The SREB-State Middle Grades Consortium

Making the Middle Grades Work

The SREB-State Middle Grades Consortium’s goal is to raise the academic achievement of all middle grades students and to increase the percentages of students at the basic and proficient levels as defined by the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Need for improvement

Middle grades students in the 16-state SREB region lag behind their counterparts nationally, and increasing numbers of students are unprepared to do the quality work now required for graduation from high school. The Middle Grades Consortium proposes that all students learn a rigorous core curriculum of mathematics, reading, English/language arts, science and social studies. These courses should be taught by highly qualified teachers who engage students through relevant, hands-on materials and activities, and students should leave eighth grade ready for success in high school.

The consortium approach

SREB believes that a partnership with state and local leaders can help accelerate change in the middle grades across the region. By agreeing to implement a comprehensive improvement framework, each participating state, district and school site can share the strategies that accelerate student achievement. By working together and sharing successful policies and practices, the middle grades framework for improving student achievement can be adapted to a variety of settings for broad use across the region.

The comprehensive improvement framework

An academic core that is aligned with rigorous content and performance standards — All students in the middle grades must have academic core curricula that accelerate their learning, challenge them and appeal to their interests.

In mathematics, all students either complete Algebra 1 with acceptable performance or pass a pre-algebra test of proficiency and use algebra concepts to reason and solve problems.
In science, all students in the middle grades use laboratory and technology experiences to learn scientific concepts in physical, life and earth/space sciences.
Reading instruction across content areas should be part of the academic core curricula through grade eight.
The language arts curriculum requires exiting eighth-graders to use language correctly and effectively to find, organize and report on information through reading, writing, speaking and listening.
The social studies curriculum requires that, before students can exit eighth grade, they describe their heritage, their government, their world and economic principles through key issues of the past, present and future.

A belief that all students matter — Each student needs to have a personal relationship with an adult mentor or advocate who takes an interest in his or her successful learning, goal-setting, career-planning and personal growth.

High expectations and a system of extra help and time —Students learn in different ways and at different rates. It is important to provide enough time and help to give all students the opportunity to meet more rigorous, consistent standards.

Classroom practices that engage students in their learning — Young adolescents need varied learning activities linked to challenging academic content, and they need opportunities to use new skills and concepts in “real-world” applications.

Teachers working together — All teachers need time to plan together, to develop and coordinate learning activities, and to share student work that meets proficiency standards.

Support from parents — Parents must have a clear understanding of and must support the higher standards for performance in the middle grades.

Qualified teachers — Middle grades teachers must know both academic content and how to teach young adolescents.

Use of data — States, districts and schools must use data on student, school and teacher performance continuously to affirm or revise school and classroom practices that will improve student achievement.

Exploring and using technology — Middle grades students and teachers must have opportunities to explore and use technology to improve knowledge and skills in English/language arts, reading, mathematics, science and social studies. Learning through activities and applications across the curriculum develops expertise in technology.

Strong leadership — Middle grades schools need strong, effective principals who encourage teachers and actively participate with them in planning and implementing research-based improvements in school and classroom practices.

How will the framework be implemented?

Schools participating in the Middle Grades Consortium agree to:

support a rigorous and challenging academic core for all students;

participate in the NAEP-based Middle Grades Assessment and use all available data to develop solutions to identified needs;

conduct an orientation for school staff that documents the need for change and invites broad participation in planning and implementing changes;

develop a three-year action plan that details specific steps and key conditions that lead to accelerated student achievement;

provide professional development for teachers and staff and provide time and opportunity to work together to implement the comprehensive improvement framework; and

appoint a school site coordinator.

SREB will:

provide resources and professional development for state, school and district leaders;

coordinate activities, networking and visits to states and school sites;

analyze and report on the progress of states and sites in improving student learning; and

develop written materials to support implementation of the comprehensive improvement framework.

To assist schools and districts, the state will:

adopt the middle grades framework of standards-based policies and practices;

select districts and schools to demonstrate the middle grades framework;

provide technical assistance and staff development activities related to implementing the framework;

gather data from a baseline assessment and biennial assessments; and

examine resources allocated to the middle grades.

Contact information
For more information on the SREB-State
Middle Grades Consortium, contact:

Toni Eubank, Director,
Making Middle Grades Work
toni.eubank@sreb.org
or
Barbara Moore, Associate Director,
Making Middle Grades Work
barbara.moore@sreb.org
Southern Regional Education Board
592 10th St. N.W.
Atlanta, GA 30318-5790
(404) 875-9211

Support for consortium activities is provided by member states.

Southern Regional Education Board

SREB, the nation’s first interstate compact for education, was created in 1948 at the request of governors and state legislatures. Its 16 current members stretch from Delaware to Texas. The governing board consists of the governor and four other individuals from each member state. Of these four people, who are appointed by the governor, at least one must be an educator and at least one must be a state legislator.

This publication is available in Adobe Acrobat Reader PDF format.

For more information on publications, please e-mail publications@sreb.org or call (404) 875-9211, Ext. 236.