Moving to Middle School

Helping students adjust to the social and academic demands of middle school

Context

Public schools have been directed to increase the standards by which they teach and assess students, particularly those at the middle and high school levels. The increase in expectations and standards has in turn placed many more students at risk for failure. CSDE began a research study in 2001 to help schools help students adjust to the growing complexity and demands of school.

The Project

Bridges to Success was conducted in four middle schools in the greater Boston area and involved school-wide orientation activities, as well as the development and delivery of a curriculum for sixth-grade students that included helping develop better study and organizational skills, time management, communication skills, problem solving, anger management, and stress management techniques.

Results

Qualitatively, the response from schools to this curriculum has been overwhelmingly positive. The Bridges to Success Curriculum has been extensively revised based on feedback received from teachers and was published as Moving to Middle School: Life Skills and Coping Skills for Successful Student Transition by Jalmar Press in 2002.