Middle School

Education news, analysis, and opinion about schools typically serving 6th to 8th grades and the students who attend them
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Nintendo Switches, like the one the teenage boy is using above, are being used in the Denver Public Schools in an esports program designed to improve student engagement. Education Week recently talked to one of the educators involved in that program, who gave a presentation about it at the ISTELive 26 + ASCD Annual Conference in Orlando, Fla., June 28 to July 1.
Lindsey Wasson/AP Photo
Classroom Technology Q&A How This District Is Using Esports to Increase Student Engagement
An education technology specialist discusses an esports development program she created.
Lauraine Langreo, July 9, 2026
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4 min read
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Krista Wilkewitz (left) and Tara Menghini, teachers at Knox Gifted Academy in Chandler, Ariz., explain their interdisciplinary project in which students designed their fantasy school during the ISTELive 26 + ASCD annual conference at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., on June 29, 2026.
Marvin Joseph/Education Week
Classroom Technology Here’s What Happened When 6th Graders Designed Their Dream School
A class project prodded students to use digital tools to fuel creativity, not passively consume content.
Alyson Klein, July 1, 2026
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3 min read
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Vanessa Solis/Education Week + iStock/Getty
Student Achievement Opinion Teen Math and Reading Scores Prove It: We Have a Middle School Problem
Younger students show signs of learning recovery, while teens are left behind. How can we fix that?
Kymyona Burk, June 15, 2026
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5 min read
On Oct. 22, 2024 , Jeff Simon, center, works with math students Gabriel Raposo, right, and Luka Esquer, left, using online AI tools to check their algebra work at Sage Creek High School in Carlsbad.
Jeff Simon, center, works with math students using online AI tools to check their algebra work at Sage Creek High School in Carlsbad, Calif. on Oct. 22, 2024. EdWeek Research Center data show that fractions and fluency in basic operations are among the areas that most confuse middle and high school students.
Nelvin C. Cepeda/The San Diego Union-Tribune via TNS
Mathematics From Our Research Center Here Are the Math Concepts That Trip Up Middle and High School Students
An EdWeek Research Center survey asked educators about the biggest challenges they see in the subject.
Sean Cavanagh, June 11, 2026
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1 min read
Image of polynomial math problems. Overlay of words include: Polymorphic, polygon, polyhedron, polynomial.
Collage by Education Week + Canva
Reading & Literacy Even in Math, Teachers See a Chance to Boost Students' Reading Skills
Minnesota middle school teachers spread foundational literacy skills across academic classes.
Sarah D. Sparks, June 9, 2026
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6 min read
Thu., May 21, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET
Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Middle and High School Math: How to Get Struggling Learners on Track
Join this free virtual event to uncover the nature of students’ weaknesses in secondary-level math and find a path forward.
Register
May 21, 2026
ESOL teacher Anna Kyle assisting tenth grader Welhore Wendela Noah in algebra one class at Annandale High School on April 08, 2026 in Annandale, Virginia. Various approaches include group work, community building, and academic literacy. Materials are created collaboratively, including digital activities (e.g. Kahoot) with writing and speaking assessments. The team tracks progress using standards-based grading and a running spreadsheet. Teachers emphasize vocabulary skills, interactive notebooks, and scaffolds to support language learners. The success of multilingual learners is monitored through test data and reassessments, ensuring students understand their mastery of standards.
English for Speakers of Other Languages teacher Anna Kyle assists 10th grader Welhore Wendela Noah in algebra at Annandale High School on April 8, 2026 in Annandale, Va. More schools are devising ways to help students who struggle in math catch up without taking them out of grade-level classes.
Marvin Joseph for Education Week
Mathematics Supporting Struggling Math Students Means Building Their Number Sense—and Confidence
Two models schools use to help students learn new material—and shore up gaps at the same time.
Sarah Schwartz, May 6, 2026
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4 min read
Mathematics Reports Student Achievement in Math: 5 Trends in K-12 Education
Based on a 2026 survey, this report highlights challenges that students have in math as they move from early grades to secondary schools.
May 5, 2026
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Special Report Middle and High School Math: How to Get Struggling Learners on Track
School districts are rolling out myriad strategies to support secondary students in math as they attempt to move from core skills to more complex topics.
May 4, 2026
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A student learns to plot a matrix in an introductory algebra class at John Adams High School in South Bend, Ind., on April 17, 2026. Nationally, teachers say many students reach middle and high school with gaps in their foundational math skills.
Arthur Maiorella for Education Week
Mathematics What Schools Should Do to Pump Up the Deflated Math Skills of Older Students
Research offers guidance on supporting teenagers who struggle with foundational skills.
Sarah Schwartz, May 4, 2026
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9 min read
McNeal Stewart, one of the math teachers at Algebra Lab at Adams High School, was teaching an Algebra class on Friday, April 17, 2026 at South Bend, IN.
McNeal Stewart, one of the math teachers at Algebra Lab at Adams High School, teaches an Algebra class on April 17, 2026 at South Bend, Ind.
Arthur Maiorella for Education Week
Mathematics From Our Research Center Elementary Math Has Been in Focus. But Middle and High School Students' Struggles Are Daunting
An EdWeek Research Center survey finds that educators see older students' lack of progress in the subject as an acute problem.
Evie Blad, May 4, 2026
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4 min read
A student at Annandale High School in Virginia takes on a math assignment on April 8, 2026. An EdWeek Research Center survey of educators found that many believe students have particular weaknesses in fractions, overall pre-algebraic skills, and fluency in basic operations.
A student at Annandale High School in Virginia takes on a math assignment on April 8, 2026. Many students wrongly see fractions "as things that sit outside the number system," said one researcher.
Marvin Joseph for Education Week
Mathematics From Our Research Center Fractions Scuttle Many Students' Math Ambitions. New Models Can Clear the Way
Pre-algebraic skills and basic operations also are stumbling blocks, the EdWeek Research Center finds.
Evie Blad, May 4, 2026
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4 min read
William Toungette, the assistant principal at Woodland Middle School, at the National Education Leadership Awards gala on April 17, 2026, in Washington.
William Toungette, the assistant principal at Woodland Middle School in Brentwood, Tenn., at the National Education Leadership Awards gala on April 17, 2026, in Washington.
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School & District Management Middle School Assistant Principal of the Year Is Tackling Student Anxiety
How William Toungette created a supportive school environment.
Jennifer Vilcarino, April 21, 2026
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4 min read
Photo collage of two math worksheets on a dark blue background made of floating equations.
Photo illustration by Gina Tomko/Education Week + Canva; photos by Atticus Cuellar for Education Week
Mathematics A New Approach to Algebra in 8th Grade Seems to Produce Big Benefits
Middle schoolers who took grade-level math and Algebra 1 together benefited, a study finds.
Sarah Schwartz, April 1, 2026
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4 min read