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ALSO CHECK MiddleWeb Newswatch for middle grades stories from around the U.S.

A Brave New Middle School
Long Beach's oldest middle school is embarking on a new life. The result could be a bold demonstration of how 21st-century preteens can best learn and succeed and one that may lead the nation in middle school reform.Reconstituted from top to bottom by school district leaders, the school has a new academic program, a new school day and school year, a newly reconstituted faculty, a new campus facelift and a new name: George Washington Intensive Learning Center. The Long Beach Unified School District is banking on the changes to help youngsters reach high academic standards. (Long Beach Press Telegram, 9/5/00). AND read this 9/6 story about the first day of school at Washington Middle. Also see this story which includes information about the reconstitution - "LBUSD Raises the Stakes on Middle School Reform"]

New stories about the Washington Middle School experiment: "Teaching the Toughest Years" (Long Beach Press Telegram, 9/10/00); "Handpicked for Success" (Long Beach Press Telegram, 10/1/00); "Tight Friends Attend a Tight School" (Long Beach Press Telegram, 10/1/00)); "She Rules with Personal Touch" (Long Beach Press Telegram, 10/1/00).

Also see this story about two Long Beach middle schools that earned national Blue Ribbon awards this year. (Long Beach Press Telegram, 9/23/00)

Program Improving Middle Grades Reading Skills
Whole-language folk don't much like to hear it, but the Sacramento, CA schools are seeing significant gains in middle grades reading skills though a "Corrective Reading" program that relies heavily on phonics and phonemic instruction. (Sacramento Bee, 8/14/00).

LBUSD Raises the Stakes on Middle Grades Reform
The Long Beach (CA) Unified School District is building a tailored assessment system that will drive standards-based reform through the use of end-of-course tests, comprehensive professional development, and high expectations for principals, teachers and students. Read a story about the district's decision to complete reconstitute a low-performing middle school. And see other stories about the district's progress on school reform. (June 2000)

South Carolina Wants "Middle Schools by Design"
``I don't know why this took so long, but I'm glad it's here now.'' That's what middle school teacher Rosemary Wicker said about South Carolina's decision to take the middle grades "out of the shadows" -- beginning with a large-scale governor's conference held August 1 in Columbia. The state legislature has already mandated a 24-1 student-teacher ratio for middle school classes, plus additional school pyschologists. But Governor Jim Hodges is promising more. "South Carolina will be looked at as one of those states that is taking the right steps,'' he said.

Middle school single-gender classes
Are single-gender classes better? This article at the Education World website features the Jefferson Leadership Academies in Long Beach, CA, which began offering separate classes for 6-8 girls and boys in 1999. An interesting exploration of opinions and research on both sides of the issue, with links to additional information and resources. (April 2000)
The best little school house in Texas?
Disadvantaged students at Freeport (TX) Intermediate School are turning in stellar performances on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS). The middle school's success at closing the gap between the performance of poor and middle-class kids has garnered the attention of the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform, which recently designated Freeport Intermediate as one of four "Middle Schools to Watch" in the U.S. (Houston Chronicle, 4/9/00)
Middle school puts standards into action
Conventry Middle School in Providence, Rhode Island has embraced the state's "New Standards" education reform agenda. District superintendent John Deasy says standards are ``very real . . . very alive in the classroom. It's not just lip service. It confirms the fact that all students can achieve a high standard of performance. I see the quality of work improving because the work is more rigorous.'' (Providence Journal, 4/9/00). Also see a companion story about a visit from state policymakers.
Middle school guest readers offer link to community -- Parents, volunteers and school personnel read stories from a favorite book or magazine, or poetry at Fox Middle School in Baltimore. "You would be surprised, but many of the kids are spellbound," says the reading resource teacher. "Being read to seems to have a soothing, calming effect on them." (Baltimore Sun, 1/14/00)
South Carolina plans statewide middle grades reform -- A South Carolina task force outlines recommendations for middle grades reform for Governor Jim Hodges (The State, 12/17/99). Also see an S.C. Education Dept. press release and the complete task force report.
Looking At history as historians -- A sixth-grade teacher's curriculum has her Massachusetts students deep into primary sources. "In a more traditional classroom, the students would be relying solely on textbooks. Instead, these students are learning to judge for themselves what one can deduce about a culture from looking at the records people leave behind. In short, they are learning to become historians." (Daily Hampshire (MA) Gazette,12/14/99)
San Diego proposes comprehensive school redesign -- The district's new proposal, developed by Chancellor of Instruction Anthony Alvarado, calls for developing five-year high schools for the poorest-performing students, an extended and intensive 11-month school year for students who are held back, and new, objective criteria for teachers to use when making student promotion decisions. (San Diego Union Tribune, 12/14/99) And read an editorial about the plan.
Cincinnati journalists probe for district's minority achievement secrets -- TV reporters from Ohio visit the Corpus Christi schools, searching for reasons for the district's high success rate with minority students. (Corpus Christi Caller Times, 10/28/99)

Seven CCISD Schools Top-Rated -- Thirty campuses earned one of top two state ratings; two middle schools "recognized" for their progress. (Corpus Christi Caller Times, 8/17/99)

CCISD to Focus on Academic Standards, Staff Development -- Professional development in the Corpus Christi, TX school system will focus on latest educational research, analysis of student work, and whole-school improvement plans. (Corpus Christi Caller Times, 7/27/99)

"Group Helps Troubled Schools Find Answers" -- Education Week story profiles Selma (AL) Middle School, one of more than 100 districts and schools supported by the Foundation for Excellent Schools, which helps them reduce dropout rates, increase attendance and test scores, and forge partnerships with businesses and universities.

Community activists will offer support to struggling schools -- Community crisis teams in Portland, Oregon will work directly with 14 underachieving elementary and middle schools to help raise student achievement. (The Oregonian, 6/23/99)

Long Beach's grand experiment in school reform -- In this two-part series on school reforms in Long Beach, CA, the managing editor of Orange County Metro magazine concludes: "At a time when most large urban school districts (Los Angeles Unified immediately springs to mind) are frighteningly dysfunctional, Long Beach Unified is a cutting-edge school system far ahead of most suburban educators in thinking about and risking educational reform." (5/6 and 5/20, 1999)

'Significant Gains' Cited, Although Math Scores Remain Low -- Inclusion of special education students "masks" a five-point gain by Corpus Christi 8th graders in math. "Overall, performance was very good," superintendent says. (Corpus Christi Caller Times, 5/29/99)

Same Sex Middle School Slated for Long Beach --"Some people pay a lot of money to send their children to these kinds of schools," said Kristi Kahl, who coordinates middle school reform in the Long Beach, CA schools. The 90,000-student district plans to convert one inner-city middle school to an all-girl academy next fall, hoping for a jump in math and science achievement. (Los Angeles Times, 3/5/99) But everyone's not happy about it. Also see this story, about middle schoolers chanting "We want a choice" in response to required single-sex classes (Long Beach Press Telegram, 3/6/99).

Minneapolis Moms Spread the Word About Middle School -- A model program, Middle School Connection, thrives as 12,000 Minneapolis families listen to the voices of experienced middle school parents as they offer advice in helping children succeed in middle school. (Minneapolis Star Tribune, 2/3/99) And read this story at the Education World site.

10-Year CCISD Admininstrator Made `Great Contributions' -- Retiring "holistic educator" oversaw implementation of academic standards and middle school reforms that led one failing middle school to a national award in 1996. (The Corpus Christi Caller Times, 1/7/99)

Corpus Christi outperforms most urban Texas districts
The Corpus Christi Independent School District continues to outperform many other urban Texas districts on standardized tests but has higher dropout rates than many, according to a report released recently by the Texas Education Agency. The TEA's 1997-98 Academic Excellence Indicator System report shows that CCISD, which serves nearly 41,000 students, ranks second among Texas urban districts in math, reading and writing on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills. CCISD also ranked second among urban districts in SAT scores. (Corpus Christi Caller Times, 11/23/98)

Chattanooga middle school offers "second chance" to motivated students
East Lake Middle School principal Diana Dankowski believes middle school students who are failing some or all of their courses deserve a second chance and has created an after-school program for that purpose. It's serious business, says science teacher Beth Smedley. Back-sliders are quickly ejected. (Chattanooga Times, 11/28/98)

Chicago middle schools show steady improvement -- Recent stories in the Chicago Tribune profiled three area middle schools that raised test scores year after year. One affluent junior high saw scores jump after shifting to the middle school model and emphasizing active learning. A suburban middle school improved scores after revamping teaching methods. And a less affluent middle school saw improvement after teachers raised expectations. (10/15/98)

Minneapolis Schools Make Commitment to Community -- Government, business, church and parent groups participate in first step of an unprecedented plan to involve the entire community in the success of the city's children. (The Minneapolis Star Tribune, 10/27/98)

Johns Hopkins math program boosts scores in Philadelphia
A pilot program in a middle school on the outskirts of Philadelphia is paying off for eighth graders. Math scores on the state standardized eighth-grade Early Warning Test rose from 76 percent of students passing in 1996 to 99 percent in 1998. The Optimal Match progam, developed by Johns Hopkins, matches students interest, abilities and learning styles and can be used in any subject. The program is also being piloted in NJ, CA, and NY. (Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/15/98)

Art Teacher Uses Visual Concepts to Sell the Culture of Reading -- ``A school library should be more like a bookstore; there needs to be a marketing of books and reading,'' says this art teacher turned librarian. ``(At a bookstore) the books shout to be picked up.'' (Long Beach Press Telegram, 10/4/98)

Long Beach in National Spotlight -- Improved discipline, attributed to the district's school uniform policies, has made the Long Beach Unified School District a hot media item. Read the USA Today story. (Long Beach Press Telegram, 10/15/98)

Long Beach Seamless Education Conference -- For the past two years, elementary school, middle school, high school, community college and college instructors have gathered to hammer out ways of achieving a seamless curriculum. (Long Beach Press Telegram, 10/15/98)

Minneapolis Middle School Report Finds Lack of Direction -- A report by the Minneapolis League of Women Voters says the school system's middle schools are not effectively meeting the needs of young adolescents. Superintendent Carol Johnson said the report affirmed many of the concerns the district already has identified, and she sees middle-school reform as a top priority. Also see the key findings of the report, funded by the Clark Foundation. (Minneapolis Star Tribune, 9/23/98)

A Dream With Feet: Untracking Urban Education -- An account of the progress of O'Farrell Community School: Center for Advanced Academic Studies, a school serving the middle grades in San Diego, California.

Detailed description of Long Beach promotion policies -- This article by administrators in the Long Beach, CA school district describes LBUSD's approach to ending social promotion and includes several sidebars on the topic. Published in the July/August 1998 issue of School Administrator magazine.

Raising the bar: Schools gear up to improve literacy
Newspaper finds proof that San Diego Superintendent Alan Bersin and Anthony Alvarado, the New Yorker he hired to head the district's Institute of Learning, are serious about raising the literacy bar. (San Diego Union-Tribune, 9/6/98)

Corpus Christi takes steps to sustain gains in student achievement -- Superintendent says the school district will continue to focus on refining its academic standards, which school officials say will improve performance on the TAAS. This summer, teachers developed districtwide grading guidelines to bring consistency among campuses. The district also has a plan to tighten up discipline policies in an effort to create safer, more comfortable schools. (8/16/98)

A second chance before heading to high school-- Education Week features a story about Long Beach, CA's 8th-grade "prep academy" - an experimental school where failing 8th graders spend an extra year getting ready for high school. The story describes a rough first year and the adjustments the district has made to made the school more effective in 1998-99. (8/5/98)

Corpus Christi schools earn top rating on state assessment -- The number of schools that earned the state's top rating in Corpus Christi more than quadrupled this year and included one middle school. Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra credits high academic standards for the district's success. (Corpus Christi Caller Times, 8/4/98)

Chattanooga educators pleased with results on new state assessment -- About 70 percent of Hamilton County, TN's students scored above the national norm on "Terra Nova," Tennessee's newly adopted state assessment tests. A district leader says the new test format fits well with the school system's standards initiative that comes with a handbook designed to heighten how students "gather, organize, analyze, generate, synthesize and evaluate information.'

Middle school science teacher wins Presidential Medal -- Greenville, SC teacher Theresa Garvin teaches her students that science is "something that is on-going, involves looking for patterns, and making sense of the data that are collected." (GLOBE website)

An excellent series on "The Kids in the Middle" -- Seattle Times reporter reporter Jolayne Houtz spent a year visiting one Seattle middle school. In a three-part series, she explores the many issues of middle-level education, doing it through the daily lives and experiences of the students, teachers and principal at the school. The installments include "The Close of Childhood," "Middle School: Critical for Kids, Tough for Teachers," and "Principal Is Keeper of the Middle School Vision." (6/14/98)

The middle school model needs to change, say reform experts -- In a front-page story,
"Education's Middle Child," the Christian Science Monitor reports that some pioneers of the middle school model are revamping their approach to the education of adolescents. "Public-school officials in Cincinnati, which launched the first middle schools, are in the process of scrapping them," CSM reports. " 'We found that we just couldn't implement the middle-school model as it was designed,' says Jack Lewis, director of research and evaluation for Cincinnati public schools." (6/23/98)

Corpus Christi educators say standards account for big test gains -- Corpus Christi, Texas school administrators attribute their 8th-graders' 82 percent pass rate on the Texas math assessment tests to the district's decision to implement a standards-based curriculum in 1995. The eighth-grade scores rose by 13 percentage points in one year. (Caller-Times, 6/3/98)

"Snatching Victory from the Jaws of Social Promotion" -- Newspaper columnist impressed with the stories she hears at the Long Beach 8th Grade Preparatory Academy. (Los Angeles Times, 6/4/98)

Council of the Great City Schools Finds Signs of Progress in Urban Education -- Press release describes indicators of progress in urban districts across U.S. How to order.

8th Grade "Prep Academy" Long Beach's answer to social promotion -- The Long Beach, CA school system has established a special one-year school for students who have two or more F's in eighth grade. Students with satisfactory grades go on to ninth grade after a year. Others will be sent to storefront or "continuation" schools. (1/19/98)

Grading equity challenged in Corpus Christi -- With the idea that an A at one school should be an A at another, the Corpus Christi Independent School District three years ago introduced new academic standards and grading policies aimed at creating consistency. But some parents and school officials say such equity hasn't been achieved and are worried that inconsistencies in grading are causing drastic differences in failure rates ondifferent campuses. (Corpus Christi Times Caller, 2/12/98)

 Students making math connections in Corpus Christi -- Through a new program called ``Connected Mathematics,'' Martin Middle School students are learning how math counts in their daily lives. In the process, say teachers at the Corpus Christi, Texas school, students are gaining a better understanding of a subject that traditionally has stumped many.

Long Beach Points to Uniforms For Plunging Crime Rate -- School crime has plummeted 76 percent sent the elementary and middle schools in Long Beach, CA adopted a districtwide uniform policy. Education Week, 1/21/98.

Long Beach ESL Students Building Web Sites -- 8th graders at Franklin Middle School in Long Beach, CA who are still struggling with English are creating websites for businesses and schools and finding new reasons to stay in school. Visit their website!


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