Toward Schools in the Middle: Progress and Problems

Throughout the twentieth century, many efforts have been made to find a grade organization for American schools better than the eight-grade elementary and four-grade secondary pattern of education that had become common by the latter part of the twentieth century. Now as we face the twentyfirst century, a three-level, elementary-middle-secondary organization has become the prevailing plan, but many problems remain with the school in the middle and how it fits with the ones above and below. Curriculum and supervisory leaders and others have done much, but much more needs to be done before the new schools in the middle can achieve their founders' hopes of promoting better education. The following brief review of the various school organizations in the middle is intended to provide a basis for examining the progress, problems, and prospects of the middle level.