A Call to Action
Thoroughly preparing all American students to succeed in a demanding and evolving global economy makes the transformation of middle level education an imperative. Thriving in the 21st century requires more than a basic understanding of reading, writing, and mathematics. It requires the ability to apply sophisticated skills in a variety of settings, solve complex problems individually and collectively, and learn throughout a lifetime. While effective middle level schools provide this strong foundation for young adolescents,3 most schools serving 10- to 15-year-olds have not implemented the full range of structures and supports that more than 30 years of research and practice have shown to work with this age group.
Unless we take action now to change these patterns, millions of young adolescents will be unable to compete in the world they will encounter in high school and beyond. For example, while middle level students steadily improved their mathematics performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in the past decade, only 29% of U.S. eighth graders demonstrated competence with challenging subject matter, and one-fifth of those students scored below the basic level.4 In addition, while U.S. eighth graders improved their math and science scores on international assessments from 1995 to 2003, they still compared poorly to students from other nations.5 One-fourth of eighth graders lack fundamental reading skills, according to NAEP.6 Eighty percent of U.S. eighth graders say they plan to obtain a bachelor's degree or higher, but many do not have access to rigorous classes that provide the stepping stones to higher education. Even when poorly prepared students gain admission to college, they typically need so much remediation that they fail to progress.7
The national movement to "leave no child behind" has largely bypassed students in the middle. Squeezed between the competing interests of elementary and secondary education, middle level students continue to fight for attention, respect, and financial equity. Under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), 57% of the students tested annually are in grades five through eight.Yet only about 15% of all Title I funds, the program that drives NCLB, are allocated to both middle and high schools.8 Promising federal programs, such as GEAR UP and TRIO, which help disadvantaged middle level students prepare for college, reach only 10% to 20% of those who are eligible for assistance.9
Successfully preparing the next generation of Americans means significantly improving support for middle level schools.The middle grades represent the most critical period in education because so many decisions made during this stage determine whether children will reach their full potential. By the eighth grade, for instance, many students have decided whether they will drop out or graduate from high school, whether they will take algebra and other "gatekeeper" courses that predict success in college, and whether they will engage in risky behaviors such as drug use and unprotected sex.10
"Adolescence is the last phase of the life span in which social institutions have reasonably ready access to the entire population, so the potential for constructive influence and for improving adolescents' life chances is great," noted the Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development.11
3 Anfara, Jr.,V. A., Andrews, P. G., Hough, D. L., Mertens, S. B., Mizelle, N. B., & White, G. P. (2003). Research and resources in support of This We Believe. Westerville, OH: National Middle School Association.
4 Loomis, S. C., & Bourque, M. L. (Eds.) (2001). National Assessment of Educational Progress achievement levels, 1992-1998 for science.Washington, DC: National Assessment Governing Board. Retrieved February 9, 2006, from http://www.nagb.org/pubs/sciencebook.pdf
5 National Academy of Sciences. (2005). Rising above the gathering storm: Energizing and employing America for a brighter economic future. Washington, DC:
Author. Pre-publication version retrieved December 1, 2005, from http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11463.html
6 Alliance for Excellent Education. (2003, November). Left behind: Six million at-risk secondary students. Issue Brief. Washington, DC: Author.
7 Wimberly, G., & Noeth, R. J. (2005). College readiness begins in middle school. Princeton, NJ: ACT.
8 Sullivan, K. J. (2001, September). Investing in excellence: Making Title I work for all children. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education. Retrieved
February 24, 2006, from http://www.all4ed.org/publications/TitleIReport/Secondary.html#a
9 Joftus, S. (2002). Every child a graduate: A framework for an excellent education for all middle and high school students. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education.
10 Jackson, A.W., & Davis, G. A. (2000). Turning points 2000: Educating adolescents in the 21st century. New York & Westerville, OH: Teachers College Press & National Middle School Association.
11 Carnegie Corporation of New York. (1995). Great transitions: Preparing adolescents for a new century. New York: Author, p. 11.
Copyright © 2006 by National Middle School Association