Middle Schools Matter, Too (And Not in a Good Way)

OK, so I guess curriculum isn't the only thing that matters.

In this Education Next article, Jonah Rockoff and Benjamin Lockwood show that structure matters too. They looked at students who transitioned to a 6-8 middle school in either grade 6, grade 7, or not at all (i.e., went to a k-8 school). Students experience a marked drop in achievement beginning the year they move to the middle school, and continuing through the middle school years. This drop happens whether they transition in grade 6 or 7. It does not happen at all with the k-8 educated students.

Read the whole thing. It's scary.

The authors do not pinpoint a reason for the decline, but the results are consistent with my (and many parents' and students') observations about middle schools. The teaching is often horrendous, and the large number of kids in that age range leads to a chaotic atmosphere.

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Jay Matthews also blogs about middle school math, and one of the comments really stood out for me. Slackermom writes:

Middle school isn't much different from elementary school. Teachers are still somewhat intimidated by mathematics; thus, the same topics are taught over and over again without much depth. There are still what I used to call 'holding' years (I remember 8th grade being such a year). These are the years where you learn absolutely nothing new in math classes. Nothing. [emphasis added]

I remember that same 8th grade year when I learned absolutely nothing in math. I remember being so bored I almost walked out (I only regret that I didn't).

So not only do U.S. schools retard students in math, but they do it actively and on purpose.