Denise Fawcett Facey

Asked which grades are most difficult, the vast majority of teachers will tell you that it’s middle school. A jumble of childish emotions and adolescent hormones, students of this age often contend with so much within themselves that their ability to successfully interact with each other and simultaneously master their course work is a true challenge. That’s why a study by Columbia University researchers Benjamin B. Lockwood and Jonah E. Rockoff is so intriguing.

What they found was that middle school students’ grades dropped precipitously in English and math as they entered middle school in sixth grade and never recovered. Yet this situation doesn't occur with students in K-8 schools. Additionally, by eighth grade, these middle school students scored approximately seven percentile points lower on standardized math tests than students who remained in K-8 schools.

Their research, collated over a 10-year period (1998-2008), was based on data for New York City public school students who were third through eighth graders when the research began. The researchers’ sampled 15,000 students in K-8 schools and 177,000 students in traditional middle schools of grades 6-8.

Interestingly, the disparity remained consistent despite the fact that there was no significant difference in class size or socioeconomics between the two types of schools. Thus, Lockwood and Rockoff concluded that it is the transition from elementary to middle schools that has the negative impact, and further, that perhaps middle school should be eliminated in favor of K-8 schools.

While I agree with the first part of their conclusion, I find the idea of entirely eliminating middle schools problematic. I’ve long advocated placing sixth grade back in elementary school, contending that these children are not developmentally ready for the demands of multiple teachers or the overall atmosphere of middle school. And, essentially, K-8 schools do just that. In fact, the results of this study seem to lend credence to my stance.

Plus, having attended and enjoyed a K-8 school myself, about a hundred years ago, I readily accept the premise that these schools have the built-in advantage of the students already knowing each other, their teachers and the general expectations of the school, while middle school students are traversing completely new ground in all these areas. However, I still tend to think that middle school is a viable alternative, with some modifications.

First, begin middle school with seventh grade, when students are developmentally a bit more equipped to handle it. This would smooth the transition from elementary school as well as the later shift to high school. Additionally, have all middle school teachers teach two subjects, thereby reducing the number of teachers to which the students must adapt, and once again facilitating both transitions. I bet this would work. And I think the study’s results might have been different had middle schools been structured this way.

That’s my opinion. What do you think?

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