"The middle grades may be the most important years in a child’s education, the 'most fertile years,' according to Balfanz. It is during this time that students ask and answer for themselves, 'Is schooling for me?'"
"...educators need to be much more intentional about how we serve our early adolescents, paying attention to what he described as the ABCs: chronic absenteeism, behavioral problems, and low course grades in middle school. According to his June 2009 middle school policy and practice brief, the earlier students develop off-track indicators, the lower their graduation odds appear to be."
-Recognizing Education’s Middle School Syndrome (https://blog.ed.gov/2011/05/recognizing-education%E2%80%99s-middle-school-syndrome/)
"'If you are the warm, nurturing, motherly, grandmotherly type, you are made for early childhood education. If you love math or science or English, then you are the high school type. If you love bungee jumping, then you are the middle school type.'
-The Middle School Mess (https://www.educationnext.org/the-middle-school-mess/)
"Middle grades are the last best chance to identify students at risk of academic failure and get them back on track in time to succeed in high school. "
"Success in key subjects in the middle grades is a strong predictor of success in high school and beyond. "
-Gaining Grounds in the Middle Grades (https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED508674.pdf)
