Education Commons^™

Middle Level Learning: Compendium Of Research And Best Practice, Jesse Senechal, Jk Stringer

MERC Publications

Young adolescence is a time of important transition. It is a time when youth strive to define themselves as individuals while at the same time establishing their relationship within social groups. It is a developmental period characterized by curiosity and exploration. From a certain perspective, these qualities of young adolescents seem to be a good match for school settings. Schools might offer the social spaces for establishing individual and group identity and the academic space that harnesses curiosity and allows youth to find direction as they move toward high school, college and career.

And yet, middle grades education – that …

Middle School Mathematics Teacher Evaluation: The Role Of Subject Matter In Supervisor Feedback, Christine Trinter, Heather Carlson-Jaquez

MERC Publications

For decades, mathematics education in the United States has been a focus of national attention. Since the implementation of the First International Mathematics and Science Study in the mid-sixties, critics have reported on the United States’ global standing on achievement tests. Almost two decades after the first administration of the International Mathematics and Science Study, the widely publicized report, A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform (National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983) described various indicators for why the U.S. is at risk for losing its “preeminence in commerce, industry, science, and technological innovation” (p. 11). These risks …

Opportunities To Personalize Teacher Learning: Innovative Approaches To Bridge Evaluation And Professional Development For Continuous Improvement, Laura Kassner

MERC Publications

The following seven innovative approaches to personalize teacher learning are explored as possible mechanisms to bridge evaluation and professional development: individual or peer portfolios; National Board Certification; computer-mediated content management; peer evaluation and coaching; computer -mediated coaching; unconferences; and virtual learning communities (VLCs). Relevant research studies on these approaches are summarized, strengths and weaknesses are presented, and recommendations for consideration are discussed.

Middle Grades Math: Assessing The Debate Over The When And How Of Algebra, Jesse Senechal

MERC Publications

Within discussions of K-12 math, the middle grades are framed as a critical period of transition between the foundational concepts presented in elementary math classes and the more abstract upper-level math classes that are traditionally associated with the high school level (i.e. Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus). Over the past two decades important debates have occurred among educational researchers, math educators, and education policy makers as to the proper approach to middle grades math policy. At the center of this debate is the question of how and when to integrate algebra into the math course sequence. This focus on algebra …