Hello sheldonette-ga,
I’m sorry for the delay in answering your question. I had a family
emergency yesterday and I just got back to my computer.
This was a very interesting research project. I must admit that I was
skeptical about your plans to eliminate language arts when I started
this research project. To my surprise, the resources I’ve found
changed my mind. My research also leads me to believe that you may
have an uphill battle on your hands in convincing your superintendent
and school committee because of the current emphasis on standards. I
also believe that I’ve found lots of resources that should serve you
well to get approval for your pilot program.
The research I’ve conducted revealed a long history of changing
approaches toward middle school age groupings, subject and curriculum
requirements, and teaching approaches. Through the years, schools have
always had to struggle with the expectations of parents, students,
teachers, administrators and the general community. Because everyone
has their own experience of school to draw on, everyone also has
opinion about how schools should perform. Because of the strong
commitment to local control of education in the United States, school
performance frequently becomes a political football. In reaction,
various reforms are promulgated by school boards or state oversight
organizations to solve the hot-button problems of the moment.
Standards and testing are some of the current top issues.
I’ve organized the material I’ve collected into sections that should
help you prioritize your own research. I hope that you will find what
you need to succeed with your proposal. Please ask for clarification
if anything needs further explanation. For the sake of your students
and teachers, I wish you success with launching your pilot program.
czh
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MIDDLE SCHOOL CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS
======================================
This group of resources gives you some background material that
explores the historical context for the current state of middle school
education, reviews historical practices, evaluates various programs
and approaches and reports on current trends.
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-110498-162600/unrestricted/chharris.PDF
Current Scheduling, Teaming and Curriculum Practices in Virginia’s
Middle Schools
The major purpose of this descriptive study was to determine the
current scheduling, teaming, and curricular practices in Virginia’s
middle schools and to present the findings to serve as a resource for
school administrators, practitioners and policymakers. Specifically,
the study investigated the type of schedules employed; the use of
ability grouping; characteristics of flexible schedules; whether
students from different grade levels are mixed in classes for any
subjects; and whether the team can adjust the schedule of individual
students. The teaming practices investigated included whether middle
schools employed teaming and the type of teaming practices employed …
Curricula practices … were also investigated.
***** This is a 112-page dissertation proposal that addresses in
detail many of the issues involved with your question of how to
justify eliminating language arts from the curriculum. The literature
review is especially helpful. I think this would be an excellent place
to start.
http://www.nmsa.org
NATIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL ASSOCIATION
Research in Middle Level Education
***** This is an excellent Web site offering a wealth of resources.
Because the site uses frames I can’t include direct links to specific
articles. Click on Site Map to see what’s available and click down as
shown.
Site Map --> Services Resources --> Curriculum
Curriculum Matters
Organizing the Middle School Curriculum
Almost all platforms for the improvement of middle level education,
including those of National Middle School Association and the Carnegie
Council on Adolescent Development, support the idea of moving beyond
the separate subject approach to organizing the curriculum. This idea
has a long and rich history at all levels of schooling, from early
childhood to higher education, and is supported by research regarding
learning theory, curriculum organization, and neuro-psychology.
***** This is an outstanding article and a great starting point for
reviewing all the issues involved with your question of “eliminating
language arts.” It gives you a historical perspective, reviews the
various approaches for implementing interdisciplinary –
multidisciplinary – integrated subject and curriculum approach as
opposed to the traditional “separate subject” curriculum. It also has
a bibliography that might be especially useful.
http://www.sreb.org/
The Southern Regional Education Board was founded in 1948 at the
request of Southern leaders in business, education and government; it
was the nation’s first compact for education. Over the years SREB has
worked to improve every aspect of education — from early childhood
education to doctoral degrees and beyond.
***** This regional organization has an excellent Web site with a
wealth of resources. I’ll cite a few, but some others may be of
interest to you.
http://www.sreb.org/programs/hstw/publications/pubs/02V47_AchievementReview.pdf
Southern Regional Education Board
Academic Achievement in the Middle Grades: What Does Research Tell Us?
This literature review surveys contemporary scholarship on academic
achievement in the middle grades to assess the state of middle grades
education and determine what led to reform.
***** This is a 24 page report that includes an excellent summary of
the research literature. See especially pages 13-14 for research on
successful methods for “interdisciplinary teaming” and other practices
to improve middle school instruction.
http://www.sreb.org/programs/hstw/Outstanding/2002_Outstanding_Pract..pdf
Southern Regional Education Board
Opening Doors to the Future: Preparing Low-achieving Middle Grades
Students to Succeed in High School -- This publication contains 15
examples of transition programs that work in raising achievement and
keeping students in school.
**** This is a 75-page report. See page 15ff. for “Two-year
interdisciplinary program advances students’ achievement several grade
levels”
http://www.middleweb.com/
MiddleWeb provides a wealth of resources for schools, districts,
educators, parents, and public school advocates working to raise
achievement for all students in the middle grades.
http://www.mass2020.org/MiddleschoolandOSTFactSheet.doc
Middle School Students And After-School Programs FACT SHEET
In the Spring 2002 MCAS examinations, 66% of 8th graders scored in the
“needs improvement” or “warning” categories on the math portion of
MCAS and 37% of 7th graders scored in these categories on the
English/Language Arts portion of the exam.
http://www.mgforum.org/
National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform
The National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform is an alliance
of educators, researchers, national associations, and officers of
professional organizations and foundations committed to promoting the
academic performance and healthy development of young adolescents. The
Forum developed in 1997 out of a sense of urgency that middle-grades
school improvement had stalled, amid a flurry of descending test
scores, increasing reports of school violence, and heated debates
about the nature and purpose of middle-grades education. All agreed
that nothing short of collective and concerted action could result in
high-performing middle-grades schools and students.
http://www.ncte.org/standards/chap3.shtml
Standards for the English Language Arts
National Council of Teachers of English
http://www.nassp.org/publicaffairs/views/school_middle.htm
Spotlight on Schools in the Middle
Addressing the adolescent's academic, social, and developmental needs
is not an easy task. Just like the youngsters they serve, middle
schools seem to be changing a lot and some are not sure how they fit
in. They have, in fact, evolved over the last three decades. And
through this evolution, middle level schools have contributed a great
deal to school reform, such as flexible scheduling, interdisciplinary
team teaching, integrated curriculum, integrated instruction, and
individualized student academic plans. NASSP's most recent study of
middle level school leaders and school programs provides a quick
snapshot of their landscape. (The complete study is available at
(http://www.principals.org/schoolimprove/mlschimpr.cfm.)
http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/profdev052.shtml
Are Middle Schools Getting a Bum Rap?
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MASSACHUSETTS LANGUAGE ARTS RESOURCES
=====================================
Because of the current emphasis on educational standards you will have
to make sure that your pilot proposal meets the Massachusetts
standards requirements. I’ve collected some resources to show you how
others have laid out the correlation between innovative programs and
required standards.
http://www.nmsa.org
NATIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL ASSOCIATION
Site Map --> Research --> Research Articles --> Research into
Integrative Curriculum
http://www.nmsa.org/research/res_articles_integrated.htm
Research on the Effectiveness of Integrative Curriculum
Middle School Journal Research Articles
Integrative Curriculum in a Standards-Based World
It is still too early to obtain reliable data on how students in
integrative programs fare on state proficiency tests. However, recent
analyses of studies (National Association for Core Curriculum, 2000;
Vars, 1996, 1997; Arhar, 1997) point to the same general conclusion:
Almost without exception, students in any type of interdisciplinary or
integrative curriculum do as well as, and oflen better than, students
in a conventional departmentalized program. These results hold whether
the combined curriculum is taught by one teacher in a selfcontained or
block-time class or by an interdisciplinary team.
Conclusion
Integrative curriculum in the new millennium will have to deal with
societal expectations, as spelled out in standards and state tests,
while still giving primary emphasis to student needs, problems, and
concerns. Using any of the standards-based formulations of common
learnings can make societal expectations more manageable. Then
students can be invited to share in addressing those expectations as
they and their teachers plan learning experiences.
http://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/ela/0601.pdf
Massachusetts Language Arts Curriculum Framework – June 2001
***** This is a 140 page document
10 Guiding Principles
4 Strands or Content Areas
-- Language
-- Reading and Literature
-- Composition
-- Media
27 Learning Standards organized by grade level groupings (Middle
School 5-6, 7-8, 9-10)
http://bms.attleboroschools.com/index2.htm
Massachusetts English Language Arts Standards 2001 (from Curriculum
Frameworks)
10 Guiding Principles and 27 Learning Standards in 4 Strands
http://www.agsnet.com/grants/ma/grade.pdf
MASSACHUSETTS ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK PREK-12,
Correlated to Grade
http://www.mcdougallittell.com/state/ma/links.cfm
State-Specific Help – Masachusetts
https://www.sitesalive.com/standards/us/ma/malatable.htm
sitesALIVE!
Correlation to Massachusetts Frameworks English Language Arts
***** This table shows how the study of science and history can
incorporate language arts standards.
http://www.petersons.com/testprepchannel/mass.asp
MASSACHUSETTS
To receive a high school diploma:
1. Students must fulfill state and district course requirements.
2. Students must pass the MCAS.
Exit-Level Exam: Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS)
Students take the MCAS in the tenth grade and pass the English
Language Arts and Math portions of the exam in order to graduate.
Students have multiple opportunities to retake both portions of the
test.
http://www.edweek.org/context/states/stateinfo.cfm?stateabbrv=ma
Massachusetts Facts at a Glance
=======================
MISCELLANEOUS RESOURCES
=======================
http://shop.ascd.org/ProductDisplay.cfm?ProductID=198180
Teaching Middle School Students to Be Active Researchers
Based on 10 years' work with middle schools and interdisciplinary
teams, this book shows teachers and students asking real-life
questions, searching for answers, and presenting their new
understanding of "overarching concepts" from the effect of overfishing
on a region's economy, to the social and emotional effects of natural
disasters, to the health implications of water pollution.
http://www.edweek.org/search/
Search past issues of Education Week, Teacher Magazine, Issues and
States Pages, and our Special Reports, Quality Counts and Technology
Counts, below. You can also search by browsing Education Week's tables
of contents for the past four years.
***** You have to register (free) to access these materials.
www.mcdougallittell.com/state/mi/ pdf/MI_ConBencPerf_LOL02_6_8.pdf
Michigan English Language Arts Content Standards, Middle School ...
88-page report
http://www.mcdougallittell.com/state/il/pdf/IL_LOL_G06_08.pdf
Illinois Learning Standards for Language Arts Middle/Junior High ...
32 page report
http://www.nycenet.edu/dis/standards/ELA/ms/91overview.html
The middle school standards are set at a level of performance
approximately equivalent to the end of eighth grade. It is expected
that some students might achieve this level earlier and others later
than this grade. (See “Deciding what constitutes a standard-setting
performance,” page 8.)
http://mdk12.org/mspp/standards/english/introduction.html
Reading, writing, speaking, and listening comprise the processes of
English while language and literature comprise the content.
http://www.kde.state.ky.us/KDE/Instructional+Resources/Middle+School/English+Language+Arts/default.htm
English/Language Arts - Middle School
The English/Language Arts content is aligned with Kentucky's academic
expectations. Blended together are the strands of reading, writing,
speaking, listening, observing, inquiry and using technology as a
communications tool.
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SEARCH STRATEGY
===============
language arts standards middle school
"middle schools" interdisciplinary
interdisciplinary instruction
interdisciplinary organization
I used these terms to get started on my research and found that there
is an enormous amount of resources available. Additional searches
might be fruitful using the following keywords:
middle school cheduling
middle school ability groupings
grade level mixing
middle school teaming practices |
