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Association for Middle Level Education

AMLE Members Say…

In fall 2018, AMLE members were invited to participate in a survey about their experiences as middle school educators. In each issue of AMLE Newsletter—your bimonthly member e-newsletter—you'll find a new question with member answers and supporting resources, which were gleaned from this survey. Take a look at what your fellow educators said about important issues and key practices in their schools and classrooms.

We asked:	Which of these practices are employed in your school as a whole?
You said:	49.92%	Project-based learning
	27.72%	We don't use any of these
	27.31%	A no-zero policy
	22.61%	SEL in most or all classes
	10.30%	No letter grades
	6.68%	Gamification
Resources:	Talking Tech for the PBL Classroom by Kristie Smith PBL: Learning How to Learn by Rachel Erickson It’s Time to Stop Averaging Grades by Rick Wormeli What Does Passing Look Like? by Sandy Cameli & Colleen Masukawa Our SEL Journey by Rachel Pregont, Roberto d'Erizans (Re)Discovering Social Emotional Learning by Sandy Cameli A Discussion on Grading? Let Me Get My Helmet by Guy Gambone Graphic Representations of Student Achievement by Rick Wormeli Leveling Up in a Gamified Classroom by Ashley Fulks, Becca Lord The Hidden Benefits of Video Games by Clark Godshall, LaVonna Roth The Hidden Benefits of Video Games, Part 2 by Clark Godshall, LaVonna Roth

We asked:	Does your school focus on making sure every student has at least one meaningful connection with a caring adult?
You said:	83.2%	Yes
	16.8%	No
Resources:	Silent Mentoring by Katie Novak Our SEL Journey by Rachel Pregont, Roberto d'Erizans The Challenge of Advisory and Why it's Worth the Effort by Matt Pearsall Creating Connections in Our School: It was BIGGER than We Thought! by Ellen D'Amore and Erin Tobul Technology in Advisory Programs: The Softer Side of Hardware by Lynn Salehi Making a Difference through Student Advocacy by Dru Tomlin Jump-Start Your Student Advocacy Program by Jill Dreer, Jennifer Moyer, Nancy Schneider, Meredith Weiss, and Susan Lloyd

We asked:	Does your school provide a computer or device to all students for educational purposes (1:1:)?
You said:	59.44%	Yes, we provide computers
	23.58%	No, but we're considering or planning this
	14.22%	Yes, we provide a tablet device
	2.76%	No, but we've tried this in the past
Resources:	The Intersection between 1:1 Laptop Implementation and the Characteristics of Effective Middle Level Schools by John Downes, Penny Bishop Transforming Middle School Practice Through Instructional Technology by Andrew Maxey, Elizabeth Hancock Distance Learning: The Wave of the Future by Brian Cook, Kristi Schmidt, Katherine Shaffer Talking Tech for the PBL Classroom by Kristie Smith Information Overload: Giving Students the Tools They Need to Navigate the Digital World by Suzanne Zimbler Going Online to Improve Student Achievement by Mary Slaughter, Connie Shubert, Brenda Dix Making Tough Technology Decisions by Sandra Wozniak

We asked:	How do you feel about the attention paid to standardized tests at your school?
You said:	32.40%	We pay too much attention
	31.20%	It's just right
	26.35%	We pay slightly too much attention
	5.15%	We don't focus on this at all
	4.90%	We need to pay more attention
Resources:	The Relationship between Curriculum-based Measures in Oral Reading Fluency and High-Stakes Tests for Seventh Grade Students by Sawyer A. Hunley, Susan C. Davies, Christina R. Miller Efficient vs. Effective Environments: Testing the Testing Environment by Katie Houdek The Influence of Computer-Assisted Instruction on Eighth Grade Mathematics Achievement by Christopher H. Tienken, James A. Maher Helping Students Understand the Rigors of Assessment Text by Ruby Payne

We asked:	About engaging outside experts for student learning … do you:
You said:	68.99%	Hold assemblies with guest speakers
	48.37%	Host experts in person directly in the classroom
	29.40%	Students visit outside professionals
	23.32%	Hold virtual discussions (phone, Skype, live webinar) with outside experts
	18.48%	None of these
Resources:	Going Beyond School by Rachel Mark, Katy Farber No More Assemblies by Vanessa Scanfeld, Vincent Dotoli

We asked:	Which statement most closely reflects your view of focusing on growth mindset?
You said:	79.95%	I firmly believe in the importance of growth mindset and coach my students to develop this way of thinking about learning
	13.98%	It's a good way to view learning, but has limited usefulness
	6.07%	It's just the latest buzz, fad, jargon
Resources:	Grit and Growth Mindset: Deficit Thinking? by Rick Wormeli Webinar: Growth Mindset in the Middle School Classroom: Lessons for Teachers with presenters Rachel Kamb, Tammy Fisher, Kate Tovias