Middle and Secondary Schools Purpose, Organization, Structure, and Reform

Middle and Secondary Schools Middle school – any school that includes students in some combination of grades 5-8 Secondary school – any school that houses students in some combination of grades 7-12

Colonial Education:The First Schools Religion played a key role Education started in the home Dame schools – women taught reading, writing, and basic math skills in their homes Apprenticeships – after 1-3 years of study, boys completed an apprenticeship to master a trade Teachers were hired once a town reached 50 households

Forerunners of Secondary Schools Latin Grammar Schools – Boston Latin Grammar School founded in 1635 Academies – Franklin Academy established in Philadelphia in 1751 English Classical Schools – The first American public high school started in Boston in 1821 when the English Classical School (later renamed the English High School) opened

Funding for Public Secondary Education Most schools that were established in the early 1800s charged tuition and fees Deluder Satan Act required residents of Massachusetts to support elementary education as early as 1647 Communities with 500+ families were required to establish publicly funded high schools in 1827 In 1874, the Kalamazoo Michigan Case provided state governments with the ability to levy taxes to support high schools

The Creation of Junior High Schools Intermediate schools were established on the east coast at the beginning of the 20 th century First junior high school founded in Berkeley, CA in 1909 By 1930, there were over 2,000 junior high schools By the 1970s there were over 8,000 junior high schools

Creation of Middle Schools Middle schools were started in the mid 1900s Common features of middle schools include: interdisciplinary teaching teams, integrated curriculum, age-appropriate student-centered instructional strategies, block scheduling, and teacher advising programs

The Changing Purpose of Education Schooling in the Colonial Era – focused on moral development, adherence to religious doctrine, while securing social stability In the 1800s, school focused on preparing students for the changing economy Current purpose of schooling is debated; some think it is to prepare students for work, others believe it should prepare students for post-secondary education

Organizing Education to Meet Student’s Needs Different types of schools: (a) Magnet school –specializes in a particular area (b) Fundamental school – teaches basic skills (c) Charter school – autonomous w/charter/overseen (d) For-profit school – public school –for profit company (e) Partnership school – w/business or industry (f) Tech prep high school- leads to applied science degree

Learning Communities Teaching Teams The School-Within-a-School (SWAS) Concept Teacher’s Daily Schedules Common Planning Time for Interdisciplinary Teams