Meeting the Unique Needs of Young Adolescents and the Adults Who Work with Them

The middle grades (5–8) are a pivotal time in students’ long-term success. During these years, students develop knowledge and skills that will take them through high school and beyond. The middle grades are also critical to the success of No Child Left Behind: more than half of all annual testing under the law occurs in grades 5–8.

Different Ways of Knowing addresses the growing national need of educators to ensure the success of middle grades students.

• We help teachers recognize and cope with the differences among students in the
  11–14-year-old age group.
• We train teachers to provide middle grades students academic experiences that are academically, developmentally, and socially responsive.
• We help schools form multiple small communities of learners so that every child is known by at least one adult who serves as mentor and guide.
• We work with teachers to integrate research-based best practices into curriculum, instruction, and assessment to ensure success for every student.

• Small, supportive learning communities
• Cooperative learning strategies used throughout the day
• Meaningful and rigorous curriculum content
• Responsive support systems that assist students
• Programs that ease transitions into and out of the middle grades
• Active family and community roles

We respond to the urgency for higher student achievement and quality education for all adolescents by offering middle schools a suite of services customized for grades 5–8.

• Model curriculum materials
• Professional development institutes
• On-site educational consulting
• Facilitated study group meetings
• Leadership workshops
• Links to online learning
• Family and community connections
• Interactive, Web-based guidance and support