Fitchburg State College
Center for Professional Studies
Spring 2008

Middle School Reform: Raising Standards to Meet the Challenges of the 21^st Century
January 15, 22, 29; February 5, 12, 26; March 4, 11, 18, 25; April 1, 8, 15, 29; May 6, 13
Meeting Times: 3 – 5:30 p.m.
Auburn, MA
*Note: this course is intended only for certified secondary teachers/administrators at Auburn High School.

Course Description: Middle school is the bridge between elementary school and high school, and represents a time of significant developmental change in the lives of early adolescents. Middle school has now become the focus of major reform efforts—efforts to raise expectations for academic performance and, at the same time, recognize and respond to the developmental realities of early adolescence. This course will focus on the issues associated with the need to change the structure and content focus of middle school, including:

· Collaborative leadership and professional learning communities

· Personalizing the school environment

· Curriculum, instruction and assessment

The outcome of this course is the development of a plan for restructuring all aspects of Auburn Middle School. It is expected that the plan will lay out the course of action for the faculty and community to follow for the next three years, as the community works to prepare students to be successful in an environment of increased expectations for academic performance.