Middle School

Education news, analysis, and opinion about schools typically serving 6th to 8th grades and the students who attend them
From left, Andrew Rebello, former principal, Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School, Fall River, Mass.; Tracie Anderson Swilley, principal, Fairfield Central High School, Winnsboro, S.C.; Job Wilcox, principal, Petoskey Middle School, Petoskey, Mich.
From left, Andrew Rebello, former principal, Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School, Fall River, Mass.; Tracie Anderson Swilley, principal, Fairfield Central High School, Winnsboro, S.C.; Job Wilcox, principal, Petoskey Middle School, Petoskey, Mich.
Courtesy of NASSP
School & District Management Meet the 3 Finalists for National Principal of the Year
All three finalists spoke about the need to lift up their peers.
Olina Banerji, September 6, 2024
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5 min read
Student in a school hall opening their locker.
E+
School Climate & Safety Q&A How Peer Mentors Can Ease the Transitions to Middle and High School
Advice on how to build peer mentor program.
Elizabeth Heubeck, September 4, 2024
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6 min read
Middle school students walk between classes at A.D. Henderson School in Boca Raton, Fla., Tuesday, April 16, 2024.
Middle school students walk between classes at A.D. Henderson School in Boca Raton, Fla., on April 16, 2024.
Rebecca Blackwell/AP
Student Well-Being Making the Transition to Middle School Better
Experts offer strategies for easing the transition to middle school and helping students find success.
Elizabeth Heubeck, August 19, 2024
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6 min read
AA studio shot of a Mario Kart diecast vehicle from the video and animated Nintendo series.
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being How Video Games Can Combat Chronic Absenteeism (Yes, Really)
In one district, middle school esports clubs are helping to boost attendance and student engagement.
Alyson Klein, July 2, 2024
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5 min read
Singer Taylor Swift performs on stage during her Eras Tour at the Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh on June 7, 2024.
Taylor Swift performs on stage during her Eras Tour at the Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh on June 7, 2024.
Jane Barlow/PA via AP
Reading & Literacy Q&A Can Taylor Swift Get Students to Love Poetry?
A college professor will train middle and high school teachers on how to use Swift's lyrics in their curriculum.
Madeline Will, June 19, 2024
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8 min read
A student takes notes on their cell phone during class at Bel Air High School in Bel Air, Md., on Jan. 25, 2024.
Schools across the country are struggling with whether to allow students to use cellphones in class.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Ed-Tech Policy What Happened When This District Did an About-Face on Cellphones
Cellphones and other technologies have altered parents’ expectations about how on-demand kids and teachers should be.
Arianna Prothero, June 12, 2024
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3 min read
ADF Senior Counsel and Vice President of U.S. Litigation David Cortman, left, and Liam Morrison speak at a press conference following oral arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit on Feb. 8, 2024.
David Cortman, senior counsel and vice president of Alliance Defending Freedom, left, and middle school student Liam Morrison speak to reporters following oral arguments over Morrison's "There Are Only Two Genders" T-shirt before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit in Boston on Feb. 8, 2024.
Courtesy of Alliance Defending Freedom
Law & Courts Court Backs School That Barred Student's 'Two Genders' Shirt
The court said the shirt could be understood to demean transgender and gender-nonconforming students, and administrators could prohibit it.
Mark Walsh, June 10, 2024
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5 min read
Photo illustration of teen boy working with model.
F. Sheehan for Education Week + E+ / Getty
Student Achievement How Teachers Build Confidence to Motivate Middle Schoolers in STEM
Sixth through eighth grade marks a shift in what motivates students, presenting a big challenge for science and math teachers.
Arianna Prothero, May 28, 2024
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8 min read
Photo of a Black male teacher giving a math less to Junior-high Black students.
Martine Severin/E+
Mathematics What the Research Says 4 Questions to Boost Algebra Gains for Middle Schoolers
More than 1 in 3 public school students now takes Algebra 1 in middle school. Here's how to make sure they succeed in this gatekeeper class.
Sarah D. Sparks, May 17, 2024
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5 min read
Image of a seventh-grade student looking through books in her school library.
A seventh-grade student looks through books in her school library.
Photo by Allison Shelley for EDUimages
Reading & Literacy Older Students Who Struggle to Read Hide in Plain Sight. What Teachers Can Do
Going back to basics may get to the root of the problem.
Elizabeth Heubeck, May 16, 2024
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6 min read
An illustration of a wallpaper of mobile phones, some off, some turned over with stickers on the back covers and some missing with just an outline where they once were.
iStock/Getty
Ed-Tech Policy One School Leader Banned Cellphones, the Other Embraced Them. What Worked?
Two principals describe their dramatically different policies on cellphones and how they are working.
Arianna Prothero, May 14, 2024
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7 min read
A student holds a cell phone during class at Bel Air High School in Bel Air, Md., on Jan. 25, 2024.
A student holds a cellphone during class at Bel Air High School in Bel Air, Md., on Jan. 25, 2024.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Student Well-Being Cellphone Headaches in Middle Schools: Why Policies Aren't Enough
Middle schoolers' developmental stage makes them uniquely vulnerable to the negative aspects of cellphones. Policies alone won't help.
Elizabeth Heubeck, May 14, 2024
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6 min read
Photo of teacher in front of class.
E+ / Getty
Mathematics Q&A Teacher Group Wants a Focus on Low Math Performance, Too
A teacher-led nonprofit releases recommendations focus on how to avoid “math aversion” in middle school.
Olina Banerji, May 10, 2024
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5 min read
3d Render Red & White Megaphone on textured background with an mostly empty speech bubble quietly asking for help.
iStock/Getty images
Teaching Profession Opinion My Life as a Substitute Teacher in Suburbia: Chaos and Cruelty
I was ignorant of the reality until I started teaching, writes a recent college graduate.
Charrley Hudson, April 18, 2024
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4 min read
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