middle school Archives

Back to school in 2026: The trends shaping K-12 education this year

September 24, 2026September 21, 2026 by ESchool News Staff

From AI and student engagement to teacher support, education trends are focused on turning innovation into meaningful impact.

As students and educators settle into the 2026-27 school year, K-12 leaders are navigating a landscape shaped by rapid technological change, persistent academic challenges, and growing pressure to…

Classroom Management

When practice becomes data: Helping teachers respond to student misconceptions

September 8, 2026September 8, 2026 by Henry Yang, EduNinja

A student can complete 20 questions and still leave a teacher with very little useful information. A score may show that something went wrong, but it does not…

Curriculum & Assessment

A new approach to middle school math data boosted our state test scores

September 2, 2026 by Kaitlin Fields, Metropolitan School District of Washington Township

$Having more clarity about what middle school math content is being taught—and why—has led to increased rigor in classrooms.$

Picture a group of middle school math teachers meeting to mull over a specific problem. Their eighth graders keep missing the same assessment question about graphing a system…

Teaching Trends

Don’t forget nature’s classroom

July 29, 2026July 29, 2026 by Vanessa Garza, Girls Athletic Leadership School Los Angeles

Outdoor education has been shown to improve academic outcomes across subjects, including science, reading, and math, while also strengthening motivation, well-being, and school engagement. Studies also link outdoor…

Curriculum & Assessment

Building math skills by designing backpacks: How PBL shifted the way students see math

June 9, 2026 by Melanie Grosso, Riverside Presbyterian Day School

$pbl helps students understand key math concepts$

Building a strong foundation in math during elementary and middle school is essential for success in the later grades. Because each concept builds on the last, students must…

Literacy

5 ways to make reading click for teens

April 23, 2026 by Carey Sweet, The Reading League Florida Chapter

Five classroom-tested approaches that make reading engaging, relevant and sustainable for teens and middle school students.

Reading is competing for attention in a world built for scrolling. A recent University of Florida study found that the share of Americans who read for pleasure on…

AI in Education

Student use of AI for homework rises as concerns grow about critical thinking skills

March 25, 2026 by ESchool News Staff

Students are clearly embracing AI as a learning tool, but they’re also conflicted about what it means for their own learning.

Student use of AI for homework increased in 2025, even as more students are worried the technology may be harming their ability to think critically, according to a…

ELL

Why every middle school student deserves a second chance to learn to read

December 15, 2025 by Kim Hicks, Southwestern Jefferson County Consolidated School

Between kindergarten and second grade, much of the school day is dedicated to helping our youngest students master phonics, syllabication, and letter-sound correspondence--the essential building blocks to lifelong…

Literacy

Solving the staffing crisis is key to the Science of Reading movement

December 5, 2025 by Laura Stewart, 95 Percent Group

Every time a new leader or teacher steps in, the hard-won progress on a literacy initiative can be jeopardized--staffing is critical.

As someone who’s dedicated my career to advancing the Science of Reading movement, I’ve seen firsthand what it takes to help every child become a strong, fluent reader.

Newsline

100 Learning Spaces Transformed, $5 Million Invested: School Specialty and College Football Playoff Foundation Celebrate Impact Across Schools Nationwide

November 24, 2025 by ESchool News Staff

New media center at North Dade Middle School marks milestone in initiative revitalizing learning environments to benefit the entire learning ... Read more

College and Career Readiness

The end of one-direction career pathways: Why empowering students sets the best course for future success

November 24, 2025 by Nick Gross, Find Your Grind

Schools have the opportunity to help students identify their desired lifestyle, existing strengths, and possible career pathways.

When middle school students make the leap to high school, they are expected to have a career path in mind so their classes and goals align with their…

Personalized Learning

From explaining to empowering: How tutors can support student thinking

November 11, 2025 by Dr. Halley Bowman, Saga Education

Building cognitive lift doesn’t require a complete overhaul--it comes from small shifts tutors can make in every tutoring session.

Consider the work of a personal trainer. They can explain and model a workout perfectly, but if the athlete isn’t the one doing the lifting, their muscles won’t…

Literacy

3 strategies to boost student reading fluency this school year

October 31, 2025 by Dr. Carolyn Brown, Foundations in Learning

All students can become strong, proficient readers when they are given the right tools, instruction, and support in reading fluency.

With the new school year now rolling, teachers and school leaders are likely being hit with a hard truth: Many students are not proficient in reading.

Literacy

Strengthening middle school literacy: What educators need to know

October 1, 2025 by Laura Ascione

Literacy has always been the foundation of learning, but for middle school students, the stakes are especially high. These years mark the critical shift from learning to read…

Literacy

4 tips to support the literacy needs of middle and high school students

August 8, 2025 by ESchool News Staff

A new report underscores the literacy challenges of older students left behind by the COVID-19 pandemic's disruptions to learning.

Today's middle schoolers continue to struggle post-pandemic to read and write at the level needed to successfully navigate more complex academic content in the upper grades and beyond.

Newsline

Project POTUS 2025 Middle School Winners Announced

July 16, 2025 by ESchool News Staff

Indianapolis, IN — Project POTUS, a national middle school history initiative from the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, has named winners ... Read more

Live @ ISTE 2025

Showfloor News: PBLWorks creates PBLWorks TEACH to help scale project based learning

July 7, 2025July 2, 2025 by Laura Ascione

The Buck Institute for Education (dba PBLWorks), a national provider of professional development for high-quality Project Based Learning (PBL), is ... Read more

STEM & STEAM Trends

In Rhode Island, a partnership brings STEM lessons to life

July 1, 2025 by Neil Nachbar, University of Rhode Island

Hands-on STEM learning activities helped middle school students understand how lessons in their science classes had real-world applications.

Sixth grade science lessons at Governor Christopher DelSesto Middle School in Providence were more interactive this year thanks to a partnership with the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate…

College and Career Readiness

Many states picked diploma pathways over high school exit exams. Did students benefit?

June 13, 2025 by Kalyn Belsha, Chalkbeat

Diploma pathways appear to have helped more students who aren’t college-bound to graduate, but they also have created new issues.

When 18-year-old Edgar Brito thinks about what he’ll do in the future, mechanical engineering is high on the list. The senior at Washington state’s Toppenish High School first…

The AI Gap: Why Teachers Can’t Afford to Wait on the Sidelines

June 6, 2025 by Kevin Hogan

Tired of talking about AI? That’s too bad. The technology remains the most impactful force in education. The challenge becomes ... Read more

COVID in Schools

Did the pandemic reopen gender-based math gaps?

June 2, 2025 by ESchool News Staff

Educators should ensure pandemic learning recovery efforts don’t inadvertently reinforce old math gaps--or allow new ones to take hold.

STEM gaps in achievement between boys and girls that took more than a decade to close were reopened in just four years, according to a new study from…

Innovation Insights

Trigg County Public Schools Deploys ZeroEyes’ AI Gun Detection and Intelligent Situational Awareness Technology

May 19, 2025 by Kevin Hogan

ZeroEyes, the creators of the first AI-based gun detection video analytics platform to earn the full U.S. Department of Homeland ... Read more

College and Career Readiness

From curiosity to clarity: Showcasing career paths to young learners

April 29, 2025 by Tina Leslie, FlexPoint

With the right support, educators can help students connect their passions with meaningful career paths and opportunities.

While I used to be deeply involved in CTSOs as an advisor and teacher, stepping into an administrator role has allowed me to continue engaging with students in…

College and Career Readiness

SkillsUSA competitions give students hands-on experience with career skills

April 22, 2025April 22, 2025 by Graham Celine, Intelitek

SkillsUSA students develop career skills and outperform peers not enrolled in a CTE student organization in seven essential areas.

The most effective way for students to learn career-ready skills in fields such as advanced manufacturing and robotics is by applying these skills in the context of authentic…

Student Well-Being

The importance of teacher-student relationships

April 15, 2025 by Dr. Yuvraj Verma, Bessemer City Middle School & William Howard Taft University

Students are motivated by teacher-student relationships when they know teachers genuinely care about their academics and personal growth.

Middle school marks the transition from late childhood to early adolescence. Developmental psychologist Erik Erikson describes the transition as a shift from the Industry vs. Inferiority stage into…

Profiles in Innovation

Fighting chronic absenteeism with data-driven insights–and a little fun, too

November 7, 2025March 26, 2025 by Laura Ascione

Chronic absenteeism remains a widespread challenge in schools across the country, but in Wisconsin, Racine Unified School District’s Julian Thomas Elementary and Jerstad-Agerholm Middle School are demonstrating that…

Newsline

Students Explore STEM with Engineers

February 21, 2025 by ESchool News Staff

Middletown, PA – Phoenix Contact engineers head back into the classroom this week to teach sixth-grade science class at Middletown ... Read more

Education Policy & Funding

Dismantling the U.S. Department of Education

March 12, 2025January 28, 2025 by Dr. Yuvraj Verma, Bessemer City Schools & William Howard Taft University

Advocates for dismantling the Department of Education argue for local control and efficiency, while critics highlight risks to equity, access.

In light of Donald Trump assuming a second presidential term in 2025, conversations concerning dismantling the United States Department of Education have resurfaced.

College and Career Readiness

5 ways kids will learn about careers in 2025

January 13, 2025 by Jean Eddy, American Student Assistance

Exploring career paths with real-world relevance can help students determine their next steps after high school.

When it comes to figuring out what to do after high school, too many of today's young people are anxious, uninformed, and unprepared.

STEM & STEAM Trends

5 approaches that engage middle school students in STEM learning

December 2, 2024 by Laura Ascione

As students progress through middle school, STEM learning should focus on building curiosity, confidence, and foundational skills.

Creating engaging STEM learning experiences in middle school is essential to spark curiosity, build foundational skills, and foster a love for STEM topics--and potentially encourage students to pursue…

Innovation Insights

How to Empower Students to Navigate Politics and Media Bias in the 2024 Election

November 1, 2024October 25, 2024 by Kevin Hogan

It’s tough enough for the average American to navigate through the torrents of mis- and disinformation flooding social media platforms. ... Read more

14-year-old Named America’s Top Young Scientist for Inventing an AI Handheld Pesticide Detector

October 22, 2024 by ESchool News Staff

ST. PAUL, Minn. & CHARLOTTE, N.C. – 3M (@3M) and Discovery Education (@DiscoveryEd) named Sirish Subash, a 9th grader at Gwinnett ... Read more

Coding and Robotics

5 ways online coding programs prep students for success

October 4, 2024 by Hunter McConnell, Jacksonville ISD

Districts can start small and easily manage their coding programs as they expand to more students and set students up for success.

When our middle school started offering a robotics course to its students this year, it was a pretty big deal. I’d used a gamified coding platform in my…

STEM & STEAM Trends

Helping students learn new tech skills–and exceed expectations

August 28, 2024 by Dr. Matias Arellano, The Crockett Foundation

Thanks to collaborative teachers and learning experimentation, these students are discovering that STEAM is the key to their future.

How did the Crockett Foundation’s students, most of whom attend Title I schools and live in historically under-resourced communities, achieve this sort of success? The answer can be…

AR & VR in the Classroom

Integrating VR into your classroom is easier than you think

July 25, 2024 by Sam Schwiebert, Middle School Language Arts Teacher

Integrating virtual reality into classrooms can give students experiences that would otherwise not be possible.

Integrating virtual reality (VR) into your classroom may be easier than you think. With rising demand and innovations in the VR technology space, the present may be the best time…

AI in Education

Michigan Virtual survey highlights K-12 educators’ AI beliefs, needs

July 25, 2024 by Laura Ascione

AI holds near-limitless potential to revolutionize the educational experience for educators and students, spreading equity and efficiency.

A Michigan Virtual survey of more than 1,000 educators from classrooms, districts, and support organizations found higher trust in AI among building and district administrators than within teacher…

Live @ ISTE 2024

BrainPop at 25—New CPO Jay Chakrapani discusses the past, present, and plans for the future.

June 24, 2024June 21, 2024 by Kevin Hogan

Tim and Moby are getting up there. But according to Brainpop Chief Product Officer Jay Chakrapani, they aren’t slowing down. ... Read more

Student Well-Being

3 tips to combat chronic absenteeism in high schools

June 6, 2024 by Dr. Kara Stern, SchoolStatus

Chronic absenteeism rates are highest in high school, with one in three students missing at least 10 percent of their school days.

One surefire way to support student success? Consistent, positive family communication. In elementary school, there’s frequent outreach.

School Management

Why support for students and a strong school culture are key to this middle school principal

June 3, 2024 by Lori Higgins, Chalkbeat

As a middle school principal, Wilcox prioritizes meeting the needs of students, especially post-COVID, when student anxiety is on the rise.

As a high school wrestler many years ago, Jon Wilcox was expected to help coach much younger students who were learning to wrestle. It was a role he…

STEM & STEAM Trends

Can you take algebra in eighth grade? In many cases, the answer is no

April 11, 2024 by Kalyn Belsha, Chalkbeat

$Algebra is often considered a gateway class, which can set students up for challenging math classes in college and career paths in science and engineering fields$

If you’re an eighth grader who wants to take algebra, can you even take the class? The answer to that question, it turns out, depends a lot on…

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