MGE 5360 - Middle School Philosophy and Organization

Credits: 3 hrs.

According to This We Believe published by the National Middle School Association in 1982 and revised in 1995, and This We Believe: Successful Schools for Young Adolescents (2003) the middle school is an educational response to the needs and characteristics of youngsters during early adolescence and, as such, deals with the full range of intellectual and developmental needs. In addition, the developmental diversity of this age group makes it especially difficult to organize an educational program that adequately meets the needs of all.

This course provides an opportunity for students to analyze essential characteristics of the middle school including the following: curriculum designs appropriate for students at this age level, alternative designs for teacher-student guidance programs, interdisciplinary team organizations for student grouping, developmentally appropriate assessment strategies, diversity issues and organizational features of the effective middle school.