Making Middle Schools Work

Over the past 20 years, the middle school has been a major innovative movement changing the face of intermediate education. While hard to define exactly, middle schools have different priorities and purposes than junior high schools. The former serve preadolescents (ages 10 to 14) through a balanced, comprehensive program. Middle school programs need clear definition and constant reevaluation to monitor program effectiveness and prevent slippage. Success depends heavily on sound curriculum development and management. This report describes the Wiles-Bondi Curriculum Management Plan (CMP), which draws from the work of Tyler and Taba and the widely used accreditation process format. The CMP introduces regularity into the change process by superimposing a management schemata over the curriculum development framework and forcing values clarification and commitment along the way. Establishing goals, assessing needs, and determining priorities are essential steps. The model is based on several key points: involving school staff, administrators, and parents; directing change from the top; basing decisions on hard data; and driving change by evaluation and accountability. Developing an effective management team is a must. The standard curriculum development cycle of analysis, design implementation, and evaluation is bolstered by the CMP routine. Procedures are amply illustrated by 33 figures and 4 appendices that include sample survey forms, two articles on adolescents, and a list of selected teacher competencies. (MLH)