Download or read book Examining the Turning Points Comprehensive Middle School Reform Model written by Jay Feldman and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 19 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For the past decade, the federal government has supported comprehensive school reform as a way to improve under-performing schools (US Department of Education 1998). Thousands of schools across the country are now implementing scores of different whole school reform models with the hopes of improving school culture and raising student performance. Numerous studies have examined the effectiveness of CSRD schools (Sterbinsky and Ross, 2002; Sterbinsky, Ross, and Redfield, 2001; Berends, Bodilly, & Kirby, 2002a; Berends, Bodilly, & Kirby, 2002b). Their most significant finding is that schools which are able to implement the design fully are more likely to show gains in student improvement; however, levels of implementation vary greatly across schools, districts, and designs (Berends 2000; Berends et al, 2002a). The ability of designs to adapt to local contexts has met with mixed levels of success (Bodilly, 2001), as has their ability to have an impact on the "core of educational practice" (Elmore, 1996). In a recent article in Phi Delta Kappan, Mike Schmoker argues that "comprehensive school reform" must take a more flexible, less prescriptive approach that cultivates professional learning communities focused on improving instruction. Much of the research on CSRD schools has been focused on quantitative outcomes. Additional research needs to examine ways that schools and model developers adapt their designs based on local context to examine closely teaching and learning. This study uses qualitative methods to examine four Turning Points Middle Schools to understand how these schools have achieved success in adapting the Turning Points design. Appendices include: (1) Turning Points Principles and Practices; and (2) Profile of Current Regional Centers. (Contains 11 footnotes.).
Download or read book Turning Points written by Center for Collaborative Education and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 42 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Turning Points is a New American Schools design for comprehensive middle school reform coordinated by the Center for Collaborative Education (CCE) in Boston Massachusetts. It focuses on creating a professional collaborative culture and using data-based inquiry to improve teaching and learning for all students. Turning Points seeks to create high-performing schools, especially those serving high percentages of low-income students and students of color. The design is driven by one overarching goal--ensuring success for every student. Based on twelve years of research and practice in urban, rural, and suburban middle schools across the country, Turning Points helps middle schools to strengthen their academic core and to create caring and challenging learning communities that meet the needs of young adolescents. The design grew out of the seminal "Turning Points" report issued by the Carnegie Corporation in 1989, which concentrated on the considerable risks adolescents face as they reach the "turning point" between childhood and adulthood.
Download or read book Examining Comprehensive School Reform written by Daniel K. Aladjem and published by The Urban Insitute. This book was released on 2006 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Urban school reformers for decades have tried to improve educational outcomes for underserved and disadvantaged students, with the assistance of constantly evolving federal and state policies. In recent years, education policies have shifted from targeting individual students to developing universal standards for teaching and learning, and comprehensive school reform (CSR) has emerged as an effective key model. The federal CSR program seeks to support the implementation of comprehensive school reform, especially in high-poverty schools, and to improve efforts to help all children meet challenging academic standards. Schools that receive federal CSR funds must adopt approaches that comply with the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). This book provides a series of studies and reflections on CSR by leading experts in the field.
Download or read book Focus on the Wonder Years written by Jaana Juvonen and published by Rand Corporation. This book was released on 2004-03-25 with total page 181 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Young teens undergo multiple changes that seem to set them apart from other students. But do middle schools actually meet their special needs? The authors describe some of the challenges and offer ways to tackle them, such as reassessing the organization of grades K-12; specifically assisting the students most in need; finding ways to prevent disciplinary problems; and helping parents understand how they can help their children learn at home.
Download or read book After Turning Points written by Nancy Barnes Mansberger and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this study was to explore the adoption by U.S. middle schools of key practices recommended by the 1989 Turning Points report. Three questions were examined: (1) To what extent have the organizational practices identified by research to impact the development of "small learning communities" been adopted by U.S. middle schools? (2) To what extent do the instructional practices of U.S. middle school teachers reflect developmentally responsive or traditional/bureaucratic methods?, and (3) Do the instructional practices of U.S. middle school teachers differ between those who teach in schools with developmentally responsive organizational practices and those who teach in schools with more traditional/bureaucratic organizational practices? National data gathered by the National Center for Education Statistics through the 1993-94 Schools and Staffing Survey were extracted for this study. A sample of 423 fulltime sixth, seventh, and eighth grade teachers of core academic subjects was derived from the 1994-95 Teacher Followup Survey (TFS) component. Frequency distributions were run on five dimensions of organizational practices identified with the development of "small learning communities", in order to determine the extent of use of each practice in U.S. middle schools. Mean levels of the use of fourteen instructional practices identified as "active"/developmentally responsive and eleven as "passive"/traditional practices were computed to examine the predominant instructional practices of U.S. middle school teachers. One-way ANOVAs were run to compare instructional practices of teachers who teach in schools with developmentally responsive organizational practices and those who teach in schools with more traditional/bureaucratic organizational practices. Findings indicated that 4.3 percent of U.S. middle schools could be characterized as having organizational practices that support the development of "small learning communities", while the organizational practices of 45.7 percent reflected a "traditional/bureaucratic" pattern. Passive learning activities were more frequently employed than were active and/or developmentally responsive instructional strategies: Seven of the top ten most frequently used teaching methods found in the study reflected traditional, teacher-centered practices. Though the reported use of instructional practices tended to vary according to organizational practices as theorized, practically no significant differences of important were observed.
Download or read book Turning Points 2000 written by Anthony W. Jackson and published by Teachers College Press. This book was released on 2000 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This seminal volume, written by the principal author of the original report (Anthony W. Jackson) along with one of the main leaders in implementing its principles (Gayle A. Davis): Synthesizes crucial lessons learned from educators attempting to improve middle grades education across the country over the past decade.Bridges the gap between education researchers and practitioners by translating a wealth of recent research into practical guidance for front-line educators.Signals a new generation of thinking about middle grades education by emphasizing that, in addition to structural changes in classrooms and schools, educators must also make substantial, far-reaching changes in curriculum, student assessment, and instruction in order to improve student learning.Directly confronts critical questions such as how heterogeneously grouped (i.e., untracked) students can be successfully educated, why middle grades teachers must be specially licensed to teach young adolescents, and why middle grades instruction must include instruction in reading Carnegie Corporation’s landmark 1989 report, Turning Points: Preparing American Youth for the 21st Century, focused national attention on the long-neglected needs of adolescent youth. In the following decade, hundreds of middle grades schools implemented Turning Points principles and many others adopted similar and complementary measures. Based on these experiences, Turning Points 2000 refines the ideas contained in the original report by blending the wisdom of both the latest research and the best practice. “If [the authors’] deep understanding of what's needed and what works for adolescents were shared by every policy maker and educator, we would indeed see a major trans-formation in the education of our young. This book is a must-read for everyone who works with children and youth. For that matter, it's essential for everyone who cares about the health of our young people and our society....” —Linda Darling-Hammond, Stanford University “Turning Points 2000 provides a perfect blend of practical guidance and grand vision, looking with hope toward a day when the developmental needs of all children are met. The authors skillfully bridge the gap between research and practice as they share strategies for families, communities, and institutions to collaboratively prepare adolescents for life success.” —Dr. James P. Comer, Maurice Falk Professor of Child Psychiatry,Yale Child Study Center
Download or read book Benchmarks to Becoming a Turning Points School written by Jordan Naidoo and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Turning Points is a national design for middle school change, coordinated by the Center for Collaborative Education in Boston, Massachusetts, which serves as the National Turning Points Center. The design focuses on restructuring middle schools to improve learning, teaching, and assessment for all students. It is based on the seminal "Turning Points" report issued by the Carnegie Corporation in 1989, which concentrated on the considerable risks that young adolescents face as they reach the "turning point" between childhood and adulthood. A crucial part of this reform initiative calls for schools to reflect continuously upon their progress in implementing the Turning Points model. This guide presents the Turning Points benchmarks and tells how a school will use them to assess its implementation of the Turning Points model. The benchmarks are based upon the Turning Points principles and are organized around the practices.
Download or read book Connecting Theory and Practice in Middle School Literacy written by Jason DeHart and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-12-27 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bringing together the voices of researchers and teachers, this volume addresses how teachers connect theory to practice in the middle school English Language Arts education setting and explores how to teach and engage with young adults in a way that treats them as ethical and thoughtful citizens. The book bridges the gap between educational theory and real-world implementation and covers a range of timely topics in middle level education through a focus on text choice, identity, and practice. Contributors acknowledge and balance the challenges associated with the reality of teaching, including time constraints, sudden shifts, and fast-paced work, with real-world guidance on key topics, such as supporting multilingual students, queering middle grade pedagogies, teaching diverse texts, examining racial bias in the classroom, and critical digital literacy. Ideal for courses on middle level education and literacy education, this book encourages and equips pre-service teachers to engage in meaningful conversations with their students that foster reflection and transformative learning.
Download or read book Reforming Middle Level Education written by Sue C. Thompson and published by IAP. This book was released on 2004-06-01 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume of The Handbook of Research in Middle Level Education is a significant contribution to the literature on middle level schools because it is written specifically with policymakers in mind. Middle level scholars have illuminated the most important issues concerning the education of young adolescents of which policymakers must be knowledgeable. It is only by having informed policymakers that middle level schools can truly thrive and provide the kind of education that every young adolescent deserves. The future of our country depends on it.
Download or read book Turning Points in Middle Schools written by Mary Gallagher-Polite and published by Corwin. This book was released on 1996-04-24 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Turning Points in Middle Schools follows a fictional school (Dewey Middle School) in its transition from a traditional junior high to a middle school. A series of true-to-life stories depicts the fundamental differences between the two kinds of schools and how change comes about. The authors analyze and explore the stresses both staff and students will encounter during the complex transition process. They present a cohesive, realistic portrayal of the successes and the inevitable disappointments involved and offer tips on how to help everyone better handle these changes. You'll examine these key issues: developmental characteristics of early adolescents; components of a successful middles school; curricular and instructional practices in middle schools; personal and group dynamics - building relationships; and the change process itself.
Download or read book Betwixt and Between written by Nicholas D. Young and published by R&L Education. This book was released on 2014-02-07 with total page 118 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Educators, parents, and those who work with middle school students in various settings will find this book to be a valuable addition to their library. Early adolescence is a time of tremendous change with the potential for positive development in the academic, social, and emotional domains; yet, often this age group struggles to adjust to the transition of middle school and the tasks that are required to be successful there. The authors -- both of whom are seasoned educators and administrators -- cover a variety of topics germane to positive development. These include social and emotional development, current research on the adolescent brain, and the academic challenges of entering middle school. There are also chapters on contemporary issues such as bullying, social media, and inclusive leadership. Parents will find suggestions for how to support their middle school child, and educators will discover a wealth of best practices to incorporate into their interactions with early adolescents and their families.
Download or read book Turning Points written by and published by . This book was released on 200? with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides information on Turning Points, an education reform model that focuses on transforming middle schools. Includes introduction to the Turning Points model and its regional centers, publication and online resources, event calendar, success stories, and more.
Download or read book After Turning Points written by Nancy Mansberger and published by LAP Lambert Academic Publishing. This book was released on 2010-04 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book reports on a study undertaken to explore the adoption by U.S. middle schools of key practices recommended by the 1989 Turning Points report by the Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development. Three questions were examined: (1) To what extent have the organizational practices identified by research to impact the development of "small learning communities" been adopted by U.S. middle schools? (2) To what extent do the instructional practices of U.S. middle school teachers reflect developmentally responsive or traditional/bureaucratic methods?, and (3) Do the instructional practices of U.S. middle school teachers differ between those who teach in schools with developmentally responsive organizational practices and those who teach in schools with more traditional/bureaucratic organizational practices? National data gathered by the National Center for Education Statistics through the 1993-94 Schools and Staffing Survey were extracted for this study. A nationally-representative sample of 423 fulltime sixth, seventh, and eighth grade teachers of core academic subjects was derived from the 1994- 95 Teacher Followup Survey (TFS) component.
Download or read book Understanding Learning written by Center for Collaborative Education and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 35 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Turning Points helps middle schools create challenging, caring, and equitable learning communities that meet the needs of young adolescents as they reach the "turning point" between childhood and adulthood. Based on more than a decade of research and experience, this comprehensive school reform model focuses on improving student learning through teacher collaboration and data-based inquiry. Turning Points provides member schools with intensive on-site coaching and professional development. The Turning Points design recognizes that schools must provide the building blocks for adolescent development and preparation for life. Turning Points schools focus on developing students' intellectual capacities while providing opportunities for experiences that meet their emotional and interpersonal needs. This guide provides a framework for thinking about classroom assessment in the middle grades, and a set of strategies for action. Like the other Turning Points guides, it aims to distill the best thinking and research on a critical facet of the design, offer useful tools, and point the way to other resources. Appendices include: (1) Julie Craven's Women's History Oratory Project Rubric and Checklist; (2) Portfolio Reflection Examples; (3) 6+1 Trait[TM] Writing Rubric and List of Useful Websites; (4) Mission Hill School's Graduation Requirements and Portfolio Review Process; and (5) The Vertical Slice Protocol: Sampling Student Work.
Download or read book An Examination of the Effects of Comprehensive Middle School Reform on Student Achievement written by Tracy L. Middleton and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Reinventing the Middle School written by Thomas S. Dickinson and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-06-17 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many contemporary American middle schools are stuck in a state of "arrested development," failing to implement the original concept of middle schools to a varying, though equally corruptive degrees. The individual chapters of the book outline in detail how to counter this dangerous trend, offering guidance to those who seek immediate, significant, internal reforms before we lose the unique value of middle schools for our nation's adolescents.
Download or read book Crespar Findings 1994 1999 written by A. Wade Boykin and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 2014-10-13 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This double issue presents summaries of the scholarly and practical-reform accomplishments of the first five years of the Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk (CRESPAR). This bold, five-year initiative addressed several of the problems that most directly challenge the values and practical aspirations of modern democracies. The included articles emphasize how CRESPAR has focused on the schools in many of America's most challenging communities. It has both helped local schools improve themselves and advanced the nation's research base. This issue was written in commemoration of the life and work of John Henry Hollifield, Jr., founding coeditor. For 28 years, Hollifield served as an editor and administrator at Johns Hopkins University's Center for Social Organization of Schools. When JESPAR was just an idea, Hollifield was one of the people who most strongly advocated its development. He had a ready smile, a fine editorial touch, and a relentless will to produce each excellent issue. This issue, summarizing much of the research from CRESPAR's first five years, is presented by the full team of authors in his loving memory.
