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Having faculty collaborative teams to evaluate student works is proposed in this article. The standards related to content and performance of student works should be agreed among team members. Team members should also be willing to implement change. Garrison, C. (2006). Morn than paper load: What does all this student work tell us? Middle Ground, 9(3), 12-15.

Using the example of Shelburne Community School in Shelburne, Vermont, the authors emphasize the importance of involving students and parents in assessment and portfolio processes. Smith, C., & Myers, C. (2001). Students take center stage in classroom assessment. Middle Ground, 5(2), 10-16.

High achieving students are just as desperate as any other students for good teachers to help them progress. Strategies to meet the needs of advanced learners are provided in this article. Rakow, S. (2007). All means all: Classrooms that work for advanced learners. Middle Ground, 11(1), 10-12.

This book is the result of research by the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST). Their position is that the use of technology can be used to transform the nature of the curriculum itself. The e-book version has links to resources that make it a wealth of information regarding universal design for learning (UDL). UDL is a framework that can help you turn the challenges posed by high standards and increasing learner diversity into opportunities to maximize learning for every student. Drawing upon new knowledge of how the brain works and new technologies and media now available for teaching and learning, UDL frames a systematic approach to setting goals, choosing or creating flexible materials and media, and assessing students accurately.

Creating safe forums for students to voice their opinions can help them clarify their identity and develop their sense of empowerment. Examples of online platforms for publishing students' works are introduced: MidLink Magazine, ePals, Poetry.com, Children's Express, White Barn Press, Scholastic's "Writing with Writers," and Put it on the Web.

Curriculum integration involves not only helping students make connections across content areas, but also promoting democracy in the classroom. The concepts of curriculum integration are discussed. The reactions of teachers, students, and parents to curriculum integration are reported. Paterson, J. (2003). Curriculum integration in a standards-based world. Middle Ground, 7(1), 10-12.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism created this wesite for students ages 11-13. Resources, information, and support for students to help them avoid underage drinking. One section is called the "biology and chemistry that will keep you from becoming history."

This special report uses video interviews and other Web-based media to tell the story of America's decades-long struggle with improving our students' proficiency in math. It looks at international comparisons of student performance in math, and (here in the U.S.) at teacher preparation, the value of technology to math learning, and the importance of quantitative literacy as a foundation not only for work in science and technology, but also for a future as a problem-solver and an engaged citizen in today's world.

A major national report that examines the crucial stage at which middle school students and their parents must begin to make choices about going to college. Parents of adolescent students are in a unique position to help ensure their children's success in postsecondary education as they could provide early guidance in the relevancy of college to success in life, academic preparation, and high educational aspirations.

The International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) is designed for students aged 11 to 16. This period, encompassing early puberty and mid-adolescence, is a particularly critical phase of personal and intellectual development and requires a programme that helps students participate actively and responsibly in a changing and increasingly interrelated world. Learning how to learn and how to evaluate information critically is as important as learning facts.

The benefits and criticism of increased assessment or testing are discussed. Increased testing helps teachers monitoring students' learning process and their own teaching strategies and school curriculum. The main criticism is "lack of value to education in its current incarnation." Suggestions of improved assessment are recommended.

The roles of technology in students' performance assessment, teachers' professional development, data management, and teaching supports are discussed. Kalmbacher, S. (2004). Data to action technology's role in accountability. Middle Ground, 8(2), 12-15.

Differentiating instruction is suggested to meet the needs of different students in a classroom. Strategies for conducting differentiating instruction are provided.

Students achieve at higher levels when teachers think more deeply about how their classroom assessments fit into the larger instructional environment. Chappuis, S., & Stiggins, R. (2008). Finding balance: Assessment in the middle school classroom. Middle Ground, 12(2), 12-15.

The concepts and importance of courageous leadership is explained. The impact on educators and on students is also addressed.

The former Principal Sherril Ray suggested a creative schedule as one strategy to meet students' needs at Furman Middle School in Sumter, South Carolina. Scheduling and associated academic activities are also provided as examples. McLeod, J. (2005). Kick-off, half-time, and over-time: Flexible scheduling scores points. Middle Ground, 8(4), 12-13.

Engrade is a free set of web-based tools for educators allowing them to manage their classes online while providing parents and students with 24/7 real-time online class information. It's private, secure, truly free, and unbelievably easy to use - so join over 50,000 teachers and start using Engrade today.

The report was written by Linda Darling-Hammond and a team of researchers from the Stanford University School Redesign Network. It examines what research has revealed about professional learning that improves teachers' practice and student learning. The report describes the availability of such opportunities in the United States and high-achieving nations around the world, which have been making substantial and sustained investments in professional learning for teachers over the last two decades.

Across the country, teachers are providing students with the opportunity to use technology to make valuable contributions to their learning community. November, A. (2008). The digital learning farm. Middle Ground, 12(1), 10-13.