Thompson, Sue (Ed.). (2004). Reforming Middle Level Education: Considerations for Policymakers. Reviewed by Shirley Gholston Key, University of Memphis

Thompson, Sue (Ed.). (2004). Reforming Middle Level Education: Considerations for Policymakers. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing. Pp. xvii + 256 $34.95 ISBN 1-59311-118-5 Reviewed by Shirley Gholston Key University of Memphis March 26, 2005 This is an excellent book for all middle level educators and not just for the policymakers. I was very pleased with the content of the book, the way it was written, and the recommendations, which were made by the various authors. The content was very important and organized well. Having been a middle school teacher, I found myself saying, “Amen, Amen” throughout the text. The text was very relevant to me as a professor of middle level preservice students. I enjoyed most chapters and found them to be so interesting that I had to remind myself to look for "recommendations for policymakers." Not that the recommendations were not there but the information was very important to me personally as a professor and past middle school educator. The book has a foreword by Sue Swaim, and an introduction by John H. Lounsbury. The introduction is followed by twelve chapters, which are written by different authors: VincentA. Anfara, Jr., Sue C. Thompson, Ronald D. Williamson, J. Howard Johnston, James A. Beane, Nancy M. Doda, Dan French, C. Kenneth McEwin, Thomas S. Dickinson, Tracy W. Smith, Nancy Ames, David A. Payton, Jeannette Stern, Sandra L. Stacki, Stephanie Hirsh, and Deborah Kasak. In the foreword, Sue Swain gives the premise of the book as she quotes Lounsbury: No other age level is of more importance to the future of individuals, and literally, to that of society; because these are the years when youngsters crystallize their beliefs about themselves, and firm up their self-concepts, their philosophies of life and their values-the things that are the ultimate determinants of their behaviors (p. ix). She continues by defining the middle school population for policymakers by using the National Middle School Association (NMSA) criteria. The middle school student is referred to as a young adolescent who deserves equal access to educational opportunities that engage him/her in meaningful, relevant, and challenging curriculum. This is done in a nurturing environment, which supports the relationships of the student. This is the focus of the text as the middle level student is presented to policymakers through various lenses. Introduction: Policymakers, Please Think on these “Things” Lounsbury makes a case for policymakers and politicians to look at the middle school adolescent in the process of legislating education mandates and various accountability efforts. He delivers seven points and one challenge for policymakers and politicians to think about in this process. Those seven points include: Real school reform as a long-term proposition if it is to be meaningful, lasting, and effective; reform should begin at the classroom level; the student should be considered in the accountability process when standardized tests are required by the state; he believes that teachers should be more of an integral part of the accountability equation for the underachievement of students is more the result of attitude and self-perceptions than native ability; a teacher’s ability to address this and promote growth in diverse learners is not measurable with a standardized test; individual differences do not allow for uniform achievement by school organizations or schemes; schools should be brought into harmony with what educators know about learning, human development, and intrinsic motivation rather than just imposing more requirements and regulations; schools should be about the business of improving youths’ behaviors, guiding and developing responsible citizens for education is a holistic process and involves the heart as well as the head. The final challenge posed was for those educators who promote improvement in education to be very cognizant of realities of educational reforms, research, and the big picture. Chapter One: Creating High-Performance Middle Schools In this chapter, Vincent A. Anfara make recommendations from the research on high achieving middle schools and how to implement the recommendations. How does Anafara propose that one create high performing middle schools? He used the recommendations of professional organizations (ASCD, Association for Curriculum Development; NMSA, National Middle School Association; NASSP, National Association of Secondary School Principals; and the Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development) and high performing middle schools. In 2003, NMSA revised This We Believe for the third time. This original middle school position paper now included eight characteristics and six program components for practitioners interested in creating successful schools for young adolescents. The characteristics are: educators who value working with this age group; courageous, collaborative leadership; shared vision to guide decisions; high expectations for all members of the learning community; students and teachers engaged in active learning; an adult advocate for every student; and school-initiated family/community partnerships. The six program components are relevant, integrative, and exploratory curriculum; multiple learning and teaching approaches; quality learning assessments and evaluations; organizational structure which supports meaningful learning and relationships; school-wide promotion of health, wellness, safety; and multifaceted guidance and support services. Anfara examined middle schools and studies by aligning these characteristics and program components against them. According to the studies (Brown, Roney, & Anafara, 2003; Hoy & Hannum, 1997) there were five common areas found in successful middle schools: a quest for academic excellence, teacher affiliation with the school, principal’s behavior seen as a collegial leadership, classroom supplies and resource support, and institutional integrity through coping with its environment. Anafara concludes the chapter by revisiting the Association for Effective Schools (1996), seven correlates to high performing schools: 1. A clear school mission, 2. High expectations for success; 3. Instructional leadership: 4. Frequent monitoring of students’ progress; 5. Opportunity for students to learn and time on task; 6. A safe and orderly environment, and 7. Home-school relationships (p.2) which have been forgotten but have many of the same features as the five common areas in successful middle schools. As a middle school teacher during the strong implementation of the effective school movement, the correlates did much to increase achievement in my classrooms and all classrooms when it was implemented and supported school wide and district-wide. I must agree with Anafara’s five common areas found in successful middle schools and their derivation from the effective school movement. This chapter challenges districts and school personnel to adopt the middle level philosophy and then implement it school-wide to see high achievement. Chapter two: The Importance of Having a Highly Qualified Principal in Every Middle Grades School School administrators have standards set by the Council of Chief State School Officers but Thompson says that is not enough for middle school principals. She states that “High performing middle grades principals must understand the research and literature on middle grades education.”(p.20). She then gives several additional characteristics that principals must possess including having interpersonal skills that build relationships; being a consensus builder and motivator; being results-driven and data informed; being an integrator of school and community service; and being a policy developer and participant. She concludes that it is the core values and beliefs of middle school principals that will determine whether there are supporting conditions evident in middle grade schools that will improve student learning for all students. The implication for policymakers is to direct districts to encourage placing principals who have an understanding and believe in the middle school philosophy and middle level adolescents, as leaders of middle schools. Chapter three: Creating Academically Challenging Level Schools for Every Child Williamson and Johnston begin this chapter by giving the history of accountability and they contend that educational accountability lies in the center of the middle school debate. Leading middle school advocates came together to form the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform. This forum developed a set of descriptors of high performing middle schools and launched a project to identify the schools which met those criteria. Concurrent with the identification of those criteria, studies were found of schools with a strong correlation of academic success with those criteria. The research found that where school personnel implemented a high fidelity middle school program there was a positive impact on student achievement and school climate (Balfanz & Mac Iver, 2000; Felner et al., 1997; Lee& Smith, 1993; Mertens & Flowers, 2003; Mertens, Flowers & Mulhall, 1998; Russell, 1997; Steffles & Valentine, 1996). Positive benefits for students attending high poverty schools were also identified. From the accountability debate and the identification of high performing middle schools. Williamson and Johnston identified several factors for policy implications. Those factors include the uniqueness of the middle grades’ student, being clear about the targets and allowing the means to vary, focusing accountability on individual students, providing professional development to support high-performance, and requiring self-accountability. They concluded by saying, “High performing middle schools, schools that provide a challenging academic experience for every student are possible. What seem to be lacking is the will to take the steps necessary to assure that every child, in every middle school, is supported by a culture that believes they can learn at very high levels and that they will thrive in an academically challenging setting. Too often policy inhibits the responsiveness and creativity that can lead to such results.” (p.45) Chapter four: Creating Quality in the Middle School Curriculum Quality in the middle school curriculum is dependent on the recognition of middle school students as young adolescents. Beane took the position that the NMSA had called for middle schools, which were academically challenging, developmentally responsive, and socially equitable, that a curriculum should then be academically challenging, developmentally responsive, and socially equitable. This can be done by making sure that the curriculum provides a general education, framed for young adolescents, supports democracy and dignity, and allows for authentic problems and projects. Implications for policy makers are that the standards movement can hinder the curricula described and the accountability movement in that both require a standardized assessment. This may conflict with the charge of middle schools being developmentally responsive, socially equitable, and use of authentic assessments. Chapter five: Creating Socially Equitable Middle Grades Schools This chapter by Nancy Doda was my favorite chapter for I believe social equity is the major factor and obstacle in the achievement of the young adolescents. She says, “A truly just middle school is an ideal bent on ultimately creating citizens who will perpetuate and extend social equity in their lives ‘and in the world’. It constitutes more than a hope for decent schools; it constitutes a hope for a better, more just world.” (p.65). Based on the National Forum’s vision, criteria for social equitable schools were generated and include: High performing middle schools are socially equitable and provide every student with high quality teachers, resources, and learning opportunities for all students. High expectation for all students from the faculty and administration. Students may use many and varied approaches to achieve and demonstrate competence and mastery of standards. The school continually adapts curriculum and instruction to meet the diverse needs of all students All students have equal access to valued knowledge in all school classes and activities. Students have ongoing opportunities to learn about and appreciate their own and others’ cultures. Each child’s voice is heard, acknowledged, and respected. The school welcomes the participation of all families. The school’s reward system demonstrates and values diversity, civility, service, and democratic citizenship. The faculty is culturally and linguistically diverse. Social equity is a part of the middle school promise and should be for the nature of the young adolescences addresses and confronts justice and civil rights in their classes and communities. Doda dealt with issues of inequitable middle grades schools and disengagement of students. Issues in inequitable middle schools included tracking and not addressing the health needs of students. “Nearly 89% of America’s middle grades schools still employ some form of tracking and /or ability grouping as a means of managing student diversity” (p.69). Students are disengaged because the curriculum is not relevant and engaging according to Doda. “Only one in four middle school students report being excited about something they are learning in school. Ninety-five percent of the time, students participate in passive learning environments where students’ voices is absent and where the transmission of information teaching dominates.” (p.72) Equitable middle schools must be structured to address the inclusion of students’ needs, cultures, and voices. As stated in the preface of the book, the heart is more important in the learning process of students than the head is. The recommendation for policymakers is that they be committed to socially equitable middle grade schools. Chapter six: The Role of Accountability in Middle level Schools Dan French ended this chapter with a paragraph that could as well served as the introduction to his chapter. He wrote that Dennie Palmer of the Annenberg Institute for school reform writes, “…the purpose of accountability is to ensure that all those responsible play their part in securing [the right of a quality public education] for all children. The Emancipation Proclamation did not secure equal rights for African Americans. It has taken, and continues to take, entire communities of stakeholders.., actively working over long periods, to detect inequities and shortcomings and change both large institutions and daily habits. The same kind of broadly based and long-term efforts is needed to secure the right to a highly-quality public education [for all children.]” (2003, p.11). Rather than rely on simple mandates with harsh consequences, such as NCLB, let’s harness the moral will and courage, as well as the resources, to enable this inalienable right to be actualized for every middle grade student.” (p. 104) Throughout the chapter he talked about the purposes and effect of accountability. He discussed the abuse and misuse of accountability and the fact that no one measure can adequately assess a student’s knowledge. Most state tests are high stake tests and are unreliable, have helped to increase the dropout rate, had a stifling impact on classroom teaching and learning, and encourage a climate of blame. He did make a suggestion for a good effective accountability system. The system would have five components: a vision of learning, school accountability, district accountability, student accountability and testing component, and finally a component involving accounting to the public. This would help to ensure that all those responsible play their part in securing [the right of a quality public education] for all children. Chapter seven: The Role of Teacher Preparation, Licensure, and Retention in Creating High-Performing Middle Schools McEwin, Dickinson, and Smith contend that high performing middle schools are only a means a means to an end for the end result should be the development of capable, competent, and well-grounded individuals. The key element for this development is a high quality teaching staff characterized by appropriate licensure and professional preparation to teach, direct, and support young adolescents. There are several essential components needed in teacher preparation programs to address the needs of the young adolescents in high performing middle schools. Teachers should be prepared in young adolescent development, middle school philosophy and organization, middle school curriculum, middle school planning, teaching, and assessment, subject matter knowledge, and middle school field experiences. The authors chose not to include diversity and technology for those elements are essential to all quality teacher preparation programs. I questioned the fact that they excluded these two components for it gives a salient message that maybe they can be left out of the programs and really are not essential. There are many teacher preparation programs, which do not include technology and diversity as major components of their curriculum. How can one talk about young adolescent development without addressing the individual needs of the students? How do you not address one of the major interests of young adolescents, technology? Teachers have to be prepared for the whole adolescents and not just the infrastructure of the middle school and its program. Implications and recommendation for policy makers included creating and supporting policies that promote high quality specialized middle level teacher preparation programs, middle level licensure that supports specialized middle level teacher preparation, and a continuum of support for middle level teachers through induction and mentoring programs. Chapter eight: Lessons Learned From Comprehensive School Reform Model Ames began the chapter with the history of the Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) and said that regardless of the scope and focus of the models, the basic goal was the same: "to provide the structure and strategies schools need to significantly improve achievement for all students.” (p.133) In 1999, the Office of Educational Research and Improvement issued a request for proposals for a model for middle schools. The many models were different but did commit to the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grade Reform’s vision of high performing middle grades schools that are academically excellent, developmentally responsive, and socially equitable. In addition, they emphasized rigorous curriculum, small learning communities, family and community partnership, building school and district capacity to sustain reform, shared and effective leadership, safe and healthy school environment, ongoing professional development, and data driven decision to increase achievement. Nancy ended the chapter with lessons learned and seven important conditions for effective CSR in middle schools. These conditions were the same as the Forum’s which were stated above. Nancy contends that CSR schools holds themselves accountable for their students’ success rather than blaming others for their shortcomings by insisting upon evidence and results. Chapter nine: State-Level Policy Development David A. Payton did an excellent job of tracing the background of the middle level schools and how policymakers were involved in the process. He used the New York model as an example and provided time lines and suggestions. He summarized the entire process by saying, “Creating effective schools with middle level grades will necessitate systemic change and require a philosophy and mission committed to developing the whole child, a challenging and rigorous educational program, supportive organization and structure, skilled and knowledgeable teachers who use effective instructional practices, strong leadership, a network of support appropriate to the needs and characteristics of young adolescents, ongoing professional learning, and a strong will to succeed.” (p.188). I believe that an essential element was omitted in his summary. Communicate! Communicate! Continuous communication with all stakeholders seemed to have been an essential thread throughout this chapter and the process of establishing middle level schools. Chapter ten: Creating Common Middle-Level Knowledge: A New York Story This chapter talked about the deficiencies in any middle level program and deficiencies in addressing the middle level programs while using New York’s model. New York used an Academy model once the common knowledge was identified. The Academy became a program including standards, performance indicators, and outcomes that represent the foundation of what each middle-level administrator and teacher should know to provide the best opportunities for the success of their students. The Academy structured was copyrighted and used across New York and provided a common set of understandings as foundational for middle -level educational programs. The academy's curriculum had six major divisions: introduction and foundation, appropriate instructional strategies structures to meet the affective needs of students, instructions and standards, Stern and Stacki recommend that policymakers be cognizant that the appropriate administrator for the middle level schools and the appropriate professional development for the middle level personnel are key to creating this common knowledge. Chapter eleven: A New Vision for Professional Learning Hirsh begins by declaring learning teams as essential for professional development. The team consists of teachers examining the standards, planning together, and critiquing students' work together. This type of effective professional development has to be results driven, fob embedded, and standards based. "Results driven" involves what teachers want middle-level students to know and be able to do. "Job-embedded" means that the teachers have adequate professional development time built into the day, so they are not spending "extra time" to learn. Finally “standards-based” include standards for the students, teachers, and the content. The chapter ends with recommendations for the State and the State Board of Education in advancing quality staff development. Recommendations to the State include requiring the development of a statewide professional development system, allocate funding for programs that demonstrate results for students, recognize that teachers need support and recognition throughout their careers and realign the support structures in the statewide staff development system. Some recommendations to the State Board of Education included make high quality professional learning a district priority; adopt staff development standards' fund professional development adequately, support employee agreements that advance results-driven professional, adopt a professional development district policy, and function as a learning community Chapter twelve: What of the Future? The future is bright and promising because of the great work done in the middle level movement over the past decade. Kasak felt that the future of middle grades education lies in the middle school personnel and movement to think critically beyond what is now and what needs to be. She believed that the policymakers, district, and school board members should use the National Forum Schools to Watch Criteria, and This We Believe reports to support the middle level movement in the future. References Association for Effective Schools. (1996). What is effective schools research? 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Middle sch9ol climate: An empirical assessment of organizational health and student achievement. Educational Administration Quarterly, 33(3), 290-311. Lee, V.E., & Smith, J.B. (1993). Effects of school restructuring on the achievement and engagement of middle-grade students. Sociology of Education, 66(3), 164-187. Lounsbury, J. (2003). Understanding the appreciating the wonder years: Month of the young adolescent. Westerville, OH: National Middle School Association. Mertens, S., & Flower, N. (2003). Middle school practices improve student achievement in High poverty schools. Middle School Journal, 35(1), 33-43. Mertens, S.B., Flowers, N., & Mulhall (1998). The Middle Start Initiative, phase 1: A longitudinal analysis of Michigan middle-level schools. Retrieved July 19, 2003, from http://www.cprd.uiuc.edu?schools/Phase I report.pdf Russell, J. F. (1997). Relationships between the implementation of middle-level program concepts and student achievement. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 12(2), 152-168. Steffles, B. & Valentine, J. (1996). The relationship between organizational characteristics and expected benefits of intersdisciplinary teams. Research in Middle Level Education Quarterly, 19(4), 83-106. About the Reviewer Shirley Gholston Key Associate Professor University of Memphis Memphis, Tennessee 38152 Dr. Key teaches science methods to undergraduate elementary and middle school preservice students and graduate level secondary methods courses to middle and high school teachers. She taught middle school in Houston Independent School District and Fort Bend Independent School District in Texas for thirteen years. She currently serves as the editor of the Tennessee Association of Middle School Journal.