WORKING TOGETHER
Harnassing Community Resources
to Improve Middle Schools

• As a starting point, ask knowledgeable educators and parents to review these questions. Their answers will help you gauge the current situation in your district's middle schools.
  
  
• Is our school system still using junior high schools, or have we reorganized into middle or intermediate schools? If reorganization has occurred, what have been the results?
  
  
• How does student achievement locally compare with achievement levels in the rest of the state? How do our schools stack up against one another?
  
  
• Are the middle schools using innovative ideas and methods? If so, what are they, how did the schools learn about them, and how broadly are they used? Are they helping to improve student achievement?
  
  
• Do our middle schools have the money they need for teachers, materials, support services (such as guidance), and other programs? How does our budget compare with school spending in the rest of the state?
  
  
• Do our middle schools offer special programs, such as leadership development, academic electives, afterschool activities, team and individual sports for girls and boys, or art and music programs? If so, how are these programs funded? Are they accessible to all or most students?
  
  
• Are our local middle school administrators effective managers? Are they leading improvements in teaching and learning? Do they stay in their positions long enough to implement their ideas and see the results?
  
  
• Do our schools have strong parent organizations? Do parents have a role in school governance?
  
  
• Are social service agencies working with our schools? Do they offer services to families through the schools?
  
  
• Is our state supporting school reform and improvement through legislation or special initiatives? If so, how has our school system responded?
  
  
• Does the community support schools in other ways, such as partnerships with companies, arts organizations, or institutions of higher education? If so, does this support touch all schools in the community?