Reform Efforts in Florida's Middle Level Schools: Shifting from Mandate to Accountability Through Deregulation

Abstract

AbstractOver the past two decades, Florida has made various statewide attempts to implement the middle school concept. In the early 1970s, some school districts began reorganizing its schools. The PRIME (Progress in Middle Childhood Education) was passed in 1984 and funded in 1985. This legislation mandated some programs and practices normally associated with the middle school concept and encouraged others through special funds. In 1991, PRIME legislation was placed in abeyance and Accountability/Blueprint 2000 legislation now stipulates site-based management and accountability. This evolutionary cycle of middle school programs and policies is the basis of this research project.Data documenting the impact of PRIME legislation during the years 1984–1989 served as a beginning point to this study. The four research questions that guided this study focused on the overall impact of PRIME legislation and categoricalfunding on middle level schools in Florida, the conditions of implementation that lead to institu...