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Perspectives on the Middle School Movement: Snapshots from the Past Jn the 1960s forward-looking educators, critiquing the stagnant nature of the ‘American junior high school, proposed a new form of school for young adolescents. The 30-year struggle to provide appropriate education for these youth continues. By P. Elizabeth Pate & K. Denise Muth s the middle school movement in the A Inited States begins its fourth decade, this aticle presents snapshots from the past highlighting important ideas, people, and events from that movement. It begins with shart biogra- phies of those founding fathers of the mile School movement, followed by a brief history of the mavement itself, and conchudes with atime: line of seminal writings. Conrad &.Toepfer, I: (right) and Donald H, Eichhorn (let) Snapshot: The Founding Fathers Change and reform start with new ideas presented by forward-looking thinkers. In the middle school movement, this was evidenced by the work of William M, Alexander, Donald H. Eichhorn, John H. Lounsbury, Conrad F Toepfer, Jr. and Gordon Vars. Fach person was on the edge; together they comprised the “cutting edge.” These men had a vision of middle level education that shaped a foundation for the middle school movement, Middle School Journal « November 2003 ————————————— 30 Years of Advocating for Young Adolescents 5 William M. Alexander Known as the “father of the middle school,” William Alexander pioneered work on middle school curricu- lum, After serving as a teacher, he achieved national recognition for his work in curriculum development. | Middle schools, characterized by inter- disciplinary teams, challenging curriculum, advisory programs, and exploratory programs, have made tremendous progress but still have a long way to go. While a college professor, he articulated what junior high schools should look like and how they should operate. He first used the term "middle schoo!” in 1963. It quickly caught on because many recognized that the junior high school was not meeting the needs of young adolescents. The Emergent Middle 1 School, co-authored by Alexander, Is regarded as one fof the earliest scholarly writings focusing on middie | school education. Donald H. Eichhorn Donald Eichhorn began his career as a custodian in a junior high school before becoming a middle school teacher, then a principal, and finally a super: intendent, His focus was always on creating the most effective learning environment for young ado- lescents. His early interest in medicine and health ues helped him top priate schools for young adolescents. He was one of the first to implement the concept of advisory ‘groups as wel as multi-age and developmental ‘grouping. Eichhorn played prominent roles not only in the leadership of National Middle Schoo! Association (NMSA) but also of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), John H. Lounsbury John Lounsbury’s steength of character and personal convictions, along with new insights about progres sive education obtained while working on his doc- torate at George Peabody College for Teachers, shaped his thinking about schooling young adoles cenis. Lounsbury’ belief about middle school educa- tion is simplee The child i the heart of the school, 16 Middle Schoo! Journal « November 2003, According to Lounsbury, teaching is a moral enter. prise and schools must be child-centered places where young people experience democracy. Every thought, every action of middle school educators should focus on “doing what we know is best for this age group's growth and development.” This phi Iosophy has guided Lounsbury’s writings, presenta- tions, and involvement on behalf of young adoles- cents for half a century. Conrad F. Toepfer, Ir Conrad Toepfer, 2 gifted musician and a baseball afi- Gonado, is noted for being an ardent advocate for human rights, particularly the rights of children. Through his work in the mid.'S0s and the ‘60s with ASCD he helped to bring issues related to the educa- tion of young adolescents to the national forefront. ‘During his tenure as NMSA president in 1987-1988, this man of deep commitment and principles focused! the organization on racial diversity and parental issues. He also played an influential role as chairman of the ‘National Association of Secondary Schoo! Principals (NASSP) Council on Middle Level Education. Gordon F. Vars Gordon Vars was an aeronautical engineer while on. active duty in World War If, but decided to become a teacher, Harold Alberty, a professor at the Ohio State University, greatly shaped Vars’ educational philosophy. "Studying the adolescent” and “teacher. student planning” became foundations for Vars’ sup: port of the core curriculum and other integrative “approaches to curriculum. Since his first teaching made significant contributions to the education of young adolescents and is highly regarded as a curriculum scholar and authority. For more information on each of these innovative thinkers and risk-lakers, please refer to McEwin (1992), Brough, (1994), Johnston (1992), Bergmann (2994), and Dyer (1993), Snapshot: Brief History of the Middle School Movement This section provides a brief history of the middle school movement. Readers interested in a more detailed history of the movement are relerred to ‘Alexander and McEwin (1989), Lounsbury (1990), Melton (1984), and Moore and Stefanich (1990) The Committee on Economy of Time in Education in a 1913 report first proposed that the 6-6 grade arrangement advocated by earlier national commit. Into 6-3-3. This came a few years after several junior highs had already been established The number of junior high schools in the country rose rapilly to more than 7,000 by the early 19 By then, the founding fathers of the middle school movernent, all of whom had been actively trying to reform junior high schools, realized that what was, needed! was a school that would more adequately serve the physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and moral development of young adolescents. During the late 1960s as a considerable number of 648 institutions opened in the Midwest, eamestdis- cussion began about starting a professional organiza tion focused specifically on the middle school. In 1971 a small group of educators, primarily princi: pals, began the Midwest Middle School Association ata conference in Dayton, OH, attended by 128 people who elected Gordon Vas as thelr first presi dent. The Midwest Association reorganized itself in 1973 as the National Middle School Association, an organization devoted specifically and exclusively to the furtherance of middle level education with membership open to anyone interested in the edu cation of young adolescents. NMSA has served the middle school movement by providing a voice, sup port services, and publications for professionals and ‘others Interested in the education and well being of young adolescents. As the number of junior high schools in the country decreased dramatically, the number of mid: ie schools increased equally dramatically. Today's middle schools, characterized by interdisciplinary teams, challenging cursiculam, advisory programs, and exploratory programs, have made tremendous progress but they still have a long way to fulfill their commitment to young adolescents, tees be divide Snapshot: Timeline of Seminal Writings The following timeline highlights seminal writings of the middle school movement. We asked 12 win ners of the John H. Lounsbury Award, NMSA‘s high est honor, to identify seminal writings on the educa- tion of young adolescents, pieces that had an impact and continue to be important @ of the 15 Lounsbury Award winners are deceased) These writings comprise a collective strand that has helped shape the middle school movement. According to the winners, identifying seminal writings was a “difficult,” “challenging,” and important” task. Following most references are comments by award winners. 1920s + Koos, L. (1920). The junior high school. New York: Harcourt, Brace, and Howe & Briggs, (1920). The junior high school. New York: Houghton Mifflin, "These two books, authored by the major promoters of the junior high school, make it evident the initial advocacy for the junior high school was essentially the same as the advo- cacy for the middle school. The failure of the jun- ior high school was in its implementation, not in its original intent.” 1940s + Gruhn, W.T, & Douglass, H.R. (1947). The nodern junior high school. New York: The Ronald Press, “A standard that did much to keep the ariginal intent of the junior high school move ment alive. Its, surprisingly, very contemporary.” THE MIDDLE SCHOOL Pilea sre ererere ny FOR YOUNG |ADOLESCENTS oo mal Gs Ry MELE y4

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