Middle School

Education news, analysis, and opinion about schools typically serving 6th to 8th grades and the students who attend them
Elementary, Middle, and High-school age children interact with a giant artificial intelligence brain.
Kathleen Fu for Education Week
Classroom Technology What Is Age-Appropriate Use of AI? 4 Developmental Stages to Know About
Child development experts and teachers offer advice on when K-12 students should start using AI-powered tech and for what purposes.
Arianna Prothero, February 19, 2024
11 min read
Tight crop of junior-high students' desks during a math class at school with paperwork showing math problems.
E+
Mathematics Math Tracking Starts as Early as Elementary School, a New Study Finds
Most principals also report that not all students have the opportunity to take Algebra I, new data show.
Sarah Schwartz, February 7, 2024
6 min read
Empty blue school bathroom showing the bathroom sinks without mirrors.
iStock/Getty
School Climate & Safety A School Removed Bathroom Mirrors to Keep Students From Making TikToks. Will It Work?
The desperate strategy for keeping students in class illuminates the challenge schools face in competing with social media.
Elizabeth Heubeck, February 1, 2024
5 min read
Mathematics Video Teachers, Try This: Gamify Instruction to Reduce Math Anxiety and Improve Test Scores
After this teacher "gamified" her classroom, students responded positively.
Kaylee Domzalski, February 1, 2024
4:31
Illustration of girl confined in phone.
Dusan Stankovic / Getty
Student Well-Being Opinion When Social Media Is Hurting Students: 5 Steps to Improve Digital Well-Being
These five recommendations can help students (and adults) better regulate their tech and social media use and build their digital agency.
Emily Weinstein & Eisha Buch, December 27, 2023
5 min read
Reading & Literacy Video Teachers, Try This: A Writing Exercise for Amazon’s Strangest Products
Students search for the strangest product they can find on Amazon, and practice writing reviews in this pre-winter break exercise.
Lauren Santucci, December 7, 2023
3:19
Young student working on math worksheet with basic mathematic concepts.
iStock/Getty
Mathematics Why Does Fact Fluency Matter in Math? 4 Educators Offer Answers
Teachers and district leaders talk about why math fact fluency is required and how they provide support for students who struggle.
Sarah Schwartz, December 7, 2023
5 min read
vote ballot initiatives money 1371378601 01
LAUDISENO/iStock/Getty and EdWeek
International What the Research Says It's Not Just U.S. Students. Civics Scores Have Dropped Around the World
Eighth graders are less engaged and knowledgeable about government than they were before the pandemic, a global study finds.
Sarah D. Sparks, November 28, 2023
5 min read
Tight crop of a young teen smoking an e-cigarette with lots of smoke everywhere.
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being What the Research Says Vaping Declines Sharply Among Older Teens But Rises for Middle Schoolers
New federal data show more younger students and girls using e-cigarettes and other tobacco products.
Sarah D. Sparks, November 2, 2023
6 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
iStock/Getty
Teaching Opinion Teachers Can Support Struggling Readers in Middle and High School. Here's How
Older students' literacy challenges can be overlooked. But there are instructional practices that will foster reading growth.
Larry Ferlazzo, October 6, 2023
8 min read
The National Association of Secondary School Principals named Andrew Farley, Kimberly Winterbottom, and Sham Bevel as finalists for its principal of the year award.
The National Association of Secondary School Principals named Andrew Farley, Kimberly Winterbottom, and Sham Bevel as finalists for its principal of the year award.
National Association of Secondary School Principals
School & District Management Meet the Finalists for 2024's Secondary Principal of the Year Award
The National Association of Secondary School Principals will name the winner later this month.
Evie Blad, October 5, 2023
2 min read
Brittany Hagan, an eighth year English-language arts teacher near Philadelphia, sets up her classroom each year to provide a calming environment for her middle school students.
Brittany Hagan, an eighth year English-language arts teacher near Philadelphia, sets up her classroom each year to provide a calming environment for her middle school students.
Courtesy of Brittany Hagan
Teaching Older Students Deserve Colorful Classrooms, Too
Three teachers share how they set up their classrooms to welcome, soothe, and engage their older students.
Caitlyn Meisner, August 15, 2023
6 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
iStock/Getty
Reading & Literacy Opinion Many Older Students Are Struggling to Read. How Can Teachers Help?
Educators offer targeted instructional steps to support middle and high schoolers in their journey to understand the written word.
Larry Ferlazzo, August 14, 2023
8 min read
3D illustration of a crumpled paper person's speech bubble being burned by a match in front of a multi-colored collaged printed background. Silencing opinion.
DigitalVision Vectors + iStock/Getty + Vanessa Solis/Education Week
Teaching Opinion I Put an LGBTQ+ Book on My Classroom Reading List. Then Someone Filed a Police Report
A teacher shares three important lessons from the backlash that drove her out of her classroom.
Sarah Bonner, July 31, 2023
5 min read