Middle Level Education in Maine - Resources

Research that Supports Bright Futures

Middle School Is Not A Building: Educating Vermont's Young Adolescents for the 21st Century

This document is designed to inform and guide all stakeholders dedicated to make education relevant and successful for all of Vermont’s 10-14 year olds. Based on Vermont and national data, Vermont’s Middle Grades Task Force created ten research-based goals to support the educational needs of young adolescents. Clearly aligned with the concepts embodied in the department's Transformation of Education efforts and inspired by “High Schools on the Move”, this document provides a roadmap that can be immediately helpful to educators at all levels.

Click here to view the Vermont report.

Just for the Kids - New York

This study consisted of 16 New York schools: 10 consistently higher-performing schools compared with six schools serving similar populations but achieving only average results. Poverty levels in at least half of the higher-performing schools met or exceeded the state’s average. Per pupil expenditures were close to the state average, and the schools represented a variety of sizes, communities, geographic regions and student populations. In this way, the study was able to look at schools that achieve, based on more than just resources and demographics.

Click here to view the New York report.

Balfanz Report

Research and field work illuminate key policy and practice implications of the role the middle grades play in achieving our national goal of graduating all students from high school prepared for college, career, and civic life.

Click here to view the full report. (PDF)

Click here for the Executive Summary. (PDF)

This We Believe: Successful Schools for Young Adolescents (NMSA) http://www.nmsa.org/AboutNMSA/ThisWeBelieve/tabid/1273/Default.aspx

Turning Points 2000 (Carnegie Corporation) http://www.carnegie.org/sub/research/index.html

Breaking Ranks in the Middle (NASSP) http://www.principals.org/s_nassp/sec.asp?CID=934&DID=53491

The Forgotten Middle (ACT) Click here to view. (PDF)

Middle Level Philosophy & Current Trends

National Middle School Association: http://www.nmsa.org/

Articles: http://www.educationworld.com/searchnew/adv_results.jsp & http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/MiddleSchoolJournal/tabid/435/Default.aspx
Research summaries: http://www.nmsa.org/Research/ResearchSummaries/tabid/115/Default.aspx
The Family Connection: http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/TheFamilyConnection/tabid/208/Default.aspx
Resources by topic: http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/OnTarget/tabid/294/Default.aspx & http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/WebExclusive/tabid/631/Default.aspx
Webinars: http://www.nmsa.org/ProfessionalDevelopment/Webinars/tabid/1011/Default.aspx
Podcasts: http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/TodaysMiddleLevelEducator/tabid/1409/Default.aspx

Maine Association for Middle Level Education: http://www.mamleonline.org/
New England League of Middle Schools: http://www.nelms.org/
The National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform: http://www.mgforum.org/
An array of links on various topics: http://www.webmediasolutions.com/lane/?sid=99
NASSP—Middle Level Leadership: http://www.principals.org/s_nassp/sec_inside.asp?CID=59&DID=59
NAESP - Middle Matters (E-Newletter): http://www.naesp.org/Enewsletters.aspx
NMSA Position papers: http://www.nmsa.org/AboutNMSA/PositionStatements/tabid/84/Default.aspx
Report on Adolescent Literacy published by Institution of Education Science, US Department of Education: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/projects/project.asp?id=121
Edutopia: http://www.edutopia.org/
Middle Web - Exploring Middle School Reform: http://www.middleweb.com/
Maine International Center for Digital Learning: http://www.micdl.org/
California Department of Education - Taking Center State-Act II (TCSII) - a portal for Middle Grade Educators: http://pubs.cde.ca.gov/tcsii/index.aspx

Teaming

Basics of Teaming: http://www.seanet.com/~daveg/teams.htm
NMSA Research Summary on interdisciplinary teaming: http://www.nmsa.org/Research/ResearchSummaries/Summary21/tabid/250/Default.aspx
Young Adolescent Voices: Students' Perceptions of Interdisciplinary Teaming: http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/RMLEOnline/Articles/Vol28No1Article5/tabid/446/Default.aspx
Team Teaching: Teaming Teachers Offer Tips: http://www.education-world.com/a_admin/admin/admin290.shtml
What Makes Effective Teaching Teams Tick?: http://www.education-world.com/a_admin/admin/admin408_a.shtml
The 7 Traits of Highly Effective Teams: http://ww-success.com/blog/index.php/2007/01/17/the-seven-traits-of-highly-effective-teams/
Characteristics of Effective Teams: http://www.stanford.edu/class/e140/e140a/effective.html
Twelve Tips for Team Building: How to Build Successful Work Teams: http://humanresources.about.com/od/involvementteams/a/twelve_tip_team.htm

Heterogeneous Grouping

Meeting the Needs of High-Ability and High-Potential Learners in the Middle Grades (Joint NMSA and National Association of Gifted Children Position Paper): http://www.nmsa.org/AboutNMSA/PositionStatements/tabid/84/Default.aspx
ERIC Digest: http://www.ericdigests.org/1999-1/grouping.html
Essential Schools' 'Universal Goals': How Can Heterogeneous Grouping Help?: http://www.essentialschools.org/cs/resources/view/ces_res/9
EVERYBODY HAS TO GET IT: Extra Help and Support to "Meet Standards" and Prevent Grade Retention: http://www.middleweb.com/WhlckReten.html
Strategies: http://www.smallschoolsproject.org/index.asp?siteloc=tool&section=lpract
Articles from Education World: http://www.educationworld.com/searchnew/adv_results.jsp

Scheduling

Block scheduling: http://www.middleweb.com/INCASEblkschd.html
Articles from Education World: http://www.educationworld.com/searchnew/adv_results.jsp
Four-Block Middle School Schedule with Intervention/Enrichment Period and Alternating Grade Level and Department Common Planning Time: http://www.schoolschedulingassociates.com/notes/?p=10
Research on common planning time: www.rmle.pdx.edu/Key%20CPT%20Research%20Findings.pdf

Curriculum

Integrated curriculum

Organizing the Middle School Curriculum: http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/WebExclusive/Organizing/tabid/651/Default.aspx
Framework for 21st Century Learning: http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=254&Itemid=120
National Education Technology Stadards: http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=NETS
enGuage 21st Century Skills: http://www.metiri.com/features.html

RTI

"RTI in Middle and High School: How Will It Play Out?": www.kucrl.org/cec2007/RTI_and_Secondary_CEC07.ppt
RTI in Secondary Schools—a Review of the Literature: http://cecblog.typepad.com/rti/2009/01/rti-in-secondary-schools-a-review-of-the-literature.html#more
Considerations on RTI in the Secondary Setting: http://cecblog.typepad.com/rti/2009/01/considerations-on-rti-in-the-secondary-setting.html
Best Guesses and Remaining Challenges: http://cecblog.typepad.com/rti/2009/01/best-guesses-and-remaining-challenges.html
National Center on Response to Intervention: http://www.rti4success.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
One district’s pyramid of interventions: http://www.mlsd.k12.oh.us/tech/docs/poi/

The Maine Learning Technology Initiative

For a complete listing of Professional Development Opportunities through the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI), please visit www.maine.gov/mlti/events.

Updated 11/17/10 - pb

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Middle Level Education in Maine - Resources