Origins of Middle School
Education
FROM PESTALOZZI TO THE PRESENT
1700 – 1800s
European Educational Thought
 Suggested teaching and learning strategies that were
both personal and active – Rousseau, Pestalozzi and
Froebels.
 Role of teaching was not to
“correct” students or
“fill them up” with knowledge;
rather guide the student
as he/she unfolded.
1700-1800s
American Educational Thought
 1740 Ben Franklin “it would be well if they could be
taught everything that is useful – but their time is
short and it is therefore proposed that they learn
those things that are most useful.”
 Education should be relevant to the needs of
learners.
 1896 NEA – “Modern education emphasizes that the
child, not the subject of study, is the guide to the
teacher’s efforts. To know the child is of paramount
importance.”
The Junior High Revolution
 1860s – disruption in secondary and higher
education due to war
 1872 – legal mandate for tax-supported secondary
education
 1890s – unequal education; Committee of Ten
recommends standardization (Carnegie Units);
different committee recommends creating a 6 year
high school
 1910 – the 6-6 education plan remains the norm
FYI
Carnegie Units
Credits awarded for completing high
school courses developed as a means
of measuring the number of courses
that students would be required to
complete in order to g raduate .
20th Century
 Late 1800s - Early 1900s John Dewey –
“Education…must begin with a psychological insight
into the child’s capacities, interests and habits.”
(Progressive Education)
 Exploration should be used as guide for curriculum
and instruction.
 Traditional Education vs.
Progressive Education
Traditional vs. Progressive
 Curriculum
 Chief function is to
transmit perennial
truths
 Strive toward uniform
curriculum and teaching
 What are “frills”;
What are “essentials”
 Curriculum
 Major function is to
foster creative thinking
and problem solving
 Strive toward
individuality and
connection to life skills
 What are “frills”;
What are “essentials”
Make Way for the Junior High
 1909 – first junior high servicing grades
7-9 in Ohio (Florida not far behind)
 1919 – Junior High receives recognition from North
Central Association of Colleges and Secondary
Schools
 1920 – approximately 400 junior highs in existence
1930-1960
 New instructional practices based on human
development research
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Team teaching
Cooperative learning
Outdoor education
Open-space facilities
 Not very effective since simply superimposed on a
content curriculum model
 1950s – junior highs increased to nearly 6500 by the
mid 50s
1930s-1960s continued
 Gruhn and Douglas propose Six Functions of a junior
high school.
 Differentiation is just now becoming a common
place word within the schools!
1960s
 Human development research pushes US education
closer to reformation of both purpose and structure
of schooling.
 Jean Piaget’s work (How about a video?)
 Integration of the nation’s schools
1965
 New and Inventive educational programs take center
stage due to research in human growth and
development.
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Early childhood education
Middle school education
Special education
Gifted education
Early Intentions
 Specialness of the age group entering puberty
 Adaptive curriculum that is sensitive to the needs of
individual learners
 Active and practical curriculum to engage students
 The Junior High never achieved the curriculum
goals
Why the Junior High Did Not Succeed
 Tremendous growth in
enrollment
 Most resources went to
create new facilities and
materials for the
additional students
 Most junior highs were
located in old high school
buildings
 Teacher training for
specialization in junior
high was non-existent
 Never broke free from
the content-focused
curriculum
 Continued
departmentalization of
teachers and schedule
 9th grade needed to
follow the Carnegie Unit
system
How did we get to the Middle
School?
FOUR KEY FACTORS
Pictionary First Drawing
 Directions: Each group member will draw one word
or phrase. You may not use words, written or verbal,
to help your teammates.
 First Person, prepare to draw
your word or phrase that
relates to the development
of the middle school.
Ready, Set…
First Factor – Teacher Shortage
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The late 1950s and early 1960s incurred criticisms
of all schools, in addition to classroom and teacher
shortages and increasing tax rates
Why Johnny Can’t Read – who wants to be a
teacher?
Sputnik – Let’s blame all the teachers again!
Renewed interest in college prep programs meant a
desire for 4 year high schools (9th grade removed
from Jr. High) Teachers had to shift and refocus.
Pictionary Drawing #2
READY, SET...
Second Factor
Ef fort to eliminate racial seg regation.
Deseg regation in the schools gave us the
opportunity to try new things and be
adventurous in both
curriculum and instruction.
Drawing #3
HERE WE GO!
Third Factor – Baby Boom!

Increased enrollment of school-aged children in the
50s and 60s. Lots of babies were born after the war!

Shortage of buildings meant double or triple school
sessions – staggered starting times and the like – did I
mention that many schools are back to this scheduling
nightmare?!
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Older students could handle the overcrowding better
than the younger so 9th grade moved to high school
Last But Not Least - #4
THIS IS A TOUGH ONE 
Fourth Factor – Jump on the Bandwagon
A good reputation is a desirable goal
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One middle school received a favorable review in books and
periodicals
Administrators decided to jump on the bandwagon and ride
into the future as it was the “thing to do”
So, Where are we Today?
 NMSA – National Middle School Association latest and greatest
version of This We believe – their foundational ‘mission
statement’ to the world
 Turning Points 2000 – A study conducted by the Carnegie
Corporation to see how things were going in middle grades.
 National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform – a
broadcast from NPR regarding rethinking education
 There are many organizations and groups that seek
transformation of the middle grades, as well as groups to support
middle grades teachers and professors!
 How do we know if it is a middle school or a junior high? And
hey! What’s the difference anyway?
What should we teach?
 WI and IL State and National Standards
 Social studies for example!
 What about Advisory? (or you can go here)
How should we Teach?
 Strategies to make your classroom and school
successful!
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Cooperative Learning
Differentiated Instruction
Student Designed Curriculum
All the other Hands-On, Minds-on, Interactive, Active,
Indoors/Outdoors, Mixed methods that you can possibly think
of to motivate your students on an intrinsic level to absorb and
retain as much of the good stuff as they can Handel!
Reflection Time!
 In reviewing our past and analyzing our present, the
issues our middle schools will face in the future will
be significant, stemming from curricular, financial,
and developmental fronts. What course of action
should administrators and teachers take to ensure
the success of our students?
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What strategies or guiding principles should be initiated now?
What policies or ideas should be removed from the middle
level at the current time?
A short biblio of resources and picture credits
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Anfara, V.A. (2001). The handbook of research in middle level education (ed.). Ca: information age publishing.
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George, P.S. & Alexander, W.M. (2003). The exemplary middle school (3rd ed). CA: Wadsworth.
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Knowles, T. & Brown, D.F. (2007). What every middle school teacher should know (2nd ed.). NH: Heinemann.
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Wiles, J., Bondi, J., & Wiles, M. (2006). The essential middle school (4th ed.). New York: Allyn & Bacon.
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http://nyteachers.Wordpress.Com/2009/03/04
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http://www2.Education.Ualberta.Ca/staff/olenka.Bilash/best%20of%20bilash/differentiation.html
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http://www.customermanufacturing.com/newsletters/oct04.html
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http://www.mhs-pa.org/about/campus-buildings/middle-school/
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http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/thisweekineducation/2007/09/spotted_cruising_for_an_endors.html
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http://www.carlslife.ca/
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http://www.panix.com/~pro-ed/cartoon.gif