Essential Components and Next Steps for Comprehensive Whole-School Reform in High Poverty Middle Schools

Abstract

Middle school improvement, like urban renewal, is much hoped for but seldom achieved, due to persistent obstacles that are surmountable only through a sustained, multifaceted, and well-coordinated course of action. These obstacles include a pervasive but misguided belief that mere structural changes (such as establishing interdisciplinary teams or changing grade span or size) will improve teaching and learning. At the same time, insufficient attention has been given to the need to change curriculum and instruction (Dickinson, 2001;Jackson & Davis, 2000). As a result, many middle school students continue to experience an instructionally bland and nonsubstantive curriculum in which they memorize terms, facts, and procedures; recite and practice them; read textbooks that are boring and poorly written; and complete worksheets (McEwin, Dickinson, & Jenkins, 1996). A related and nagging problem is that, due to the lack of middle-school-focused teacher education programs and licensure, there is a huge shortage of teachers who are trained specifically in middle grades content, curriculum, and instruction (McEwin & Dickinson, 1997). Jackson and Davis note that "fewer than one in four middle grades teachers have received specialized preparation before they begin their career" (p. 97). As a result, most middle school teachers need extensive on-the-job training to obtain the specific knowledge and skills necessary to deliver academically excellent and developmentally responsive lessons in every classroom every day.