Middle School

Middle school educators have been engaged in a national debate for more than 20 years regarding how young adolescents are best educated. Over the past few years, there appears to be renewed support for the kindergarten through eighth grade model. This support stems from the transitional nature of early adolescence and the belief that students would benefit from remaining in a familiar educational environment in which they stay predominantly with one teacher rather than moving into a new school with multiple instructors. Ironically, this is the very same argument traditionally made by proponents of middle schools, who have sought to create smaller learning communities in which every student is known, in opposition to traditional junior high schools, which they perceive to be too rigid and impersonal. Certainly, the task of educating children in the United States (U.S.) particularly early adolescents, has become increasingly challenging as the composition of its student population