WORKING TOGETHER
Harnessing Community Resources
to Improve Middle Schools

• Systematically review school board policies to understand how the school system views middle schools and their purpose.
  
  
  
• Track middle school staffing levels and turnover.
  
  
• Examine broad areas of policy--such as discipline, parental involvement, or academic standards--in a way that pragmatically tests possible improvements against genuine constraints.
  
  
• Foster collaborations between schools and local businesses, colleges, nonprofit organizations, or civic groups.
  
  
• Consider the long-term employment outlook for your community, and how middle schools can help prepare young people for education and jobs.
  
  
• Encourage teacher training that focuses on the special demands of middle school education.
  
  
• Tap into unconventional sources of training for school staff, such as job shadowing for teachers, customer service training for secretaries, or management advice for principals.
  
  
• Develop relationships with reporters and editors to help get accurate information about education to the general public.
  
  
• Raise awareness of the importance of middle school education through presentations at civic and business association meetings and other forums.
  
  
• Encourage cooperation between schools and social service or health agencies.