Middle school reforms are ‘Taking Center Stage’ 

CSBA President-elect Dr. Kathy Kinley spoke Oct. 4 at the kickoff for “Taking Center Stage—Act II: Closing the Achievement Gap for California’s Middle Grades Students” in Elk Grove, near Sacramento. Jack O’Connell, state superintendent of public instruction, also addressed the audience of students and others at Toby Johnson Middle School.

“Middle grade students are unique and wonderful human beings,” Kinley said. “They have social, emotional, physical and intellectual needs which are different from younger children and older teens. It is important that we provide them with highly qualified teachers and administrators who understand middle grade students and use appropriate strategies to help them set and achieve their goals.”

The event launched 12 recommendations for middle school reform crafted by the California Middle Schools Alliance, a consortium of education groups that includes the California School Boards Association, the California Department of Education, the California League of Middle Schools and others. Following 18 months of strategic planning, the alliance created wide-ranging recommendations that include strategies for instruction and assessment; help with relationships and transitions; a focus on health and safety; and guidance in leadership and accountability

“Taking Center Stage—Act II” will be released early next year.