fall 2007 vol. xxv, no. 1 intransition · taking into consideration current ... creation of new...

FALL 2007 Vol. XXV, No. 1

TransitionJournal of the New York State Middle School Association

IN

Engaging Critical Thinking5

Quality Mathematics InstructionPage 19

Team SpiritPage 22

NYSMSA MISSION STATEMENT AND GOALSMISSION: The New York State Middle School Association (NYSMSA) represents those who serve the educational needsof all young adolescents in New York State. We are committed to creating, promoting, and supporting effective middle-level programs that are academically rigorous and developmentally appropriate.

VISION: NYSMSA acts on our belief that all young adolescents are entitled to academically rich and developmentallyappropriate programs. Toward this end, we work collaboratively with the educational community to make high-performing middle-level programs the norm in New York State through full implementation of the Essential Elements andapplication of cutting-edge research.

NYSMSA’s goals are listed below. Taking into consideration current research and available resources, these goals willassist the Association in fostering the creation of new curricula in support of the NYS learning standards and, in general,supporting the improvement of instruction for middle-level students in New York State.

AWARENESS AND RESPONSIVENESSNYSMSA believes that we must:• Promote a climate of acceptance and understanding of

young adolescents;• Stimulate and promote the development of the middle

level as a distinct educational structure for youngadolescents;

• Promote middle-level education and be a significantadvocate for the appropriate education of youngadolescents;

• Offer a variety of professional development activitiesthat positively impact the attitudes, performances, andpractices of middle-level educators.

• Compile, maintain, and respond to current researchand development initiatives.

SUPPORTNYSMSA believes that we must:• Be a significant source of information and resources

on young adolescents and their schooling;• Offer consultant support to schools and districts in

refining and strengthening their middle-levelprograms;

• Provide a variety of resources (video, publication,teleconferences, position papers, etc.) in support ofappropriate programs for young adolescents;

• Seek, secure, and provide grants and other financialresources to support planing and implementation ofeffective middle-level practices;

• Provide, throughout the year, member services topublic and non-public urban, suburban, and ruralschools;

• Engage regional directors who provide, assist, andsupport regional and state activities;

• Support the ongoing importance of communicationand interaction between State Education Departmentpersonnel and members of the Association.

CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION, &ASSESSMENTNYSMSA believes that we must:• Influence the quality and content of pre-service and in-

service education for prospective and practicingmiddle-level educators;

• Support teachers, schools, and districts in refining andstrengthening their middle-level programs;

• Work with constituent groups to identify effectivemodels for curricular, instructional, and assessmentissues;

• Disseminate position papers that provide guidance onappropriate curricula, instruction, and assessmentissues;

• Monitor the implementation of the NYS learningstandards at the intermediate level, promotingprograms with strong academic rigor within theframework of good middle-level practice;

• Monitor the intermediate assessment results, seekingto ensure the results measure good middle-levelpractice and are developmentally appropriate in scope,content, and administration.

COLLABORATIONNYSMSA believes that we must:• Work with other associations in sponsoring

professional development activities;• Implement a collaborative relationship with

universities, departments of higher education, SED,NMSA, parent-teacher organizations, and other groupsthat impact on the lives of young adolescents;

• Develop and expand cooperative ventures andrelationships with corporations and businesses;

• Create networks of educators, parents, and othersinvolved in the lives of young adolescents;

• Serve on the boards of supportive organizations;• Engage in continuous planning through participation

and shared decision-making;• Provide for internal assessment of all major

Association functions with provisions for externalaudit where appropriate.

Middle-level Mastery4

Contents Vol. XXV, No. 1 FALL 2007

Feature ArticlesCharacter CountsJ. Thomas Kane

14

In Every Issue2 A few thoughts from the President…5 The Executive Director’s Message8 Research at a Glance11 Lea’s Lessons32 Submission of Articles

On The CoverPhoto courtesy of the Saratoga SpringsVisitors Bureau. Visit www.saratoga.orgfor more about the area, host toNYSMSA’s 27th Annual Conference,October 18-20, 2007.

Team Spirit Helps Ensure Success in the Middleby Nancy Morris

22

Student Perceptions of a Middle School Video AdvisoryProgram: A Critical Analysisby John Christie and Timothy P. Martin, Ed.D.

27

An Application of “The Quality Secondary MathClassroom” to Middle School Mathematics Instructionby Jennifer L. Jones, Karrie A. Jones, and Dr. Paul J. Vermette

19

An Efficient Approach to Cooperative Learningby Thomas B. Reardon

25

Notice, Think, and Wonder: New Pathways to EngageCritical Thinkingby Michael Fisher and Nancy Cook

15

Editorial Reprint

2 IN TransitionFall 2007 Vol. XXV, No. 1

A few thoughts from the President…Jeannette Stern, Ed.D.

Jeannette Stern

We have comefar…but havemore to do.

It is hard forme to believethat six yearshave passedsince I becamepresident ofNYSMSA. Itwas July 2001,which nowseems like a

light year ago! September 11th had nothappened. Gasoline hit an all-time high of$1.76 a gallon for regular. Ipods were notthe rage they are now. The highest grossingpictures that year were Harry Potter andthe Sorcerer’s Stone, Shrek, and Monsters,Inc. The Sopranos and Sex in the City werestill in their infancy.

Thanks to the hard work of all of you,the past six years have seen some majorbreakthroughs for middle-level education.The New York State Education Departmentpresented The Regents Policy Statement,updating their previous policy of 1989. In2003, The New York State EducationDepartment’s Essential Elements of Stan-dards-Focused Middle-Level Schools andPrograms was developed in collaborationwith this association, along with The State-wide Network of Middle-Level EducationLiaisons and The New York City Forum toAccelerate Middle Grades Reform. Therewere no Middle-Level Support Schools andno Essential Elements: Schools to Watch

Program. School websites now are thenorm, not the exception, allowing schoolsto share their “best practices” with otherswithout the need for personal visits. And,there were no annual state assessments withthe resulting analyses, where politiciansand other non-educators sometimes forgetthat students are children at one of the mostdifficult junctures of their lives and not justvehicles for blackening in multiple-choiceanswer sheets.

A great deal has been accomplished, butthere is more to do. While all of the above-referenced documents and programs havebeen created and publicized, there is nohard data to show how much influence theyhave had on classroom instruction. Newteachers and new administrators are stillreceiving their credentials from some col-leges and universities without having a firmfoundation in middle-level education, asopposed to secondary education (a.k.a. highschool). Some middle-level schools are stillorganized like the “junior high schools” ofthe early 1900s. Not every middle-levelbuilding belongs to NYSMSA in order toreceive the most up-to-date information onhow to achieve the best results at this level.

At the upcoming conference, as I as-sume the title of “past president,” you willhave a new set of officers. I want to takethis opportunity to thank Susan Allen (vicepresident), Brian Sherman (secretary), andJim Tobin (Director of Professional Devel-opment) for their years of tireless effortsand support. I also want to thank each ofyou who are reading this message for,

3IN TransitionFall 2007 Vol. XXV, No. 1

without you, the membership, no associa-tion can survive and be successful.

Please understand that NYSMSA can’tcontinue to move the middle-level agendawithout your support. Become familiar withthe above-referenced documents and look atyour school with the critical lens of anoutside evaluator. What can and should bechanged? Begin the process slowly…it is

easier than you think. Seek out the help ofothers. Contact your regional director. Goto our website (www.nysmsa.org) and findall the information you need to share withyour site-based team. Together we cancontinue to make the difference we need tomake. Thank you for all that you have doneand continue to do for those whose heartsare “in the middle.”

NYS Essential Elements:Schools-to-Watch Program

Congratulates

North Salem Middle SchoolNorth Salem, New York

Dr. Patricia Cyganovich, Principal

A 2007 “School to Watch”


Middle-level masteryNorth Salem school recognized asleader in educating adolescents

Ever since the state’s accountability system forstudents, teachers and public schools went intoeffect more than a decade ago, emphasizingtransparency in how local schools really are doing,there was widespread angst: Did New Yorkersreally want to know where the weakest links in thesystem are? Near the top of the list of concerns:middle school, stereotyped for so long as a vastwasteland of hormonally driven turmoil, a holdingpen bridging the charm of elementary school andthe rigor of high school, a level, frankly, noteachers in their right minds would cheerfully“teach.”

Indeed, as initial year-to-year state testing inEnglish Language Arts and mathematics wouldshow, the performance of eighth-graders wouldconsistently fall off from when they had beentested in fourth and fifth grades — dramatically soacross the state. As more data were collected, itwas confirmed: Something goes “wrong” inmiddle school. And it isn’t just a rite of passage;academic performance and social success there arestrong predictors of high school success — andfailure.

‘Essential elements’If the “vast wasteland” picture of middle

school were ever true, it’s not now — or shouldn’tbe. State education officials, and many localleaders, turned on the light and turned up the heatfor reforming the middle grades. All kinds ofsupports and flexibility plans were studied,reformed and promulgated by the state EducationDepartment. In July 2003, the state Board ofRegents issued a strong policy statement on“Supporting Young Adolescents” that calls onparents, communities and educators to not justrecognize the challenges that children ages 10 to14 face in a rapidly changing society, but to dosomething about them using a variety of tools.

The Regents issued seven “essential elements”in schools “if young adolescents are to succeed

academically and develop as individuals.” Theyinclude “an educational program that is compre-hensive, challenging, purposeful, integrated,relevant and standards-based”; appropriate class-room instruction and professional training for allstaff; a network of academic and personal supportfor all students; and strong educational leadershipin each school building. In February 2005, theRegents issued a three-model strategy, with a hostof resources, to give middle schools a choice onhow to identify and address gaps.

Progress achievableThe focus on middle-school reform is starting

to work. Academic testing — now required everyyear in grades three through eight — is showinggains. As important, certain schools are becoming“laboratories” for change and innovation that othermiddle schools should tap and emulate.

Consider the North Salem Middle School. Thenorthern Westchester school was recognized inJune as a “School to Watch” at the National Forumto Accelerate Middle Grades Reform, Schools toWatch conference in Washington, D.C. One ofonly a handful of schools so honored in the lastyear from New York, North Salem joined 40 otherhonorees from across the nation.

New York is one of only 16 states that partici-pate in the national Schools to Watch program.The state Education Department has married theRegents’ “essential elements” to the program’sgoals. The effort, according to Marybeth Casey ofthe state Education Department, “is both a schoolreform and a recognition program.” North Salem,she said, was recognized for excelling in fourareas: academic excellence, developmentalresponsiveness, social equity and organizationalstructure that supports staff and all students. Thehonor is not easy to attain, requiring applications,proof and site visits by state officials.

North Salem is to be congratulated, as areother middle schools that are making gains. Allmiddle-level schools in the Lower Hudson Valleyshould take advantage of the considerable re-sources the state has to offer. No more excuses, nomore “vast wastelands.”

The following editorial appeared in The Journal News on September 2, 2007, and is reprinted with permission.


Dennis Tosetto

Probably fewNew York Stateeducators areaware that justabout all of thestate’s profes-sional organiza-tions work to-gether through anumbrella organi-zation known asthe New YorkState Council ofEducationalAssociations

(NYSCEA). In fact, you probably have neverheard of NYSCEA because individuals cannotjoin NYSCEA; rather, it is an organization oforganizations: NYSUT; SAANYS; subjectspecific focus areas such as math, science, art,home and career skills, guidance, psychology;and, of course, middle level. All are repre-sented as affiliated organizations. While thenumber changes slightly each year, aboutforty-five organizations are paid members ofNYSCEA and each member organization isallowed to send two delegate representativesto participate during NYSCEA meetings.

NYSCEA was designed to serve some veryunique purposes. Although NYSCEA is a self-sustaining, independent organization, the StateEducation Department (SED) uses NYSCEAmeetings to disseminate information, presentinitiatives, and to generally interface withrepresentatives of the various professionalgroups who are gathered together in onelocation at the same time. During these meet-ings, presentations are given, questions are

answered, issues are discussed, and opinionsare shared. As you might guess, at timesopinions vary to a considerable degree amongand between the various represented bodies.However, everyone present understands thatalthough there are times when discussionsmay become heated, appropriate professionalinteraction is the expected norm.

The reason that I have chosen to writeabout NYSCEA in our middle-level journal isbecause we are an active part of NYSCEA andNYSCEA has been and will likely continue tobe important in helping us to advance qualitymiddle-level education in New York State.NYSCEA does not have the money or person-nel needed to actually move programs on astatewide basis or in other ways change thestate of learning in our schools. Rather,NYSCEA serves the purpose of bringingtogether, in meaningful ways, those individu-als and organizations that have the resourcesneeded to make positive things happen acrossNew York State.

During the business portion of a NYSCEAmeeting, representatives of affiliated organiza-tions present issues, disseminate information,and request support from the delegate assem-bly. A call for support from the middle-levelresulted in a well-articulated NYSCEA posi-tion being developed that fully reinforced thevery same direction and initiatives supportedby NYSMSA. NYSCEA’s entire delegateassembly stood together in support and manyof the affiliated organizations became activelyinvolved in moving the middle-level agendaforward in a variety of different ways thatwere mutually supportive and effective.

The Executive Director’s MessageDennis M. Tosetto


For example, it was through NYSCEA thateducators representing diverse professionalorganizations, including NYSMSA, met withindividuals from SED and the Board of Re-gents seeking support for advancing thosemiddle-level initiatives that are now formallyon the books as regulation. Moreover, a fewyears ago, when the security of the non-testedmiddle-level subjects was a foremost concern,representatives of the math, English, andnumerous other professional organizationsspoke under the aegis of NYSCEA in supportof art, music, and the other non-tested sub-jects at a meeting of the Board of Regents.Over all, these respected and knowledgeableprofessionals presented compelling factualinformation outlining the need for a compre-hensive real-world curriculum at the middlelevel that is inclusive, vibrant, and connected.

As professional educators, we need tounderstand that not everyone is in agreementas to how our schools should operate or howteachers should teach. As you know, there arepowerful forces out there that have verydifferent priorities. When it comes to educat-ing children, first priorities are not always inthe students’ best interest. Rather, they mayhave to do more with funding, politics, orsomething else that does not involve a child-centered philosophy.

We live in a competitive world; one wheresome countries have more “honor” studentsthan the entire current American studentpopulation. Consequently, the entire Americaneducational community must stand and worktogether cooperatively in order to ensure thatevery child receives the best education pos-sible. I believe that most of my colleagueswould agree that all New York State middle-level educators have an obligation to belongto at least three professional organizations:one that deals with conditions of employment,one that is subject/instruction related, andNYSMSA. Moreover, middle-level educatorsshould expect and require that each of these

organizations work together for the greatergood — the improvement of instruction at themiddle level.

It is my sincere hope that we will be ableto begin to vigorously and collaborativelyencourage all middle-level educators acrossthe state to put SED’s middle-level policy,regulations, and initiatives into practice thisschool year. Not all of the state’s middle-leveleducators have been informed by SED that theMiddle-Level Essential Elements exist andthat educators are expected to implement themin their schools and in their classrooms. Theresearch-based Essential Elements have beenin regulation for a long time, so it is time tomake them a reality in every middle-levelschool across the state.

Here’s the problem: After SED and numer-ous education-related organizations spentyears developing a comprehensive research-based plan aimed at the improvement ofinstruction at the middle-level, a comprehen-sive program was fully adopted by the Boardof Regents and SED and placed into bothpolicy and regulation. Unfortunately, that’swhere it ended about two years ago. Sincethen there has been a steady stream of criti-cism from those in authority regarding a lackof sufficient improvement in Intermediate(middle-level) Assessment scores with noconcomitant push to implement the veryprograms and processes that would facilitategreatly improved instruction and learning. Infact some seem to be advocating that we domore of what doesn’t work, but with moreintensity.

Here’s the solution: We need to stop bothoffering and accepting excuses; we must startmoving the stalled middle-level initiativeforward. The good news is that MarybethCasey, the SED Middle-Level Liaison to ourNYSMSA Board, has reiterated her willing-ness and desire to work with the NYSMSAleadership to encourage and ensure implemen-


tation of the Essential Elements for all NYSmiddle-level schools. Toward that end, asignificant portion of our fall Board agendawill include a discussion of strategies and thedevelopment of a plan for moving this impor-tant initiative forward.

NYSMSA does not have the resourcesneeded to take on the task of working witheducators across the state to effectively imple-ment the Regents Policy Statement, theMiddle-Level Essential Elements, and relatednew rules and regulations in a systematic,comprehensive fashion. However, NYSMSAdoes have the resources needed to lead a largegroup of education-related organizations in

this quest for excellence at the middle leveland, I believe, NYSCEA is the key. I firmlybelieve that if we lead, others will follow.

As the great philosopher Yoda once said,“Do or do not; there is no try.” The questionthat I keep asking is, “Do we have the collec-tive will to make it so?” And my answercontinues to be, “I don’t know.” What is youropinion? I would be most interested in hearingfrom my middle-level colleagues. If youchoose to share your thoughts and opinions,please write to me at: [email protected]. Ilook forward to hearing from you.

Membership and Publication Information

In Transition is a benefit of both individual and building membership in the New York StateMiddle School Association. Annual membership dues are $50 for individual membership and$150 for building membership. Memberships are on an “anniversary date” basis; renewalinvoices are mailed approximately one month prior to end of membership.

For any changes in membership information, please contact Julie Schwartz at the NYSMSAoffice by e-mail ([email protected]) or phone/fax (914-747-9241).

Individual and Building Membership applications can be downloaded from our Web site:www.nysmsa.org. Additionally, new membership applications paid via credit card can becompleted online.

NYSMSA gives permission to its membership to reprintany portion of this publication.


Research at a GlanceJeff Craig, NYSMSA Director of Research and Technology

Statewide Research EffortsThe last Research at a Glance presented a

collection of research summaries about stu-dent achievement in middle schools andmiddle-level programs (Craig, 2007). Thestudies that were summarized seemed tosuggest that implementation of the conceptswithin the Essential Elements of Standards-Focused Middle Level School and Programs(what NYS tells middle schools they ought tobe doing) does make a difference on studentachievement. It was also pointed out that thereweren’t any large-scale studies that measuredall of the principles that have been identifiedto be important according to New York Statein the Essential Elements (Craig). In fact, veryfew large-scales studies have been done at all(Mertens, 2006), anywhere in the country.There are things that can be learned from theaggregate of small studies and the few large-scale studies, but the principles that have beenstudied do not completely correspond to theEssential Elements. Thus, the sum total ofresearch about implementation of the Essen-tial Elements is inadequate.

What about other states? Have any otherstates embarked on a large-scale researchproject to assess the impact of middle schooland middle-level programs on studentachievement? Some states have undertakensuch large-scale research. Or, rather, research-ers in some states have undertaken large-scale,statewide research efforts. These efforts canpoint the way for researchers in New York.

A large-scale study of more than 60middle schools in Illinois occurred in the late

1990s (Felner, et al, 1997). The findings ofthis research project, sometimes referred to as“The Felner Report,” are frequently men-tioned. Schools that participated in this longi-tudinal project were observed and identifiedto be at different levels of implementation ofmiddle-level principles. The degree of imple-mentation was based on the Turning Pointscriteria. Felner’s data indicate that reformcauses a significant amount of disruption inits first year or two. The project compared thelevel of implementation to student achieve-ment among fully implemented, partiallyimplemented, and not-implemented groupsand found the average student achievement tobe higher in fully implemented schools. Thestudy showed that the first year of implemen-tation of a reform results in a chaotic state forthe institution that is trying to reform. As timewent by, schools were grouped based on thedegree of implementation. Their data, theyconclude, shows that highly implementedschools had higher achievement than thoseschools with lesser implementation or withoutimplementation. Discipline data also im-proved in highly implemented schools, as didthe self-esteem of students within highlyimplemented schools. The authors suggestthat the most significant conclusion to belearned from Felner’s study is that implemen-tation of the reform must be comprehensive ifthe promised achievement gains are to berealized.

Arkansas conducted a statewide researchstudy about its middle-level schools andprograms that was initiated by then GovernorBill Clinton via the Arkansas Middle GradePolicy and Practice Task Force (Meeks &


Stepka, 2005). In 1990, that task force com-missioned a study of the implementation ofthe middle-level concept across the state. Theresults of that study led to the middle-levelmovement in Arkansas (Meeks & Stepka).More than ten years later, in 2004, this state-wide collection of data about middle-levelprograms was repeated by the ArkansasAssociation of Middle Level Education andthe Arkansas Association of Middle LevelAdministrators. The data from 1990 and 2004were compared to see if a statistically signifi-cant difference was observable. The authorsconcluded that there has been progress inArkansas in implementing the middle-levelconcept, but also pointed out that the imple-mentation was far from complete. The authorsreport that 50 percent of principals reporthaving implemented middle-level programs,which is certainly a less-than-complete levelof implementation. Armed with the data fromthe 2004 study, Meeks & Stepka were able toprovide baseline data, trends in implementa-tion, and recommendations for middle-leveleducators and policy makers in Arkansas. Infact, specific advice was provided to staffdevelopers, schools, districts, and to the Stateof Arkansas.

More recently, a statewide study wasconducted in Arkansas’ neighbor, Missouri. Acomposite construct of middle-level principleswas synthesized from Turning Points, This WeBelieve, and Schools to Watch (Goodman &Valentine, 2006). A survey was developed formiddle-level principals that measured theextent to which the tenets of the middle-levelconstruct were implemented. The survey wasgiven across the state and data were collectedfrom more than half of the middle schools inthe state, providing a large sample size for thesubsequent analysis and a more than adequatelevel of statistical power. The researchers usedstatistical tools such as factor analysis, calcu-lations of correlation, and multiple regressionto make statistically significant conclusions

about the implementation of the middle-levelconstruct in Missouri (Goodman & Valentine).As a result of this study, the researchers wereable to provide sound, defensible recommen-dations for educators and policy makers inMissouri. The study provided concrete evi-dence that different aspects of the middlelevel construct impacted student achievementdifferently: achievement in mathematics ismost strongly correlated with the schoolenvironment and relationships components ofthe middle-level construct, while ELAachievement was most closely correlated witha rigorous curriculum (personal communica-tion with Goodman, August 27, 2007).

Both the Arkansas and Missouri large-scale studies are examples of the kind ofresearch that is needed in New York State.These studies, and other survey-based re-search studies, prove that such efforts are bothfeasible and productive. Educators and policy-makers in New York can learn from thesestudies, but neither study is completelyaligned to the Essential Elements and there-fore the generalization of Arkansas’ andMissouri’s conclusions to New York is tenta-tive. The conclusion is obvious: a large-scalestudy of the implementation of the EssentialElements is critical. No one knows the extentof implementation of the Essential Elementsin New York State. Extrapolation of theresults from other states, in this case Arkansasand Missouri, to New York suggest far fromcomplete implementation. The results fromthose states also indicate that the State Educa-tion Department ought to be pushing forimplementation via education and account-ability. A statewide study of middle-levelprograms in New York State is not just war-ranted, it is absolutely necessary in order toprovide accurate context for judging theprogress of middle-level programs and it isabsolutely necessary in order to accuratelyplan for the future.


ReferencesCraig, J. (2007). Research at a glance:

Misplaced criticism. In Transition,XXIV (3), 7-12.

Felner, R. et al. (1997). The impact ofschool reform for the middle grades: Alongitudinal study of a network engagedin Turning Points-based comprehensiveschool transformation. In R. Takanishi.& D.A. Hamburg (Eds.), Preparingadolescents for the twenty-first century:Challenges facing Europe and theUnited States. (pp. 38-60). New York:Cambridge University Press.

Goodman, M., & Valentine, J. (2006, No-vember). Middle school programs domake a difference: An analysis of sig-nificant relationships between programimplementation and student achieve-ment. Presented at the conference of theNational Middle School Association.

Meeks, G. B., & Stepka, T. H. (2005).State-wide middle level implementation:Lessons learned. Research in MiddleLevel Education Online. 29 (3).

Mertens, S. B. (2006). The relevancy oflarge-scale, quantitative methodologiesin middle grades research. MiddleGrades Research Journal, 1 (2), 1-13.

Share YOUR Best Practices.NYSMSA is interested incollecting examples of BestPractices from middle-levelteachers. These will bedistributed in paperpublications and posted onNYSMSA’s website.

SHARE the wealth!

Submit your experiences [email protected].


Homework, Homework,I Hate You!

As we start another school year, the issueof homework once again will become an areaof contention with students, parents, andadministrators. Homework has been a topic ofdebate in education for decades. Throughoutthe first decades of the 20th century, educatorsbelieved that homework helped create disci-plined minds. By 1940, a growing reaction tohomework as an interference with homeactivities increased. The trend was reversed inthe late 1950s as the United States facedcompetition from abroard and looked towardrigorous homework as a solution. By 1980,the trend had reversed again, with educatorsclaiming that homework could be detrimentalto a child’s mental health. Since then, argu-ments for and against homework have contin-ued to exist. Today, arguments against home-work are becoming more popular; however, atthe same time a number of studies have pro-vided growing evidence of the positive resultswhen quality homework is implemented.

What is homework? Why the recent home-work overload? How much homework is toomuch? How much homework is too little? Arethere justifiable reasons for assigning home-work? How can teachers incorporate home-work as a useful tool? Is homework impor-tant? I’d like to explore some possible an-swers to these questions in this article.

First, homework is defined as out-of-classtasks assigned to students as an extension ofclassroom work. There are four types ofhomework: practice, preparation, extension,

and integration of new skills and knowledge.Homework has increased over the last decadefor several reasons: focus on academic stan-dards, state assessments, NCLB, and thegeneral consensus that U.S. students don’tstand up to their international counterparts.Teachers have difficulty covering the contentand the skills without assigning work to becompleted at home. In some cases, homeworkis used to introduce new concepts and skillsrather than to review material taught in class.Lastly, parents often are concerned that ifthere is very little homework, their childrenwill fall behind and do poorly on state assess-ments.

Research in the last decade has begun tofocus on the relationship between homeworkand student achievement and has strengthenedthe case for homework. However, studies havefound homework assignments to be mosthelpful if they have direct meaning for thestudents. In addition, there are many validreasons for teachers to assign homework.Homework can provide the following ben-efits:

• Prepare for complex lessons• Develop better study habits and time

management skills• Reflect on prior learning• Review and practice concepts or skills• Provide additional time for exploration of

a topic

Research provides strong evidence that,when used appropriately, homework benefitsstudent achievement. According to thenation’s best-known researcher on homework,

Lea’s LessonsLea Macdonald


Duke University’s Harris Cooper (2006), if aschool district discards homework altogether,it will be throwing away a powerful instruc-tional tool. He conducted a series of studieson the relationship between homework andstudent achievement and found that purpose-ful homework increased academic achieve-ment. To enact effective homework policies,schools and teachers should follow theseguidelines:

• Assign meaningful homework• Create homework that matches a student’s

ability level• Monitor the amount of homework as-

signed so that it is appropriate to students’age levels and fosters independent work

• Involve parents in appropriate ways thatdo not require parents to be teachers or topolice students’ homework completion

Homework must be realistic in length anddifficulty, given the student’s ability to workindependently. A student can usually demon-strate his understanding of a new concept if hesolves 10 math problems rather than having todo all 30 questions. Assigning too muchhomework can be counterproductive. Teachersmust carefully plan and assign homework in away that maximizes the potential for studentsuccess. For example, teachers need to giveclear guidelines to parents, spelling out theirrole. Have parents act as a sounding board asthey help their children summarize what theylearned from the homework, rather thanassisting them with completing it. Lastly, onceteachers have determined the type of home-work to assign, thought should be given toways to maximize the benefits to be gainedfrom the assignment. Consider the following:

• Length: Evaluate the length of the assign-ment with thought. Consider the rule thatno more than 10 minutes per grade levelshould be assigned.

• Purpose: Design activities that have mean-ing and support classroom learning. Com-

municate the purpose to the students.• Direction: Provide clear directions on how

students should complete assignments,how they will be graded, and when theyare due.

• Appropriateness: Match assignment tasksto the student’s readiness level, interests orlearning styles.

• Variety: Keep students engaged by assign-ing a variety of different types of home-work. Give them a choice on how todemonstrate what they learned in class thatday.

• Balance: Assign a balance of both shortand long-range assignments and rememberthat too many long-term projects willoverwhelm students and parents!

• Feedback: Provide feedback as soon aspossible.

Finally, remember that our young adoles-cents lead busy lives: learning to learn, tryingout for a sport, making new friends, andenjoying being a kid. If you give homework,make it meaningful, engaging, and real. Onelast word of advice to make kids smile andparents thank you: never give homework onthe weekend!

ReferenceCooper, H. (2006) The battle over homework

(3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: CorwinPress.

Lea Macdonald ([email protected]) is asocial studies teacher and curriculum coor-dinator at Pleasantville Middle School; 40Romer Avenue, Pleasantville NY 10570.She served as NYSMSA Region VI Directorfrom 1996-2003.


NYSMSA’s 27th ANNUAL CONFERENCEOCTOBER 18-20, 2007

Saratoga Springs, New York

Betting on the MiddleThursday, October 18

School VisitationsFull-Day Pre-Conference Workshops

• Differentiated Instruction• Using the Brain to Inform Instruction

• Designing Assessments that Help, Not Hurt• Study Skills for the 21st Century

• Field-Based Interdisciplinary Instruction

Banquet with Keynote SpeakerStephen “Dr. Bird” Birchak, Ed.D.

“Tapping into Your Best Even When You Feel Tapped Out”

Friday, October 19General Session with Keynote PresentationTom Kane, Jim Burns, and Jaynellen Behre-Jenkins

“The Advisory Chronicles”Practitioner WorkshopsFeature Presentations

Trade Exhibit

Saturday, October 20Breakfast with Champions Session

Linda Tilton“Helping All Students Succeed — Practical Strategies for the Differentiated Classroom”

Individual and group registration materials are available online.

Visit www.NYSMSA.org for additional details.

Linda Tilton

“Dr. Bird”

Kane, Behre-Jenkins, & Burns


The October 15, 2006 issue of the NewYork Post reported that half of all teen boysthink a person has to lie or cheat sometimes inorder to succeed. According to a surveyconducted by the Joseph & Edna JosephsonInstitute of Ethics in Los Angeles, 82 percentof all kids admit they lied about somethingsignificant to a parent within the last 12months. Of the 37,000 youngsters surveyedaround the country:

• 57 percent say they lied two or more times• 62 percent say they lied to a teacher• 23 percent say they stole something from a

parent or relative in the last year• 33 percent copied an Internet document

within the last 12 months• 60 percent cheated during a test at school

within the last year

But the good news is that teenagers ear-nestly believe that ethics and character countin life and business. There is a major discon-nect between beliefs and behavior.

Middle-level educators frequently refer toearly adolescents as being “in the process ofbecoming.” Our fond hope is that, amongother things, they are in the process of becom-ing ethical individuals.

Middle-level educators have a majorvenue to cultivate ethical decision making andbehavior through a well-established advisoryprogram. Unfortunately, too many middleschools do not expend the energy to orches-trate a vibrant advisory program; nor are staffdevelopment hours dedicated to producingskilled advisors. If we are faithful in estab-lishing genuinely developmentally responsive

middle schools that are staffed by “teacherswho are expert at teaching early adolescents”(Jackson & Davis, 2000, p.23) then among therepertoire of skills such teachers need istraining and skilled ability in deliveringadvisory sessions for their students.

The Joseph & Edna Josephson Institute ofEthics survey was given to high school stu-dents — students who moved up from middleschools. These students had just come throughthe fabulously formative years of 10 through15 — years that are malleable, impression-able, and character developing. Discussionsand exercises in an advisory program canexpose young teenagers to ethical situationsthat have great potential to enhance characterdevelopment. Decision-making skills incorpo-rated in an advisory have the potential tobridge the current disconnect displayed in theInstitute’s survey of high school students.

Yes, character counts; and what reallycounts is that our middle schools offer stu-dents a well developed and vibrant advisoryprogram delivered by skilled advisors.

ReferenceJackson, A.W., & Davis, G..A. (2000). Turn-

ing points 2000: Educating adolescents inthe 21st century. New York: TeachersCollege Press.

J. Thomas Kane ([email protected]) is a PastPresident of both NYSMSA and the NewJersey Middle School Association.

Character CountsJ. Thomas Kane


“Why have we spent all of these yearsanswering comprehension questions when wecould have been having these deep discussionsall along? How many years are we going to haveto practice this before someone realizes that itdoesn’t teach us anything?”

This is a quote, directly from a classroomconversation, from a sixth-grade student whowas sharing his frustration with traditionalteaching methods that were not challenging himto think. He didn’t want to spend his timelooking up already known answers, and playinghide & seek with question responses was notengaging his brain. He was all but begging forthe opportunity to dig deeper, to look for mul-tiple meanings, to share his own experiencesthat related to what he was learning, and be alistener/learner for other students who wanted todo the same. We were in the midst of a discus-sion about a song by Annie Lennox entitled“Into The West.” This sixth-grade student hadalready contributed several deep comments tothe conversation when he realized that this was away he preferred to discover deeper meanings ina text.

Being a middle school teacher often presentsspecial challenges for engaging and motivatingstudents at a very reticent age. Finding ways totransfer information is hard enough without theexpectation that students will think critically andtransform their learning from passive to active.Synthesis and evaluation of material are often ina completely different orbit than the day-to-dayclassroom reality we all experience. Sometimesit is easier to plan a concrete activity; but, in thelong run, are we really using our time wisely?Are we really doing what’s best for our stu-dents?

Notice, Think, and Wonder: New Pathways toEngage Critical ThinkingMichael Fisher and Nancy Cook

We know that learning can’t be a rote pro-cess; it has to be a right process, with an empha-sis on pathways and journeys versus an endproduct. The journey is where critical thinkingoccurs and we want to promote the necessity ofprocess over product, of abstract over concrete,of discussion over comprehension questions.

To that end, we wanted to find a way to meetstudents where they need to be met, involvetechnology, and increase the level of criticalthinking in our classrooms. To achieve that goal,we had to decide what our desired outcomewould be and consider the tools that would getus there.

To begin with, we decided that studentsneeded to consider more than just the surfacelevel of the information we were presenting. Weknew that the thought-provoking insights andilluminating ideas we would like our students tocome up with are dependent on the details withwhich they can be supported, but we alsowanted them to be in a constant state of ques-tioning, critiquing, analyzing, evaluating, andtransforming what they are learning. Our goalwas to move their existing thinking processesoutside of their current zone and help them torecognize that thinking is a skill that must bepracticed as diligently as any other skill if youare to be proficient at it.

Then, we created a rubric to both establish abaseline for our critical thinking conversationsand as a tool to help students and teachersvisualize the level of critical thinking that wasgoing on. Our rubric asked the students toconsider what they noticed, what they thought,and what they wondered (see Diagram 1 on thefollowing page).


The top level of the rubric is intended toindicate a “WOW” response or contribution thateither synthesizes new information, forms a newtheory, or promotes a much deeper discussion.

We introduced our rubric with a task entitled“Making the Video.” Students were asked tobring in a favorite school-appropriate CD andcreate a PowerPoint music video with a song of

4 Speaking andlistening arebalanced like in anatural conversa-tion. Responsesare related directlyto the topic beingdiscussed. Appro-priate eye contactis used.

Level Discussion I notice… I think… I wonder…

Focuses on subtlefacts or detailswhich are relatedto key under-standings.

INSIGHTFUL…identifieskey understandings andtheir significance clearly,sees connections betweenideas, supports opinionswith persuasive, clearevidence, and sees subtle-ties and ironies in alternatepoints of view.

Question invitesdiscussion promot-ing more than onepoint of view,personal connec-tions, and under-standing of thestory or topic.

3 Speaking is bal-anced with listen-ing. Responsesusually relate to thetopic being dis-cussed. Eye contactmay be limited.

Focuses onobvious facts ordetails which arerelated to keyunderstandings.

PERCEPTIVE…helpfulinterpretation of keyunderstandings, sees morethan one point of view,supports opinions withclear evidence, and beginsto make personal connec-tions to ideas.

Question invitesdiscussion withmore than onepoint of view.Discussion of thequestion willincrease under-standing of thestory or topic.

2 Speaking andlistening are unbal-anced. Responsesare not alwaysrelated to the topicbeing discussed.Eye contact may belimited.

Focuses on subtlefacts or detailswithout connect-ing them to keyunderstandings.

AWARE…reasonable/sensible response goesbeyond facts, starts to lookfor meaning, and supportsopinions with limitedevidence.

Question invitesdiscussion andbegins to explorekey under-standings.

Diagram 1: Notice, Think, and Wonder Rubric (Nancy Cook, 2007)

1 Unprepared orparticipates mini-mally in discus-sions. Seems dis-tracted, not focusedon discussions.

Focuses onobvious facts ordetails withoutconnecting themto key under-standings.

EMERGING…restateswhat was read or taught,jumps to conclusionswithout support, simple orsuperficial understandingof meaning.

Question invitesdiscussion ofunimportant factsor details whichare not related tokey under-standings.


their choice. To create the music video, studentswere asked to use pictures and graphics toillustrate what their song means specificallywithout using words. Students were also re-quired to create a handout with the lyrics to theirsong in the “NTW format.” (See Diagram 2.)

The students took a couple of weeks toprepare their music videos and create theirhandouts, with the initial understanding thatthey would be responsible for “teaching” theirvideo to the class in a ten to fifteen minutepresentation. The students were quite motivatedand engaged by this project, carefully choosingpictures that illustrated the story behind thesongs they chose. During the course of theproject, the students also created their ownrating scales for their personal discussions aswell as their picture choices. Their rating scalewas known as the “Deep and Duh” scale. Theywould tell each other that some comments orpictures seemed to be deeper, while others weremore duh, and thus should be excluded fromuse. The deep pictures and comments correlatedwell with the top level of the rubric, helping thestudents to self and peer monitor each otheralong the way.

Furthermore, students were asked to keeptrack of, and make citations for, the pictures andlyrics that they used in APA format, using anAPA citation maker on the Internet through alocal university’s library website.

When completed, students presented theirmusic videos and lyric sheets to the class. Theyinitially played the videos through one time,letting other students get a feel for what they hadcreated, then played it again so that studentscould Notice, Think, and Wonder about thelyrics in relation to the pictures. The studentslabeled their thoughts with N, T, or W on thelyric sheet and considered the rubric whendeciding what their comments would be.

As an example, from our discussion ofAnnie Lennox’s song, “Into the West,” onestudent noticed that there was a lot of informa-

tion that seemed to indicate the end of a life. Hesupported what he noticed with quotes from thelyrics, including, “The ships have come to carryyou home / White shores are calling.”

Another student wondered if the songindicated something about immigration. Shewrote that “Into the West” may be a journey to anew civilization that would ease hardships, suchas coming to the United States. She wrote thatshe noticed that the song was about a voyage,with people joining together to go to a newworld, as depicted in the lyrics and pictures inthe video. She thought the lyrics had manymeanings, but she decided to commit to theimmigration theme based on the evidence sheinterpreted from the text of the lyrics.

Other students wondered if the water imag-ery in the song signified freedom or perhaps thecircle of life. Several students noticed therepetition of several lines to emphasize thecomfort that the author must want the reader to

NTW Format

The text of the lyricsgoes on this side ofthe page, much likethe Cornell NoteTaking System.Students are able tolook at the lyrics onthis side, but alsotake notes in thelined area to the left.This is also in linewith current brainresearch that sug-gests new informa-tion enters the leftside of the brain forprocessing.

Diagram 2


feel. Many of them thought the author wastrying to make the reader understand that there issomething better beyond what you fear if youjust have the courage to push forward.

When the class finished writing commentsabout a particular song, the student leading thesession would ask students what they noticed,thought, and wondered. In every case, thisinitiated a conversation that delved into deepermeanings, just like the ones above, for all of thesongs, and specifically looked at metaphoricallanguage, connections to other texts or lifeexperiences, critical lenses such as Feminism orMarxism, and much more. Not every conversa-tion was a level 4, but every conversation wasstrong, and represented the students’ abilities tothink way beyond their boxes.

The combination of the rubric and the NTWtext format transformed our students into thekind of critical thinkers that made us say“Wow!” on a regular basis — and these weremiddle school students! The music video intro-duction to the rubric gave us the foundation weneeded to jump into other texts using our previ-ous experiences as our prior knowledge base,which we referenced throughout the entireschool year. We used the Notice, Think, andWonder rubric with virtually every text wetaught over the course of the year with incred-ible results. In fact, we introduced it to severalcolleagues who were able to successfully imple-ment it with their students, as well as students ininclusion and other special education class-rooms.

Additionally, the time assigned for studentsto present wasn’t nearly long enough. Almostevery student pushed past half an hour and somewent the entire period. The level of motivationand engagement was off the charts and itshowed in their work, in their presentations, andin their attention to other students. As wepressed forward into the school year, we didmore pairing and grouping of students to help

curb the time commitment devoted to each textwe read.

When facilitating critical and creativethinking, we cannot plan ahead for the “correct”answer. Our aim is for students to combine newinformation with what they already know tocreate an idea or product that is useful andunique. We help students make learning moremeaningful and personal by providing themopportunities to gather the content knowledge,make connections to concepts, connect theconcepts to their own lives, and create ideas andproducts that bloom from the seeds of what theyalready know.

If we want our students to Notice, Think,and Wonder about their learning, then we haveto Notice what our needs are, Think of ways toimprove them, and then Wonder why we didn’timplement these types of strategies before now.Our efforts proved, once again, that traditionalor concrete learning methods are no longer themost appropriate teaching choice. Sometimesthe teacher has to move beyond the confines ofthe conventional (and habitual…) and find waysof engaging and motivating students so thatlearning is authentic and personally meaningfulto each student.

ReferenceShore, H., & Lennox, A. (Composers). (2003).

Into the West. [L. P. Orchestra, Performer, &H. Shore, Conductor] On The Lord of theRings: The Return of the King [CompactDisc]. USA: Reprise / WEA.

Michael L. Fisher ([email protected])is a critical thinking teacher at Starpoint MiddleSchool; 4363 Mapleton Road; Lockport NY14094; (716) 210-2203. Nancy Cook([email protected]) is technology facilitatorat Casey Middle School; 105 Casey Road; EastAmherst NY 14051; (716) 626-8585.


An Application of “The Quality Secondary MathClassroom” to Middle School Mathematics InstructionJennifer L. Jones, Karrie A. Jones, and Dr. Paul J. Vermette

Introduction In the book, What Every Middle School

Teacher Should Know, Knowles and Brown(2000) classify the unique needs of middle-levellearners in light of four major developmentcategories: intellectual, physical, social, andemotional. Distinctive changes in these areasduring adolescence require middle schooling tobe thought of as its own pedagogy — one whichrequires middle-level teachers to be especiallyresponsive and supportive. Donna Kennedy’sarticle, “The Quality Secondary Math Class-room” (2006), is analyzed in light of thesedistinctive realities and the constructivist appli-cations explored in the article are applied to themiddle school mathematics classroom.

Intellectual Needs In consideration of Piaget’s theory of

cognitive and intellectual learning from child-hood to adulthood (1977a), middle schoolstudents are in the unique transition from theconcrete operational stage to the formal opera-tional stage. While direct experience is still veryeffective (and absolutely necessary for deepunderstanding), adolescents are developing themental capacity for more abstract and hypotheti-cal thinking. Because of this, students at this ageare intensely curious and can perform taskswhich require use of high-level thinking skills.

How can this be applied to the middle schoolmath classroom?

• Using technology in the classroom is oneway to challenge middle school students toapply mathematics in diverse situations.Kennedy provides an example of this indescription of Mr. Dee’s classroom during a

unit on the properties of a circle. In thisclassroom, students use Geometer Sketchpadto derive the inscribed angle theorem. Byallowing students to discover the relation-ship between the measure of the centralangles and the arc of the angle, studentsmust work at the Bloom levels of synthesisand analysis rather than knowledge.

• Ms. Gee is another educator who teachesmath according to the unique intellectualdevelopment of middle school students. Byproviding her students with the opportunityto record their thoughts in math journals sheencourages metacognition, the ability Caineand Caine (1994) describe as “thinking,about the way we think, feel and act.” This isa very productive activity for middle-levellearners, as it provides an outlet for studentsto record their interpretation of their cogni-tive process.

Physical NeedsThe impact of skeletal and muscular changes

for middle school students often drives theyoung adolescent’s need for physical activityduring the school day. In an environment wheremost students sit for 6 hours a day, responsivemiddle schooling gives students the opportunityto move around, thereby becoming physically aswell as mentally active.


• Kennedy provides an example of teachingthat is responsive to the physical needs ofmiddle-level learners though her descriptionof a lesson in Ms. Eff’s class. In this class,students categorize figures as circles, el-


lipses, parabolas, and hyperbolas by walkingto the designated corners of the classroom.Ms. Eff could have had students classifyfigures by drawing the shapes at their seats,but by allowing them to move themselves tothe different corners of the room, she isresponsive to the physical needs of herstudents.

• The vignette regarding Mrs. Bee’s class isanother example of teaching that is adaptedto meet the physical needs of adolescents. Inthis activity, students stand in a circle hold-ing hands, and she records the time it takesfor them to do “the wave” versus the numberof students holding hands. The students thentake this information and create a best fitline, based upon the data they just created.Again, this activity allows students to standand move, building enthusiasm for thelesson and thereby providing motivation fortheir learning.

Social Needs Learning to interact with peers and adults is

one of the most difficult, yet important chal-lenges facing middle school students. While thesocial skills learned during adolescence arecrucially important for adult life, balancing theneed for security with the desire for freedomoften proves to be a very difficult task. The roleof parents, peers, the greater community, and themedia all have an impact on the social develop-ment of students of this age group and thereforemust be considered as part of appropriate middleschool teaching practices.


• The vignette regarding Mr. Zee’s reviewsession is one example of teaching that isresponsive to the social needs of middleschool students. In this class, studentsreview a difficult concept by working inteams of three to respond to questions on adry erase slate. While only one studentprovides an answer to the teacher, the team

gets a point after first working on the givenproblem individually and then discussing itas a group. By fostering this positive interac-tion between students, the students learn tomathematically speak to one another, therebysimultaneously teaching and learning thematerial.

• Mr. Kay is another educator from Kennedy’sarticle who uses group work to promote thedevelopment of social skills among hisstudents. In this case, students create andsolve problems written by their classmatesas part of the exploration of solving one-stepequations. His students perform three rolesthroughout this activity: they write a prob-lem for a classmate, solve a differentstudent’s question, and then check a thirdstudent’s solution. Through this process,which he calls “send a problem,” studentslearn how to learn from each other, therebycreating a classroom community that sup-ports each student’s learning and success.

Emotional Needs The solidification of one’s identity is an

aspect of adolescence that is unique to middleschool aged students. As Erikson (1950) sug-gests, at this time in their lives middle schoolersmust consider who they are and what they willbecome, a very precarious and difficult strugglefor students who are simultaneously dealingwith the physical, intellectual, and socialchanges that were previously described. Teach-ing in a way that is responsive to these emo-tional needs gives students an outlet to exploretheir identity in productive and meaningfulways. As Mills, Dunham, and Alpert (1988)suggest, self-esteem often suffers as a result ofthe feelings of confusion and isolation experi-enced by adolescents and therefore teachersmust provide opportunities that promote reflec-tion of one’s feelings.


• Mr. Kay’s classroom, as described during his


lesson on metric conversion, provides oneexample of how math teachers can be re-sponsive of the emotional needs of theirstudents. In this case, Mr. Kay has hisstudents complete a student feedback formthat asks them to communicate their feelingsabout the unit, provide suggestions forimproving their math class, and describehow they feel “at this moment about mathclass.” By validating student concerns andeliciting suggestions for improvement, Mr.Kay is able to help the students reflect ontheir own emotional well-being and adapthis teaching to fit the emotional needs of hisstudents.

ConclusionEducating students at the middle school

level requires an in-depth understanding of theunique intellectual, physical, social, and emo-tional needs of adolescents. When teaching thisage group, one must make a conscious effort toaccommodate these needs, thereby improvingstudent comprehension and increasing motiva-tion. By analyzing the pedagogical scenarios putforth by Donna Kennedy, in light of the develop-mental categories as stated by Knowles andBrown, the need for a constructivist approach tomathematics becomes apparent, and its implica-tions for middle school students is confirmed.

ReferencesBloom, B. S. (1984). Taxonomy of educational

objectives. Boston: Pearson Education.

Caine, R.N., & Caine, G.. (1994). Makingconnections: Teaching and the human brain.Menlo Park, CA: Addison Wesley.

Erikson, E. H. (1950). Childhood and society.New York: W.W. Norton.

Kennedy, D. (2006). The quality secondary mathclassroom. Journal for the Practical Appli-cation of Constuctivist Teaching, 1. Re-trieved May 3, 2007, from http://www.learnercentereded.org/jpact/Archive/Archive%20v1%20Winter%202006.htm

Knowles, T., & Brown, D. (2000). What everymiddle school teacher should know. Ports-mouth, NH: National Middle School Asso-ciation.

Mills, R. C, Dunham, R. G., & Alpert, G. P.(1988). Working with high-risk young inprevention and early intervention programs:Toward a comprehensive wellness model.Adolescence, 23, 643-660.

Piaget, J. (1977a). The development of thought:Elaboration of cognitive structures. NewYork: Viking.

Jennifer L. Jones and Karrie A. Jones aremathematics education students at NiagaraUniversity, where Dr. Paul J. Vermette([email protected]) is a Teacher Educator.


Team Spirit Helps Ensure Success in the MiddleNancy Morris

While many have spent their liveslooking for the Fountain of Youth, middleschool educators have always known thetrue fountain is middle school. Being “13”for your entire life guarantees you willremain youthful. All those individuals, whogive middle school teachers a look of pityafter asking what they do for a living,would become jealous if they were awarethat the way to eternal youth is working in“the middle.” Those looks of pity woulddisappear and quickly turn to looks ofabsolute envy. However, those who work inthe middle are not quick to share this secretwith outsiders.

Eternal youth aside, middle schooleducators also know that there is a desper-ate need to not only preserve, but expandprograms “in the middle.” This uniquepopulation has needs to be answered so thatour students become lifelong learners andleaders, and not just great test takers. Myprofessional life has been spent workingwith middle school students and trying toprotect and develop programs to enhanceour school. As head of student activities forthe past four years, it is has been my mis-sion to create, develop, and share programsand activities for our middle school. Withthe expertise and support of our staff andour administration, many programs andactivities are now a part of our middleschool program and culture, with the goalof adding more in the future. There aremany ways to educate a middle schoolstudent; possibly, school-wide programsand activities are an essential part of thatmission.

In a climate of testing and publishingresults in our newspapers, this has not beenan easy road. It seems easy to understandwhy some are abandoning parts of bestmiddle school practice for more conven-tional “safe” approaches. However, it is inthis climate that it seems more importantthan ever to preserve programs that enhancewhat is the core of our middle school be-liefs. Although not perfect, our staff hasworked hard to create a true middle schoolclimate with incredible activities that helpto make our school such a special place.

In the center of our activities is a part-nership we create each year with a charity.In the past, we have worked with organiza-tions including Autism Speaks, SpecialOlympics, and a local hospital. The goal isto raise funds over the year for this organi-zation, share knowledge, and have all ofour students learn the importance of help-ing others and how each of us can make adifference in a positive way. This part ofour activities program is one in which wetake great pride. Although not every studentbenefits from this, it is certain some liveshave been changed by being involved.Middle school students feel deeply, and thishas offered many of our students an oppor-tunity to share their feelings and make adifference.

Our fundraising is the core of our TeamSpirit activity, which takes place eachspring. Team Spirit has been a part of ourschool since we became a middle school,twenty-three years ago. In the past, activi-ties would take place before or after school.


Today, our students are so over-pro-grammed that they really don’t have time todo anything more. Four years ago thisprogram was changed so most of the activi-ties take place during the school day. Thegrowth of this program has not been with-out pain, but it hasdeveloped into some-thing we are proud of.Our students enter ourbuilding each fall anx-ious to be a part of this.

Team Spirit has somesimilarity to camp pro-grams such as “Olym-pics” or “Color War”.Our teams compete bygrade level against eachother in various compe-titions. Staff membershelp supervise studentsin activities duringthe day and there arepaid teacher advisorswho work with ourstudents after theschool day. There is agrade-level assemblyto introduce ourtheme and to intro-duce each team’sname. This assemblyhas become a large production, with staff incostumes to represent teams and staffmembers competing on stage for teampoints. Our students love cheering theirteachers on.

Team Spirit takes place over five days.On each of these days, we shorten our classperiods to add an extra period at the end ofthe day for our students to prepare for thefinal day activities. These activities includea presentation with a team dance, cheer, ormusical presentation (live or lip synch); ateam banner; a team plaque; hallway deco-

rating; a team scrapbook; a team float; anda team bridge built with pasta. Each team isassigned a day of the week to hold afundraising activity, at the end of the day,to raise money for our charity.

We continually look for activities to addto interest differentgroups of our students.This is another evolvingprogram. Our sportscompetitions for pointstake place during ourphysical educationclasses. A special assem-bly held on the second tolast day of Team Spirithas teams with teacherscompeting against eachother in basketball.There are no regularclasses on the last day of

Team Spirit; ourentire school partici-pates in this day’sactivity. For half theday, each grade levelviews the presenta-tions while anothergrade is in the gymcompeting in GoofySports. It is an in-credible, successful

day in our school.

The culture of our school and the pro-grams we have developed are ultimately ourway of creating a place where all studentsfeel they belong and want to be part of ourschool. Our yearly “Idol Show” is a tremen-dous success. All profits from our show arefor that year’s charity. This show is sosuccessful that the 650 tickets we sell aregone within 48 hours.

Other programs we have added include aClub Fair at the beginning of the year, so

Team Spirit in Action


all students know what clubs and activitiesthey can join. Although we always assumedour students knew what was available, itseems many students did not know andothers were not sure how to join. Studentsrepresent each club and classes are broughtdown to visit the various clubs. Interestedstudents can sign up right there and willlater receive a reminder for the first meet-ing, or they can take a flyer with all theinformation they need. We have been ableto increase participation in our after-schoolprogram by holding this fair. This year wewill attempt to expand our Career Day in asimilar manner.

One of the programs that is outstandingand adds to our school culture is our schoolstore. It is run by our Entrepreneur Club.These students work during lunch periodsat a store that is filled with all schoolsupplies needed in classes, small gifts forbirthdays, cards, “birthday decoratinglocker kits”, accessories for lockers, andeven postage stamps. Under the direction oftalented teachers, this store is now a vital

part of our school climate. This year ourPTA will be offering school clothing yearround. Students will be able to buy itemssuch as sweatshirts, pants, and hats as away to increase school spirit in our build-ing.

Middle schools need to have programsthat invite students to become a part of ourschools. Our students need to want to getup each day and come to school becausethere is nowhere better to be. These pro-grams not only allow students to applyknowledge and develop their leadershipskills, but may motivate others to workhard scholastically to achieve. Althoughthis is just an overview of programs devel-oped, it does illustrate the types of activi-ties that need to be part of a successfulmiddle school experience for all children.

Nancy Morris is the head of student activities atOceanside Middle School; 186 Alice Avenue;Oceanside NY 11572; (516) 678-8518.

Have you visited NYSMSA’s website lately?

Go to www.nysmsa.org for…• the latest information on what’s new “in the middle”

• updates on State Education Department discussions

• articles of particular interest

• Corning Middle-Level Institute and Annual Conference materials

• Schools to Watch information and application form

• ways to contact your local regional director

• the NYSMSA book store

• membership renewal and more


An Efficient Approach to Cooperative LearningThomas B. Reardon

A Brief Theoretical Analysis of JamesSurowiecki’s “The Wisdom of Crowds”and Its Application to the Classroom

During a spring vacation bearing no resem-blance to the expected mild weather of April, Ihad some time to catch up on my reading. A fanof social science literature, I was intrigued by abrief blurb that appeared in an April edition ofTime magazine, summarizing the thesis of JamesSurowiecki’s The Wisdom of Crowds. Myinterest awakened by a piece that promised toshed light on the positive influence a group ofpeople can have on solving the world’s mostcomplex problems, I went to my local library tosecure the final copy remaining on the shelves.

Though Surowiecki’s piece illustrates(through mathematical and anecdotal example)the influence and almost flawless accuracy acrowd of people can have in solving a problemof great world magnitude, it’s application tocooperative learning is unmistakable.

Surowiecki begins with the true story ofBritish scientist Francis Galton, a statisticianwho believed that the mass group had signifi-cant resource. Attending a local livestock fair, hewas attracted to a particular booth that chal-lenged the fairgoers to “Guess the Weight of theOx.” The individual who guessed closest to theweight would receive a monetary prize. As inmost cases, the assumption is made that the soleexpert of the group (the person with livestockexperience, or individual with great visualestimation skills) would obtain the correctanswer. The actual weight of the ox was 1,198pounds, with the closest guess falling within tenpounds in either direction. However, whenGalton averaged all of the submissions (taking

into account over 750 guesses, with a widebreadth of range), the communal average guesswas 1,197 pounds!

Numbers and statistics aside, Galton andnumerous other social scientists have shown astrong correlation in the strength of the group,rather than the few, elite individuals who aresuperior in a given field. From the stock marketto television show ratings, Sorowiecki effec-tively presents the influence a group of peoplecan have, when their individual, uninfluencedthoughts are taken into consideration. It isimportant to accentuate that it is not the mind-less leader-leading-the-masses that results in thissuccess, but the process of aggregating thethoughts and opinions of all members of a group(regardless of intellectual and social back-ground) to derive a conclusion.

What does this mean for cooperativelearning?

As middle-level educators, we are constantlystruggling with the theory and practice of coop-erative learning, or group work. Though theresearch shows that working in groups buildsself-esteem, makes learning activities moreinteractive (and thus more enjoyable), andallows the heterogeneously grouped teachingmodel to function on a smaller level, almostevery teacher has encountered the perils of thisteaching style (poorly focused groups, apathyamongst group members, inequity in the gradingprocess, etc.). Though these difficulties varydepending upon the structure of the activity andthe class composite, there are applications ofSorowiecki’s work that would help foster a moreacademically effective, socially enriching coop-erative learning experience.


1. Cooperative Learning Groups Can BeLarge(r)As teachers, we make the assumption that

smaller is always best. However, in cases wherewe ask students to analyze a situation or offer asolution to a problem, the more diverse inputsavailable will satisfy the mathematical modelSorowiecki proposes, thus leading to a moreaccurate solution. (Basically, more hands allowfor a clearer spread of solutions, rather thannarrowing the scope).

2. Individual Reflection Time is a NecessityBecause of the strong social component of

cooperative learning, we sometimes assume thatthe nature of cooperative learning is to alwaysinvolve interaction. As illustrated inSorowiecki’s text, mass groups that are left toopenly discuss everything sometimes fall victimto the more dominant characters leading thepack (which we see many times in group workwhen the dominant character leads, and thesubmissive character resentfully follows).Regardless of the task, allow students ampletime to individually (and silently) record theirthoughts and possible solutions to the coopera-tive learning task. Once recorded on paper(which prevents students from feeling thepressure to change their opinions once conversa-tion begins), students should then use thisreflection as a springboard for interaction. It isin these diverse reflections and their compila-tion, taking the best of all contributing members,where the solution exists.

3. Grading Should Remain PredominantlyIndividualAs a teacher, I often use the threat of the

“group grade” as a motivation for all membersof the group to commit ample energy to theactivity. Usually, this threat seems to fall upondeaf ears, with very little change in affect aftersuch a comment is made. Sorowiecki attemptsto explain the apathy of certain group membersby using a term called strong reciprocity. Muchlike those who feel no pressure to pay taxesdespite their communal benefits (roads, govern-

ment programming, etc.), strong reciprocity is“the willingness to punish bad behavior evenwhen one gets no personal benefits from doingso” (Sorowiecki, 2004, p. 116). Basically, thebenefit to excel in a group situation depreciateswhen the group is considered one entity. Ifeverybody receives the same grade withoutdistinction, why should particular studentsdistinguish themselves? In the case of studentswho are detracting from the experience, what istheir motivation to raise their level of engage-ment, if the others are equally responsible?Though a group grade can be a part of the task,the weight of the scoring should account forindividual work and contribution, thus keepingall members motivated to engage.

Maintaining motivation and focus in themiddle-level classroom is vital. Refining ourgroup work practices not only ensures a betterexperience for our students, but allows theexperience to be academically beneficial, pro-ducing results that supercede the temptation toremain within the safe boundaries of wholegroup instruction.

ReferenceSorowiecki, J. (2004). The wisdom of crowds.

New York: Doubleday.

Thomas Reardon ([email protected]) isan English teacher at Bethlehem Central MiddleSchool; 332 Kenwood Avenue; Delmar NY12054; (518) 439-7460.


Student Perceptions of a Middle School VideoAdvisory Program: A Critical AnalysisJohn Christie and Timothy P. Martin

IntroductionDuring the open forum at the New York

State Middle School Conference in October2000, Tom Kane and Jeannette Stern stressedthe need for an advisory program. Kane tookthis a step further and suggested that it not becalled an “advisory program,” because thissounded too much like a “band-aide” ap-proach. He would call it an “advocacy pro-gram” instead, since this was the purpose ofthe program. Kane asked, “If we don’t advo-cate for these children, who will?” (NYSMA,2000). In the current era of national and statemandates, which emphasize academic excel-lence, it is easy to lose sight of the humanfactors that build character and citizenship.

PurposeThe video advisory program utilizes a

closed circuit television to promote themonthly themes of the advisory program.Video clips emphasize monthly themes. Clipsinclude: motion pictures, web-links, facultymade videos, and student produced newssegments. Advisors are provided with discus-sion questions related to each video. Forexample, the monthly theme for January was“Goal Setting and New Beginnings.” A videoclip of the Hoyt family, father and son tri-athletes, was shown as a web-link. In recogni-tion of Constitution Day, a building-levelvideo was created asking the question, “Whatdoes the Constitution mean to me?” A quanti-tative analysis of the video advisory programcan support the soft or verbal data received.

The purpose of this study is to assess theimpact of the video advisory program onstudents. The video advisory program was

implemented during the 2004-2005 schoolyear. In the three years since its inception, ithas become a staple of the middle schooladvisory program. Feedback received fromadvisors and students tell those involved withthe program that meaningful messages werereaching students. Children expressed enjoy-ment of seeing themselves and their peers ontelevision. A quantitative analysis of the videoadvisory program examines the following:

1. Identify student perception of the videoadvisory program.

2. Examine the relationship between thevideo advisory program, the advisoryprogram, school climate, and student self-reporting of behavior.

Related LiteratureNew York State, in 2003, adopted the

Essential Elements of Standards-FocusedMiddle-Level Schools and Programs. Theseven essential elements — which include 1)Philosophy and Mission; 2) EducationalProgram; 3) Organizational Structure; 4)Classroom Instruction; 5) Educational Leader-ship; 6) A Network of Academic and PersonalSupport; and 7) Professional Learning — are abalance between the academic, social, andemotional needs of the young adolescent.Element Six recommends explicitly the needfor an “adult mentor in addition to a guidancecounselor, either formally through a teacher/student, advisor/advisee program or infor-mally through a school culture of caring inwhich teachers or other adults assume respon-sibility for individual students” (2003, p. 7).An advisory program allows an adult to


develop an individual relationship with asmall group of students. Effective advisoryprograms can address the academic and socialneeds of children through both structured andnon-structured activities.

The middle school organization providesstudents with “access to at least one adult whoknows and cares for him personally, and whois responsible for helping him to deal with theproblems of growing up” (Lounsbury & Vars,1978, p. 41). Meaningful relationships be-tween adults and children in middle school arefostered by daily advisory programs.

Turning Points 2000: Educating Adoles-cents in the 21st Century, the follow up to theCarnegie Foundation’s 1989 report of middle-level reform, promotes an advisory programthat meets a minimum of three times weekly.Research in support of the Turning Pointsrecommendations found: “A significant adultwho provides support and direction duringdifficult times is an important factor in help-ing students avoid academic failure and avariety of other problems” (2000, p. 143).Advisory can also foster character buildingactivities and time for personal goal settingand social development.

The National Middle School Association(NMSA) is a leader in middle-level advocacyand research. Its 2003 position paper, This WeBelieve: Successful Schools for Young Adoles-cents, is the result of the growth in research-ers’ collective knowledge of how middleschool children function. NMSA states: “Eachstudent must have one adult to support thatstudent’s academic and personal develop-ment” (2003, p. 16). The research literaturesupports a middle school program that placesan emphasis on academic success withoutexcluding the developmental needs of thechild. The current reality of high-stakestesting fails to place the same emphasis on thesocial and emotional needs of young men andwomen. This We Believe asserts that advocacy

needs to be rooted in the culture of a schoolsystem; advisory programs are a part of theadvocacy system.

Despite the fact that there is a volume ofliterature that addresses the importance ofadvisory programs, “few researchers havesystematically probed the subjective experi-ences of participants in advisory programs”(Anfara, 2006, p.2). The Video AdvisoryStudent Survey quantifies the impact of theprogram on advisory in general.

Historical Growth of the Video AdvisoryProgram

Dr. Martin had the opportunity to analyzethe advisory program for several years, whenhe was assistant principal of the middleschool. During that time, the infrastructure foran effective advisory program was put inplace. Each day began with a twenty minuteadvisory. Monday, Wednesday, and Fridaywere dedicated to advisory activities andTuesday and Thursday were set aside for relaxand read. We had a 13:1 student/teacher ratio.Even with all these pertinent elements inplace, it seemed that our advisory programwas not living up to its potential.

As middle school principal and with thesame infrastructure in place, Dr. Martin seizedon the capacity of the CCTV, soliciting teach-ers for an advisory committee. The first-yeargoal of the committee was to bring a charac-ter-education program to our children usingthe multimedia platform. We began by usingage-appropriate videos and showing themthroughout the building on the CCTV. Wetried to follow monthly themes, but our goalsseemed over-ambitious at times.

The following year, a new assistant princi-pal organized a formal committee that had theright players. This voluntary committee in-cluded academic teachers and exploratoryteachers from each grade. The current advi-sory committee has both first and twenty year


teachers, which provides just the right mix.They now make their own student videos,include Internet downloads, and on occasiongo back to the roots of store-bought videos.There are activity sheets for the advisor tofollow, which include pre-video overview aswell as follow-up questions. Each videofollows monthly themes and lasts approxi-mately five minutes on a “Video Wednesday”advisory.

Survey ParticipantsStudents were selected to participate in the

survey based on their grade. All grade leveladvisories were placed in a lottery and indi-vidual advisories were selected to take thesurvey. Advisories selected were placed backin the lottery to ensure all advisories had anequal chance of being selected. The surveyparticipants included boys and girls fromgrades 6-8. A total of 114 students partici-pated in the survey: 45 sixth graders, 34seventh graders, and 35 eighth graders.

The survey was crafted by the advisorycommittee and placed on surveymonkey.com.The Video Advisory Student Survey consists offour demographic questions and 26 Likertscale questions. The 26 questions were brokeninto four major variables that assessed theadvisory program, video advisory program,school climate, and student self-reporting of

their behavior. Thirteen students took thesurvey to measure the validity and reliabilityof the questions. A Statistical Package for theSocial Sciences version 14 (SPSS)Chronbach’s alpha reliability test was con-ducted on the four major variables.

The survey was administered to studentsduring advisory. Students came to the com-puter lab and were given instruction to accessthe survey from a web link tosurveymonkey.com. The advisories draggedand clicked their responses on the computer.Following the completion of the survey, anitem analysis and the 114 individual reportswere printed. Student survey responses wereplaced in SPSS and analyzed.

ResultsThe 26 Likert scale questions were divided

into four major categories: Video Advisory,Advisory Program, School Climate, andStudent Self-Reporting of Their Behavior.Table 1 (below) provides descriptive statisticsfor the four major variables.

110 people answered the survey. Videoadvisory has an N=110 with a M=35.63 and aSD=5.95 with a minimum of 16 and a maxi-mum of 46. Of the survey responses analyzedfor all grades, 84% fell between the range ofslightly agree to strongly agree that videoadvisory sends meaningful messages. More

Table 1Descriptive Statistics for Video Advisory, Advisory Program, Behavior, and School Climate

N Minimum Maximum Mean SDStatistic Statistic Statistic Statistic Statistic

Video advisory 110 16.00 46.00 35.63 5.95

Advisory program 109 11.00 24.00 18.09 2.82

Student behavior 111 13.00 25.00 20.64 2.44

School climate 111 14.00 30.00 22.90 3.38

Valid N (listwise) 109


globally, an analysis of the advisory programwith an N=109 and a M=18.09 with anSD=2.82 and minimum of 11 and a maximumof 24 showed that 82% of all children sur-veyed had a favorable impression of theadvisory program. Student self-reporting oftheir decision-making reveals that 96% ofstudents slightly to strongly agree that theyhave good moral compasses (N=111 with anM=20.64 and an SD=2.44 with a minimum of13 and maximum of 25). Students expressed apositive view of their school climate with anN=111 and M=22.90 with an SD= 3.38 with aminimum of 14 and a maximum of 30. Themean for each of the four variables createdfrom the survey illustrate a positive studentresponse to the video advisory program,advisory in general, and their perception of agood school climate.

The bivariate correlation shows a positivecorrelation between the video advisory activi-ties and the advisory program with an r=.69,p<.01. The variance between the two variable

Table 2Bivariate Correlation of Four Major Variables

Video Advisory Student SchoolAdvisory Program Behavior Climate

Video Pearson Correlation 1Advisory Sig. (2-tailed) N 110

Advisory Pearson Correlation .693(**)Program Sig. (2-tailed) .000 N 109 109

Student Pearson Correlation .325(**) .234(*)Behavior Sig. (2-tailed) .001 .014 N 110 109 111

School Pearson Correlation .411(**) .420(**) .213(*)Climate Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000 .025 N 110 109 111 111

** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).* Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

is r2=.34 or 34%. The video advisories have asignificant effect on students’ positive percep-tion of the advisory program. The videoadvisory activities are positively correlatedwith student self reporting of behavior with anr=.32, p<.01 and an r2 =.16. Video advisoryactivities have a 16% variance on student self-reporting of behavior. On a related note, ourschool has experienced a decrease in formaldiscipline referrals the past two years. Schoolclimate has an r=.41, p<.01 and an r2=.20.School climate is positively correlated withvideo advisory activities, with a variancebetween the variables of 20%. Responding toa single item in the survey, 95% of childrenagree or strongly agree that their teachers careabout them.

ConclusionAdvisory programs are an essential charac-

teristic of middle school. The survey resultsshow that students have a positive perceptionof the video advisory component of the advi-


sory program. Student responses identified asignificant relationship between video advi-sory, advisory program, school climate, andstudent self-reporting of behavior.

The video advisory program supports theaffective domain of the middle school child.Furthermore, messages in the videos providecharacter building experiences. A school canenrich its advisory program with a componentsimilar to video advisory.

ReferencesAlexander, W.M., Williams, E.L., Compton,

M.H., Vynce, A., & Prescott, D. (1968).The emergent middle school. New York:Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

Gallassi, J.P., & Gulledge, S.A. (1997). Themiddle school counselor and teacher-advisor programs. Professional SchoolCounseling, 1 (2). Retrieved April 13,2007, from Academic Search Elite.

Jackson, A.W., & Davis, G.A. (2000). Turningpoints 2000: Educating adolescents in the21st century. New York: Teachers CollegePress.

Kane, T., Mitchell, K., Payton, D., Stern, J., &Toepfer, C. (2000, October). Middle levelforum. Presented at the conference of theNew York State Middle School Associa-tion.

Lipsitz, J. (1984). Successful schools foryoung adolescents. New York: TransactionBooks.

Lounsbury, John H., & Vars, Gordon F.(1978). A curriculum for the middle schoolyears. Harper & Row.

MacLaury, S., & Gratz, Z. (2002). Advisoriesled by trained facilitators: The impact onmiddle school students. Research inMiddle Level Education Online, 26(1).Retrieved April 14, 2007, from http://

www.nmsa.org/Publications/RMLEOnline/tabid/101/Default.aspx

Meyer, H. (2006). A student speaks…Teacheradvisory programs in middle school. InTransition, XXIII (2), 26-30.

New York State Department of Education.(2003). Essential elements of standards-focused middle level schools and pro-grams. Retrieved April 13, 2007, fromhttp://www.nysed.gov

This we believe: Successful schools for youngadolescents. (2003). Westerville, OH:National Middle School Association.

Wilson, C. (1998, March/April). The realmeaning of middle school advisory pro-grams. Contemporary Education. Abstractretrieved April 13, 2007, from AcademicSearch Elite.

John Christie and Timothy P. Martin, Ed.D,are assistant principal and principal, respec-tively, of Islip Middle School; 211 MainStreet; Islip NY 11751.


Submission of ArticlesIn Transition accepts manuscripts for publication consideration. Our journal is produced by theNew York State Middle School Association and is dedicated to those teachers, counselors,administrators, parents, and others serving the needs of students aged 10-15. In Transition is ajuried publication; all manuscripts are reviewed and approved for publication by a panel ofmembers from the NYSMSA Board of Directors.

Manuscripts describing successful programs, stimulating projects, exemplary teaching tech-niques, unique team concepts, action research, and promising practices are welcome! We areparticularly interested in articles on implementing the new Standards, teaming, interdisciplinaryinstruction, authentic assessment, flexible scheduling, integrating technology into instructionalprograms, and application of the Essential Elements.

Please note the following format guidelines:

LENGTH: 400-2,000 words (two to eight pages)

FORMAT: MS Word or compatible, double space, Times New Roman 12, 1-inchmargins. Citations of referenced works should follow current APAstandards.

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COVER PAGE: Each article submitted must include a cover page with the followinginformation: Title, Author, Position, School and/or Home Address(please indicate which), School and/or Home Telephone Number (pleaseindicate which), E-Mail Address, and (optional) a brief synopsis of thecontent of the manuscript.

SUBMIT TO: All documents must be submitted as e-mail attachments to:[email protected] note: Only e-mail submissions will be considered; do not sendfax or paper copies of manuscripts.

DEADLINES: To be considered for publication, manuscripts must be received byAugust 15 for the fall issue, January 15 for the winter issue, April 15 forthe spring issue.

NYSMSA Board of Directors 2006-2007

PresidentJeannette SternWantagh MS3299 Beltagh AvenueWantagh, NY 11793(516) [email protected]

Executive DirectorDennis TosettoNYSMSA West2201 Pine AvenueNiagara Falls, NY 14301(716) [email protected]

Region 1 BOCESMonroe #1Monroe 2-OrleansWayne-Finger LakesSteuben-Alleganyand ALL Livingston CountyRegion 1 DirectorTerry QuinnTwelve Corners MS2643 Elmwood AvenueRochester, NY 14618(585) [email protected]

Region 2 BOCESCayuga-OnondagaMadison-OneidaOneida-Herkimer-MadisonOnondaga-Cortland-MadisonOswegoRegion 2 DirectorBruce MacBainMoravia MSP.O. Box 1189Moravia, NY 13118(315) [email protected]

Region 3 BOCESHamilton-Fulton-MontgomeryHerkimerWashington-Saratoga-Warren-

Hamilton-Essex

Region 3 DirectorChris ReedGlens Falls MS20 Quade StreetGlens Falls, NY 12801(518) [email protected]

Region 4 BOCESBroome-TiogaDelaware-Chenango-

Madison-OtsegoSchuyler-Chemung-TiogaTompkins-Seneca-TiogaRegion 4 DirectorTom PhillipsWatkins Glen CSD303 12th StreetWatkins Glen, NY 14891(607) [email protected]

Region 5 BOCESCapital RegionOtsego-Northern CatskillsQuestar IIIActing Region 5 DirectorMark FishOliver W. Winch MS99 Hudson StreetS. Glens Falls, NY 12803(518) [email protected]

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Region 7ALL New York City DistrictsRegion 7 Co-Directors TBAContact: NYSMSA PresidentJeannette Stern

Region 8 BOCESNassauEastern SuffolkWestern SuffolkRegion 8 DirectorShawn RobertsonLynbrook North MS529 Merrick RoadLynbrook, NY 11563(516) [email protected]

Region 9 BOCESCattaraugus-AlleganyErie #1Erie #2-Chautauqua-

CattaraugusGenesee Valley (except

Livingston County)Orleans-NiagaraRegion 9 DirectorNancy SampsonPioneer MSP.O. Box 619Yorkshire, NY 14173(716) [email protected]

Region 10 BOCESChamplain ValleyFranklin-Essex-HamiltonJefferson-LewisSt. Lawrence-LewisRegion 10 DirectorTeal AbelTheresa Primary School125 Bridge StreetTheresa, NY 13691(315) [email protected]

Administrative AssistantJulie SchwartzNYSMSAP.O. Box 53Pleasantville, NY 10570(914) [email protected]

Regions & Directors

Vice PresidentSusan AllenEast Irondequoit CSD600 Pardee RoadRochester, NY 14609(585) [email protected]

Secretary / HistorianBrian ShermanSchoharie CSDP.O. Box 430136 Academy DriveSchoharie, NY 12157(518) [email protected]

Treasurer / ConferencesLinda RuestNYSMSA West2201 Pine AvenueNiagara Falls, NY 14301(716) [email protected]

Essential Elements: Schools-to-Watch ProgramDavid [email protected]

Professional DevelopmentJames [email protected]

Research and TechnologyJeff CraigJamesville-DeWitt MS6280 Randall RoadJamesville, NY 13078(315) [email protected]

SED LiaisonMarybeth CaseyNYSED 319EB89 Washington AvenueAlbany, NY 12234(518) [email protected]

Officers

Your region is determined by your school’s BOCES; for retirees and businesses, it is based on place of residence or business location.

NYSMSAis your source for

Middle-Level Staff Development

27th Annual ConferenceBetting on the Middle

Saratoga Springs NYOctober 18-20, 2007

Information is available atwww.nysmsa.org

NYSMSAP.O. Box 53Pleasantville, NY 10570

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