AMLE is soliciting input from the middle level education community as it prepares the publish the 6th edition of its foundational position paper on best practice in the middle grades, The Successful Middle School: This We Believe.
First published in 1982, and most recently updated with the 2020 5th edition, the text is recognized as the best articulation of the middle school model and the evidence-based practices found in a school that has been planned and organized to address the developmental and cultural needs of students ages 10-14.
ACCESS THE FEEDBACK SUBMISSION FORM HERE
The call for feedback is open to all and specifically addresses the following topics:
- Support for Schools/Educators: Understanding that the text is designed to be an evidence-based position paper which provides an aspirational, though brief, overview of the middle school model, in what ways could the text be updated to support you in advocating for middle grades best practices within your school, district, or state?
- Gaps: Are there any gaps in the existing text between the theory and your reality? What are the most critical issues you face in your role today that impact your ability to create schools that are developmentally responsive to the young adolescent student?
- Learning Environment: What does the ideal learning culture/environment for young adolescents look like in 2025? What has changed since 2020?
- Pedagogy: What does teaching and instruction for young adolescents look like in 2025? What has changed since 2020?
- The Characteristics of Young Adolescent Development: How have middle grades students changed? Are there ways in which the young adolescent development summary section of the text could be more useful to you as an educator?
- Technology: How do the significant changes in technology usage by students both in and out of the classroom over the past five years impact the successful middle school? In what ways can schools integrate/manage technology use to support the 18 characteristics?
- Looking to the Future: SMS:TWB is an aspirational document, pointing us toward where the research indicates middle level education can go. In what ways, based on your experience, do you think middle level education can grow and evolve to better serve young adolescents over the next five years?
- New Research: Is there any new (past five years) or relevant middle level education research you’d like to make sure the authors are aware of?
Notes for respondents:
- While this is an open call, we ask that you please have read The Successful Middle School: This We Believe in its entirety in order to provide fully-informed feedback.
- While not required, we hope that you’ll choose to provide your name and contact details so that the editorial committee and authors can reach out if they have follow-up questions or to invite you to further focus groups on these topics.
- You do not need to answer every question, but may choose to respond just to those for which you have input to provide.
The form will remain open through March 31, 2025. The anticipated publication date for the 6th edition is fall, 2026.