Middle School Administrators Research Articles

Academic Accommodations for Middle and High School Students Following a Concussion: Perspectives of Teachers and School Administrators.

An estimated 1 in 5 adolescents have sustained a concussion in North America. Teachers and school administrators are responsible for implementing academic accommodations and other supports for optimal return to learn following a concussion. The primary objective of this study was to describe the prevalence and feasibility of providing academic accommodations to students following concussion from the perspectives of middle and high school teachers and school administrators. A cross-sectional survey was administered to teachers and school administrators (grades 7-12) across Canada online via REDCap. Participants were recruited via word-of-mouth and social media sampling. Survey responses were analyzed descriptively using proportions. The survey was completed by 180 educators (138 teachers and 41 school administrators), of whom 86% had previously provided academic accommodations to students following concussion, and 96% agreed that students should have access to accommodations following concussion. Some accommodations (eg, breaks, extra time) were provided more often and were more feasible to provide than others (eg, no new learning, reduced bright light). Educators reported limited preparation time and limited school personnel support to assist students following concussion. The most feasible accommodations should be prioritized, ensuring students are supported within the school environment. Teachers and school administrators confirmed the importance of providing accommodations to students following concussion.

Outside the brackets: Why school administrators fail to see gendered harassment within an antibullying law

AbstractMuch of school bullying involves students policing the gender roles and sexuality of other students. The proliferation of antibullying laws presents an opportunity to formally punish and mark gendered harassment as unacceptable. However, when this form of peer policing involves girls, administrators often consider it to fall outside the purview of the law. We use bracketing theory to understand how middle school administrators in New Jersey assess whether student behavior violates a statewide harassment, intimidation, and bullying law. We find that, according to administrators, violations require relational asymmetry between an aggressor and victim: an imbalance of power and disproportionate participation. Administrators rarely see gendered harassment as bullying because of the relational stereotypes they attach to girl students, which often preclude interpretations of relational asymmetry. We discuss how gender beliefs among administrators and “bracketing failures” explain the ways antibullying laws allow hegemonic beliefs about gender and sexuality to remain untroubled.

The Feasibility, Acceptability, and Utility of Mantente REAL: the Culturally Adapted Version of keepin' it REAL for Mexico.

A binational team of investigators culturally adapted, implemented, and tested the efficacy in Mexico of keepin' it REAL, a US-designed prevention intervention for youth. This article reports on the social validity of the adapted intervention by assessing its feasibility, acceptability, and utility, as perceived by participating middle school students, teachers/implementers, and school administrators. Middle schools (N = 36) were randomly assigned to (1) the culturally adapted version for Mexico (Mantente REAL), (2) the original intervention from the USA (keepin' it REAL) translated into Spanish, or (3) a control condition (treatment as usual). Adult and child feedback about the adapted and original versions of the intervention indicate that both are feasible to implement in the Mexican context. Implementation fidelity was equally high for both versions of the manualized intervention. Students, however, were more satisfied with the culturally adapted version than with the non-adapted version. They reported gaining more knowledge, finding it more acceptable, applicable, and authentic, and they reported discussing the program with their family and friends more often. The findings support the feasibility of engaging classroom teachers to implement manualized prevention programs in Mexico. These findings also advance prevention science by documenting the importance of cultural adaptation as a means to increase students' identification with and acceptability of efficacious school-based interventions. The article discusses the practice, policy, and future prevention research implications of the findings for Mexico and their potential generalizability to other middle- and lower-income countries.

Middle School Administrators’ Perceptions about Education's Contribution to Human Capital

The purpose of this study was to analyse the middle school administrators’ perceptions about education’s contribution to human capital in terms of the variables of gender, seniority, education level and the type of the school. The data were collected from 410 school administrators working in public and private middle school, which were in Mersin Province in the fall semester of 2018-2019 academic year. It was found out that there was a significant difference among the school principals' perceptions in terms of the variables of gender, seniority, education level and the type of the school.

An Analysis of Responsive Middle Level School Leadership Practices: Revisiting the Developmentally Responsive Middle Level Leadership Model

This paper presents the qualitative findings from a recent doctoral study that examined the leadership practices of 17 middle school administrators from three school districts in the Canadian province of Alberta (Rheaume, 2018). The data gathered through six focus group interviews are framed within the three dimensions of Brown et al.’s (2002) Developmentally Responsive Middle Level Leadership (DRMLL) model, illustrating ways that middle school leaders are responsive to the development of: (a) young adolescent students by understanding their developmental characteristics and establishing engaging, equitable learning environments that empower them to thrive; (b) faculty by establishing a shared vision and a collaborative culture focused on continuous improvement; and (c) the middle school itself by implementing the organizational structures of the middle school concept that promote meaningful relationships and learner success. Although the findings of this study aligned with the DRMLL model, they also led to suggestions for expanding it to better reflect current leadership practices and the newly revised middle school concept (Bishop & Harrison, 2021). Even so, DRMLL has stood the test of time for nearly two decades and continues to serve as an excellent foundation for middle level leadership.

Organizational Loneliness of School Administrators

This study explored the loneliness experienced by school administrators, the causes and results of this loneliness, and the ways the administrators cope with loneliness through their experiences. The study employed the phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research designs. The study group consisted of 14 elementary and middle school administrators working in Zonguldak Karadeniz Ereğli. Criteria sampling and snowball sampling techniques were used while determining the study group. The study data were collected with a semi-structured interview form. The school administrators were asked about their loneliness, the reasons and results of their loneliness, and their ways to cope with it. School administrators stated that they mostly experienced loneliness in situations of power hierarchy and during the execution of work. They also stated that their loneliness was caused by organizational communication problems and the personal demands of their colleagues. In addition, school administrators expressed that organizational loneliness caused disruption of work and ineffectiveness at work the most. Finally, they also expressed that they try to overcome loneliness through organizational communication and individual socialization. Comprehensive and social measures should be taken in consideration as well as individual and organizational measures in order to eliminate school administrators’ loneliness.

The time is now! Preparing middle and high school teachers for Dual Immersion Programs (Spanish-English) in California: a readying examination of current practices, needs, and potentialities

ABSTRACT Teachers working in middle and high school Dual Immersion (DI) programs (Spanish-English) face unique sets of challenges: linguistic equity between the two languages of instruction, attrition due to high linguistic and academic expectations, and preparing DI students for standardized tests in English. In this article, we reflect on our current experiences both from the teacher preparation perspective and from daily teaching and learning in DI classrooms. From the intersection of our positionalities and lived experiences, we conceptualize the next steps in the preparation of future Dual Immersion (Spanish-English) secondary teachers. In doing so, we outline the specific skills middle and high school DI teachers must have in order to build effective practices around three key areas for Dual Immersion instruction: Bilingualism and Biliteracy, Student Achievement, and Socio-Cultural Competence. We argue that in order to guarantee the success and high quality of DI programs in middle and high school, Teacher Preparation Programs and School Districts should work together now developing a comprehensive and intentional preparation and support for middle and high school DI teachers and administrators working in these school sites.

JUUL in School: Teacher and Administrator Awareness and Policies of E-Cigarettes and JUUL in U.S. Middle and High Schools.

Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use, including JUUL, has risen to epidemic levels among high school and middle school students in the United States. Schools serve as a key environment for prevention and intervention efforts to address e-cigarette use, yet little is known about the awareness of and response to e-cigarettes in schools. This national survey of middle and high school teachers and administrators (n = 1,420) measured JUUL awareness, e-cigarette policies, and barriers to enforcement in schools. While two thirds of respondents had heard of a product called JUUL (67.6%), less than half accurately identified a photo of a JUUL as a vaping device/e-cigarette (47.3%). Awareness of JUUL (80.9%) was higher among high school teachers (83.3%) than among middle school teachers (78.3%). A large majority of respondents reported that their school had an e-cigarette policy (82.9%), but less than half of the sample worked in a school with a policy that specifically included JUUL (43.4%). Those working in a school with an e-cigarette policy in place noted that e-cigarettes' discreet appearance (65.6%) and difficulties in identifying origin of vapor or scent (46.1%) made the policy difficult to enforce. Efforts to increase middle and high school staff awareness of the ever-evolving e-cigarette market are essential to help prevent youth use. Adoption and enforcement of policies will be critical to ensure that schools remain tobacco-free spaces.

Responsive Middle Level Teacher Education: Learning from Central Alberta Middle School Leaders

This instrumental case study examined the perspectives of 43 middle school administrators on effective middle level education to inform the evolution of a teacher education program in central Alberta, Canada. Analysis of data gathered through an online survey and focus group interviews yielded three merged findings on salient elements of the middle school concept and the key competencies required of effective beginning middle level teachers, including: (a) teaming and developmentally responsive practices are deemed essential middle school concepts; (b) effective beginning middle school teachers should demonstrate professional knowledge and skills, including the ability to create learner-centred, inclusive environments; and (c) effective beginning middle school teachers should possess certain dispositions, especially those that promote positive, productive relationships. These findings and the implications arising from them are contributing to the evolution of the teacher education program at Red Deer College and may be of benefit to teacher educators seeking to develop more responsive programming in other settings.

Perceptions of middle school administrators regarding early childhood education and multipliership promotion factors: Using an IPA analysis

Perceptions of middle school administrators regarding early childhood education and multipliership promotion factors: Using an IPA analysis

Collaborative resistance to digitized instruction in a rural middle school

How can middle-level educators improve reading achievement when digitized texts and tests manage their instruction? Experienced Osage Middle School reading teachers and school administrators addressed this question as they examined their Istation reading curriculum, and higher education faculty partners were invited to portray this work. Teaching to standardized tests, assigning low interest texts, and even digitizing controlled reading instruction were accepted practices at Osage Middle School. This portrait of reform illustrates how these practices were successfully resisted and reconstructed in just one academic year. The Osage educators’ resistance was portrayed in three stages. First, the school’s accepted literacy practices were named as digitized managed events that diminished educator authority. Then co-investigations of new reading instruction deconstructed these accepted practices. Eventually the new reading instruction practices transformed the school’s reading curriculum. Possibilities for further research suggested by the Osage Middle School reform portrait include examining the invisibility of low achieving readers, investigating the paradoxes of managing controlled instruction, and testing the utility of collaborative educator inquiry.

Counselor Perceptions: Let Us Do Our Job!

Elementary and Middle school administrators continually struggle with developing instructional programs that will address the academic and human developmental levels of the students in their care. Addressing the human development and the academic issues related to the elementary and middle school student is only a small percentage of the attention required for that student. Many students at the elementary and middle school levels encounter issues related to social and emotional development that are often overwhelming and many times detrimental to the academic development of those students. School administrators address those issues by utilizing the existing infrastructure of the schools. One of the key components of the school infrastructure is the school counselor. In some situations, school counselors are being required to perform duties outside the realm of their perceived responsibilities. This study was conducted to ascertain school counselor perceptions with respect to job performance, expectations, satisfaction and responsibility. The results of the study indicated that the counselors involved in the study believed that they are being required to perform duties outside the realm of their responsibilities and that the performance of these duties has an impact on their effectiveness as school counselors.

Title I Middle School Administrators’ Beliefs and Choices about Using Corporal Punishment and Exclusionary Discipline

AbstractThis grounded theory study of how Title I middle school administrators determine students’ punishments was developed using interviews with 27 Florida administrators from schools allowing corporal punishment. Administrators’ choices were shaped by their upbringings, their experiences as parents, their job requirements, the expectations of students’ parents, and fears of reprisal. They expressed simultaneous desires to develop the child while deterring future misbehavior. They described the outcomes of their decision making as emotional work that entailed contradictions and compromises. To encourage positive preventive and responsive school discipline practices, policies must address administrators’ misconceptions about ineffective practices by providing both pressure and support for change.

Predicting Middle Level State Standardized Test Results Using Family and Community Demographic Data

The use of standardized test results to drive school administrator evaluations pervades education policymaking in more than 40 states. However, the results of state standardized tests are strongly influenced by non-school factors. The models of best fit (n = 18) from this correlational, explanatory, longitudinal study predicted accurately the percentage of middle school students scoring proficient or above on the New Jersey state-mandated standardized tests in mathematics and language arts for grades 6–8 during the years 2010, 2011, and 2012 for 70% to 78% of the schools in the statewide samples (n = 292 to 311), using only family and community demographic variables from the U.S. Census. Just three demographic variables, (a) percentage of families in a community with income over $200,000 a year, (b) percentage of people in a community in poverty, and (c) percentage of people in a community with bachelor’s degrees, predicted results accurately in 14/18 of the models. The findings suggest that state standardized test results are not as objective and transparent as advertised by state and federal department of education officials. Some middle level school administrators might be getting rewarded or punished based on factors that they do not influence.

Exploring the Relationship between School Growth Mindset and Organizational Learning Variables: Implications for Multicultural Education

<p>According to school growth mindset theory a school’s organizational structure influences teachers’ beliefs in their collective ability to help all students grow and learn; including those from diverse cultural, religious, identity, and socioeconomic demographics. The implicit theory of growth mindset has been quantified for a school’s culture on the What’s My School Mindset scale. This exploratory study was an initial effort to examine the content validity of the school growth mindset construct using SPSS to perform correlation analysis with multicultural relevant, organizational learning variables from the literature that were shown to explain improved school outcomes. Regression analysis tested the hypothesis that the independent variables would explain variations in a school’s growth mindset mean. Data was collected from a random stratified sample of middle and high school teachers (n = 64) and administrators (n = 5) in a large northwestern state. Responses were collected on the 19-question Likert-style WMSM survey. The overarching research question was, Is there a relationship between principal openness to change, faculty openness to change, work locus of control, and a school growth mindset? The results revealed organizational learning variables significantly correlated with a growth mindset culture and explained significant variations in the WMSM mean. The results have positive implications for providing school administrators with a way to measure their school’s culture and to provide feedback to teachers that can challenge their beliefs and inform improvements in culturally responsive teaching practices.</p>

Supporting Middle School Teachers’ Implementation of STEM Design Challenges

We describe and analyze a professional development (PD) model that involved a partnership among science, mathematics and education university faculty, science and mathematics coordinators, and middle school administrators, teachers, and students. The overarching project goal involved the implementation of interdisciplinary STEM Design Challenges (DCs). The PD model targeted: (a) increasing teachers’ content and pedagogical content knowledge in mathematics and science; (b) helping teachers integrate STEM practices into their lessons; and (c) addressing teachers’ beliefs about engaging underperforming students in challenging problems. A unique aspect involved low‐achieving students and their teachers learning alongside each other as they co‐participated in STEM design challenges for one week in the summer. Our analysis focused on what teachers came to value about STEM DCs, and the challenges in and affordances for implementing DCs. Two significant areas of value for the teachers were students’ use of scientific, mathematical, and engineering practices and motivation, engagement, and empowerment by all learners. Challenges associated with pedagogy, curriculum, and the traditional structures of the schools were identified. Finally, there were four key affordances: (a) opportunities to construct a vision of STEM education; (b) motivation to implement DCs; (c) ambitious pedagogical tools; and, (d) ongoing support for planning and implementation.This article features a Research to Practice Companion Article. Please click on the supporting information link below to access.

Opening Access to STEM Experiences One Day at a Time: Successful Implementation of a School-wide iSTEM Day

Creating partnerships that leverage skill sets from universities and corporate entities to improve STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education is often discussed in theory. However, examples of successful models that might inform practice are scarce. This article describes how one STEM business, university educators, and middle school administrators and teachers successfully developed and implemented an integrated STEM education (iSTEM) experience for all eighth-grade students at a local middle school. We created a professional learning community to establish the goals and vision for the iSTEM day, which included the use of instructionally sound pedagogical methods, intellectually stimulating learning experiences, and a deeply developed understanding of the school context. Our team successfully completed a one-day learning experience that focused on the fundamental concept of osmosis and problem-solving skills. However, the broader impacts of this day included a new collaborative network between the university, the company, and the middle school that remains intact and productive.

The Peril of Ignoring Middle School Student Speech Rights

Analysis of two recent federal court cases in which principals violated student speech rights offers guidance to middle school administrators as they attempt to address student expression. Characteristics of a successful school from the Association for Middle Level Education provide a framework for analyzing these cases in order to prevent potential violations of First Amendment speech rights of students.

Investigating stakeholder attitudes and opinions on school-based human papillomavirus vaccination programs.

In several countries worldwide, school-based human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programs have been successful; however, little research has explored US stakeholders' acceptance toward school-based HPV vaccination programs. A total of 13 focus groups and 12 key informant interviews (N = 117; 85% females; 66% racial/ethnic minority) were conducted with 5 groups of stakeholders: parents of adolescent girls, parents of adolescent boys, adolescent girls, middle school nurses, and middle school administrators throughout the 5 public health regions of New Mexico. All groups of stakeholders lacked knowledge on HPV and HPV vaccines. Stakeholders were interested in--but apprehensive about--the benefits of HPV vaccination. Despite previous literature showing the benefits of using middle schools as an HPV vaccination site, stakeholders did not deem middle schools as a viable site for vaccination. Nurses reported that using the school as an HPV vaccination site had not occurred to them; parents and adolescents stated they were uncertain about using this type of program. School administrators indicated that they lacked implementation authority. Our study uncovered barriers to using middle schools as a site of HPV vaccination. Resources should be directed toward increased support and education for middle school nurses who function as opinion leaders relevant to the uptake of HPV vaccination.

An Educational Program for Underserved Middle School Students to Encourage Pursuit of Pharmacy and Other Health Science Careers

To develop and implement an active, hands-on program for underrepresented minority (URM) seventh grade students and to determine if participation in the program increased interest in health care careers and understanding of pharmacy and physician assistant (PA) professions. A hands-on educational program was developed in conjunction with local middle school administrators and staff for URM 7th grade students. The program was designed to be hands-on and focus on pharmacy and PA laboratory skills. A discussion component was included, allowing participants to interact personally with pharmacy and PA students and faculty members. Students' responses to survey questions about interest in health care careers and knowledge about health professions were compared before and after 2 separate offerings of the program. After the program, significant increases were seen in participants' understanding of the pharmacy and PA professions. An increased percentage of participants reported interest in health care careers after the program than before the program. Introducing middle school-aged URM students to the pharmacy and PA professions through a hands-on educational program increased interest in, and knowledge of, these professions.