Middle School Transitions Affect Achievement

  

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Harvard University recently released a study on Florida schools that investigates the impact of middle and high school transitions on school achievement. Though researchers have previously focused on the effects of high school transitions only, this study, as well as a 2010 study on New York City schools, reveals that the more critical school transition actually occurs during middle school. 

The study shows that students who move to middle school in the 6th or 7th grade show a substantial drop in both reading and math achievement scores and these students’ achievement scores continue to decline through the rest of middle school. These students have lower school attendance rates and are almost 20% more likely to drop out of school by 10th grade. In contrast to the transition in middle school, students exhibit a smaller achievement drop when starting high school (9th grade) and their math and reading achievement scores tend to improve in 10th grade. 

Why does this middle school transition cause such a significant achievement drop? The obvious assumption is that K-8 schools provide a higher quality education for students in 6th through 8th grade than do stand-alone middle schools. However, these researchers found little evidence to support this claim, instead suggesting that “being in the youngest cohort in a school adversely impacts student performance” and is “particularly costly” for middle school-aged children. 

If it is more difficult for middle school students to achieve in environments that do not include younger students, does this call for a massive restructuring of our public schools to the K-8 school model? Are there ways to support students effectively through these structural transitions? If older students benefit from the “leadership roles” they can adopt in schools that include young students, can buddy systems and increased contact between stand-alone elementary and middle schools provide the same opportunities for leadership as does a K-8 school? Certainly more research needs to be conducted on the effects of these structural transitions and ways in which we can help prevent this achievement drop.