KELLOUGH Chapter 1: Teaching Young Adolescents: Recognizing And Understanding the Challenge

What is Middle School?

On July 17, 2012, PBS program Frontline added to their coverage of the national high school dropout crisis with a piece called Middle School Moment (13:34 minute video), featuring the research of Dr. Robert Banfalz.  According to Dr. Banfalz: 

The data showed that if a 6th grade child in a high-poverty school attends school less than 80 percent of the time, or fails math or English, or receives an unsatisfactory behavior grade in a core course, that absent effective intervention, there is a 75 percent chance that they will drop out of high school.

The "Environmental Influences on Development" (PPT slide) highlights the external influences that play a role in these statistics: 1) family relationships, 2) teaching strategies, and 3) student opportunities for diverse, enriching life experiences.  The Kellough book targets middle school's role in dropout prevention under responsive practices (p. 11).  To truly recognize and understand the challenge of what middle school is, it is imperative that educators recognize the role middle school plays in a district's early warning and intervention system.