own learning within a world of accountability and standardized testing. The author, an experienced middle school teacher and teacher educator, takes a constructivist approach to teaching that considers the whole child, including the emotional, psychological, social, and cultural variables uniquely associated with adolescence. The text examines the full range of middle school topics, from the development and diversity of middle school learners, to the structures, curriculum, and management of the classroom itself. Special features include: "Empowering Middle School Students to Take Ownership of their Learning," "Teaching Scenario," "Key Points," and "Creating an Anti-Oppressive Atmosphere in Your Classroom" textboxes help teachers gain a clearer understanding of content presented and encourage them to become reflective practitioners. Callouts throughout explicitly link chapter content to NMSA standards. Discussion of the unique challenges of actively engaging bilingual students, special needs students, and students exhibiting antisocial behavior. Accounts about middle school students illustrate the ways adolescents think about school and learning. A chapter that focuses on ways teachers can apply the general teaching strategies to specific subject areas. Sample Lesson Plans, Focus Questions, Chapter Summaries, Journal Entries, and Student Activities/Assignments are included throughout to encourage readers to actively participate with the text.
Brown (educational leadership, U. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) and Anfara (educational leadership, U. of Tennessee, Knoxville) examine education at the middle years level from the principal's perspective, spotlighting the principal's role in school reform and improvement based on the belief that schools should be responsive to the developmental needs of their students. Centered on a study of 98 principals in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and North Carolina, seven chapters explore the strategies used by principals in their responsiveness to students, to faculty and staff, and to their schools and communities. For aspiring and practicing middle school principals, board members, teachers and parents. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR