Education Level: Middle Grades
Middle Grades
Grades 5-8
In early adolescence, interventions are critical to move students up the path to academic success and keep them from veering off course. No transition is more important than the often-difficult one from 8th to 9th grade.
Supporting Students in the Middle Grades
Academic success, engagement, attendance, and postsecondary preparation hinge on smooth transitions at the center of K-12.
This article was published in the State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, in May 2025.
SREB’s Creed Dunn, Judy Frank, and Allyson Morgan offer lessons from Southern states on supporting students in their transition into and out of middle school. The article includes strategies from Alabama principals, the perceptions of Arkansas sixth graders, career exploration in Delaware, Mississippi’s transition toolkit and Louisiana’s Transitional Ninth Grade. Recommendations cover communication, student metrics, social development, professional development, and school structure.
A New Mission for the Middle Grades
Preparing Students for a Changing World
Report of the SREB Middle Grades Commission
The report of the SREB Middle Grades Commission issues an urgent call for states to improve achievement in the middle grades so students are ready for success in rigorous high school courses and better prepared to graduate and proceed to college or technical training. A New Mission for the Middle Grades offers a comprehensive roadmap for change,
Smart Class-Size Policies for Lean Times
This policy brief summarizes class-size reduction policies across the region, reviews research on the issue, and offers recommendations on how states might make sensible adjustments without jeopardizing student achievement.
