Middle and Secondary Schools Purpose , Organization, Structure, and Reform

1. Middle and Secondary Schools Purpose, Organization, Structure, and Reform

2. Middle and Secondary Schools • Middle school – any school that includes students in some combination of grades 5-8 • Secondary school – any school that houses students in some combination of grades 7-12

3. Colonial Education:The First Schools • Religion played a key role • Education started in the home • Dame schools – women taught reading, writing, and basic math skills in their homes • Apprenticeships – after 1-3 years of study, boys completed an apprenticeship to master a trade • Teachers were hired once a town reached 50 households

4. Forerunners of Secondary Schools • Latin Grammar Schools – Boston Latin Grammar School founded in 1635 • Academies – Franklin Academy established in Philadelphia in 1751 • English Classical Schools – The first American public high school started in Boston in 1821 when the English Classical School (later renamed the English High School) opened

5. Funding for Public Secondary Education • Most schools that were established in the early 1800s charged tuition and fees • Deluder Satan Act required residents of Massachusetts to support elementary education as early as 1647 • Communities with 500+ families were required to establish publicly funded high schools in 1827 • In 1874, the Kalamazoo Michigan Case provided state governments with the ability to levy taxes to support high schools

6. The Creation of Junior High Schools • Intermediate schools were established on the east coast at the beginning of the 20th century • First junior high school founded in Berkeley, CA in 1909 • By 1930, there were over 2,000 junior high schools • By the 1970s there were over 8,000 junior high schools

7. Creation of Middle Schools • Middle schools were started in the mid 1900s • Common features of middle schools include: interdisciplinary teaching teams, integrated curriculum, age-appropriate student-centered instructional strategies, block scheduling, and teacher advising programs

8. The Changing Purpose of Education • Schooling in the Colonial Era – focused on moral development, adherence to religious doctrine, while securing social stability • In the 1800s, school focused on preparing students for the changing economy • Current purpose of schooling is debated; some think it is to prepare students for work, others believe it should prepare students for post-secondary education

9. Organizing Education to Meet Student’s Needs • Different types of schools: (a) Magnet school –specializes in a particular area (b) Fundamental school – teaches basic skills (c) Charter school – autonomous w/charter/overseen (d) For-profit school – public school –for profit company (e) Partnership school – w/business or industry (f) Tech prep high school- leads to applied science degree

10. Learning Communities • Teaching Teams   • The School-Within-a-School (SWAS) Concept  • Teacher’s Daily Schedules  • Common Planning Time for Interdisciplinary Teams