Organizational Structures

Middle School Matters!

When a whole school district decides to make middle level education a priority, amazing things happen The relatively low priority for middle level education is a nearly universal condition particularly well known to those engaged in educating young adolescents. These passionate educators are committed to pouring themselves into educating students in one of the most

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Is Your School Schedule Flexible?

Flexible organizational structures place the locus of control in the hands of teachers Early leaders of the middle school concept established the goal of flexible organizational structures. But what is flexibility? The answer might include The utilization of opportunities to make change The absence of rigidity An openness to various ways of implementing decisions, programs,

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Becoming a Restorative Practices School

How one school created a culture focused on improving student behavior Background For many years educators have used punishment, or fear of punishment, as the primary deterrent to student misconduct. We have tried zero tolerance, excessive use of in-school suspension (ISS) and out of school suspension (OSS), elimination of student privileges, and numerous other consequences

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Diagonal Alignment

A tool to integrate basic skills across the curriculum In working with teachers on integration and differentiation, there are a few obstacles that are prevalent in almost every group. Logistics in implementing this approach in a system that is currently used is a common hurdle. Another hurdle is trying to integrate curriculums to determine what

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The Role of Learning Management Systems in Middle Schools

How an LMS supports learning, communication, and collaboration Schools are incessantly faced with implementing new initiatives and programs. Clickers in the classroom! Use cell phones! One-to-one laptops! Online textbooks! Communicate with parents digitally! The list is endless and the pressure to keep up with ever-evolving technology is constant. Sometimes educators have trouble keeping up with

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