Rediscovering Substance of Soul in 21st Century Middle Schools

Abstract

As the middle school concept was born across the country, educators had lofty goals for providing an educational experience that would afford young adolescents unparalleled opportunity for a rich academic environment appropriately tailored to the social and emotional development of American youth. The discussions in college teacher training courses and in professional development for middle grades educators were always deeply focused on one thing: what was best for young adolescent learners. The many successes of these efforts should be celebrated. Drifting off course But as the circumstances of our nation have changed in recent years with new priorities born from economic upheaval, as technology has developed at an unprecedented pace, as teen culture has evolved, and as national policies have forced heightened levels of accountability in education, our profession would be well served to revisit middle grades education. In fact, many school systems across the nation are doing just that, revisiting middle grades education. But often, the tenor of these conversations today seems very different from the discussion that led to establishing middle schools four and a half decades ago. Lacking now is the pervasive emphasis on what is best for young adolescent learners; too often, task forces revisit middle grades education against a backdrop laden with political agendas and the realities of fiscal constraint, which have become more severe in the past few months. While reflecting on our professional practice is essential, invigorating, and often yields new insight, taking the time to measure what educators actually do in instructional settings with young adolescent learners against what the profession says is of real value frequently exposes discrepancies. Discussions with middle grades educators all around the country have yielded some consistent trends that cause some concern: What we say we value as middle grades educators and what we do with our time seem to be increasingly less aligned. Again, from the mid-20th century through today, we have consistently said we value what is best for adolescent learners. Middle grades educators have a rich tradition of placing great importance on (a) extending critical thinking, (b) literacy skills development, (c) problem solving, (d) project-based collaborative learning activities, (e) working within and extending the individual learning styles of students, (f) character development, (g) differentiating instruction to provide the richest possible learning experiences for every child, (h) instilling a culture of personal best, and (i) providing a relevant educational curriculum through engaging instructional practice that will well serve the inquisitive nature of adolescent youth. This list could go on, and many of these values fall within what is now being frequently characterized as 21 century learning. However, teachers increasingly tell me they spend their time with their students doing that on which they place far less value: covering fact-based curriculum, drill and practice, rote memorization activities, and reviewing test-taking strategies in preparation for highstakes tests, the results of which can have a devastating impact on their adolescent learners, their school, and entire communities. Middle grades administrators place an unyielding focus on raising achievement scores of individual subgroups in a concerted effort to avoid being labeled a failing school. As acceptable levels of performance on standards rise over time, increasing numbers of schools no longer meet the expectations for passing. Middle grades education is in a growing crisis. Yet school should not be about high-stakes tests nor about grades. School should not be primarily about numbers at all. School is about people, about community, about attaining empowerment. And, if ever an educational philosophy had a focus on people, on the nature of its learners, on what was best for young adolescent students, it was the middle school movement that swept this country in the last half of the 20th century. …