Chapter 2: Turning Points 2000: A Design for Improving Middle Grades Education

Chapter two is completely about the ways that schools should alter their design as well as their mindset about middle schools. There were seven major recommendations for teaching middle schools. They are: Teach a curriculum grounded in rigorous, public academic standards for what students should know and be able to do, relevant to the concerns of adolescents and based on how students learn best, use instructional methods designed to prepare all students to achieve higher standards and become lifelong learners, staff middle grades school with teachers who are expert at teaching young adolescents, and engage teachers in ongoing, targeted profession a development opportunities, organize relationships for learning to create a climate of intellectual development and a caring community of shared educational purpose, govern democratically, through direct or representative participation by all school staff members, the adults who know the students best, provide a safe and health school environment as part of improving academic performance and developing caring and ethical citizens, and involve parents and communities in supporting student learning and healthy development. I think it is really sad that a study had to be done to see that these seven steps should be taken to create a comfortable middle school atmosphere. I feel like this should just be done without question.