HIT:MS vs JH: part 1

[Tracey Donaldson <LadyLibrar@AOL.COM>]

Again, thank you so much to everyone who replied to my question!  The main
difference seems to be in team teaching vs. the traditional departmentalized
teaching.  I've had quite a few requests for a HIT though, so here it is.....
=)

Tracey Donaldson
University at Albany
School of Information Science & Policy
Fresh Grad -- Yeah!!!!
ladylibrar@aol.com
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Hi!  We're a middle school, so I guess I can answer this.  The main two
philosophical differences are:  teaming (the kids belong to one core group of
teachers all day, like my "house" or "trail" is called Minneopa, and the
other trail is called Sakatah.  Our kids never have a Sakatah teacher for any
subject.  The other difference is a team-teaching, inter-dsicplinary
approach.  Like when our kids study the Holocaust, as an example, they study
it in every discipline.  Does that help?

Virjean Griensewic
Media Specialist
Dakota Meadows Middle School

Mankato, MN 56001
vgrien1@dakota.isd77.k12.mn.us
http://www.isd77.k12.mn.us/staffdir/staff2/Griensewic_Virjean.html
http://www.isd77.k12.mn.us/lovelace/mhl.html

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Tracey,

I haven't been able to find any philosophical differences, just semantic
differences.   "Jr. High" is an "old" term.  It was superceded by
"Intermediate School" (when I was at that grade level) and now by "middle
school."

>From what I've seen in our area, the old jr. high was 7th/8th grades only
(in my hometown, they moved out of the elementary school into their own
building located next to the high school).  Intermediate eventually included
grades 5 and/or 6, as does the middle school.

These are the only differences I could find....the educators are finally
realizing that this 5-8th grade age group has its own unique needs/problems.
 Maybe that's why they're trying to get them in the same building!  (Of
course, LMSs could have told the "powers that be" that years ago!)  ;-)

Barbara

Barbara R. Herbert                      home:<bherb@juno.com>
Georgian Court College             work:<herbert@georgian.edu>
Lakewood, NJ  08701-2697

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I think middle is now the preferred term.  Basically, they mean the same
 grades, usually 6-8.  The school district where I once taught ( and will  be
high school librarian next year!) ha many 1 and 2 grade level campues , so it
had middle school (5 and 6) and jr. high (7 and 8).  Most schools aroun here
use the tern middle now.  hope it helps!  sally

Sally Rathbun                            rathbun@tenet.edu
Ore City I.S.D. Library                  phone: 903-968-3300
P. O. Box 100                            fax:   903-968-3797
Ore City, Texas 75605
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Tracy,

I have taught classes on middle school philosophy.  I might suggest that you
try and find a book by Paul S. George. (HE has written extensively on this
subject.)   One that comes to mind is "The Middle School and Beyond." You
might also want to find some materials by Nancy Doda or Sandra Schurr. I hope
this helps?

Gene

Gene Menicucci, Director
Instructional Materials Center Library
Helena School District No. 1
1600 8th Avenue
Helena, MT 59601
genem@mtlib.org

Voice:  (406) 447-8858
Fax:    (406) 447-8857

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Hi Tracey,
The best answer that I can come up with. Is that Middle School is more of  an
extension of elementary school, where Jr. High was just that more like  the
high schools.  The teachers ata middle school school be "teamed" meaning that
they work together with the same set of students to make sure they achieve.
In theory this should work well.

Steven Burstein
Parkman Middle School
Woodland Hills, CA
sburstei@lausd.k12.ca.us
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> philosophical difference between a middle school and a junior high school?

I'm not sure about the philosophical difference, but I will tell you that
buying books for 6th grade is MUCH different than buying books that will
interest 7th and 8th graders. Sixth grade students still read like 4th and
5th grade. Seventh and eighth graders want pre-high school stuff -- love
stories and all of that. Sixth grade won't touch love stories AT ALL.

Betty
        Betty Dawn Hamilton * bhamilt@tenet.edu * 806.637.4523
Learning Resources Specialist * Tenet Master Trainer * Brownfield High School

                701 Cub Drive * Brownfield, TX 79316
*******************************************

Middle school has traditionally been seen as a way to more gently ease
students into the jr. high experience by being a transition between
elementary and secondary education.  When 6th graders stayed in an elementary
setting and then go to jr. high as 7th graders, they were thrown in with 9th
graders who are very...uh.."mature".  There were lots of concerns about a
more 'adult" lifestyle being thrown at 7th
graders. So 9th graders were moved into the high school and the 6th graders
were moved to be with 7th and 8th graders. It worked for awhile, but now
those 8th graders really contrast to those "little" 6th graders we see every
fall, although not to the extent that the 9th graders were a contrast.  But
the 8th graders take on the mantle of "mature" much faster.


A jr. high models itself on the high school experience, with emphasis on a
student's classes as separate subjects.  In the middle school approach, there
attempts to be provision for a gradual transition from the self-contained
classroom of elementary school to the subject approach of high school.
 Usually this is done with grouping students in "teams", often with some time
set aside for mentoring/counseling/study help by the teachers.  Also students
tend to begin with having 2 or 3 academic teachers in 6th/7th grade, moving
to a separate teacher for each course in 8th grade.  The emphasis in a middle
school setting is focused on a student's social/emotional growth as much as
academic progress.
Does this help any?

Sarah Wurdlow, Media Specialist
Clinton Middle School
Columbus, OH
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I was a junior high teacher.  We had departments and did very little work
collaboratively.  The students were involved in competitive sports.

I am a middle school librarian.  The teachers are on "teams' of basic
skills--math, science, social studies, reading, and English.  They do more
work across the curriculum.  There is an emphasis on exploratory classes
(home economics, industrial tech, art, music, etc).  Students are involved in
extra-curricular activities after school.

If you want MORE info, I would be happy to share!
Velda McMorris
Antioch Middle School
Gladstone, MO
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Thanks for asking the philosophical difference between middle school and
junior high school.  I happen to be in the middle of studying for my
qualifying exams for a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction and reviewed
what one of my professors said just today. The Junior High School was first
established in 1909 to help students make the transition from elementary to
high school, thus it was set up to be a
"junior" high school.

The Middle School philosophy differs in that the main purpose is not to
prepare for high school but to educate students in this age group in
developmentally appropriate ways.    Ideas that complement middle school
include teaming, cooperative teaching, block scheduling, and school within a
school.

OF course there is a whole lot missing from this summary.  That is why there
are whole courses structured around the unique needs of students from ages 11
& 12 through ages 14 & 15.  As a 20 year veteran of education who has taught
at both ends but not in the middle, I have to agree with the middle school
philosophy.  I know we start kids off right.  I know there are stimulating
teachers and courses at the high school level for those students who are
still interested.  What happens in between?  I am not blaming teachers,
because I think there are many dedicated teachers who
work with adolescents in the middle years.  Could it be that the structure of
education for students this age has not been appropriate?  There is
interesting brain research which relates to this, also, if you care to
research it more in-depth.

Hope I didn't overload you with opinions.  It seemed timely because I have
been studying that for my exams.

Marilyn Beaird
University of North Texas
mmb0004@jove.acs.unt.edu
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