The 'Elemiddle' School

Paper Summary:

The paper explains the 'elemiddle' school, in which grades K through eight are combined, rather than separated into elementary and middle school. The paper looks at the literature and data available on the 'elemiddle' school structure and posits that it seems to be a viable alternative to traditional schools. The paper then enumerates the reasons why the 'elemiddle' concept is successful and beneficial for children and teachers alike. The paper relates, however, that a fear of change and comfort within the traditional structure is delaying a nationwide move to the superior 'elemiddle' school structure.

From the Paper:

"There are those who assert that traditional middle schools have failed because inconsistent practices and policies not in line with middle school philosophy have been in place, therefore the concept of middle itself cannot be faulted. Others have been quoted as stating, "Elemiddle is a term we neither endorse nor recognize." (Hough, 2005, p. 13). However, the data is clear students in elemiddle even outperform students in "well-implemented" middle schools (p. 12). Student improvement may also be attributable to younger children having the opportunity to interact with older children (Burkam, Lee, & Michaels, 2007, p. 303). Hough (2005) surmises research over the past 15 years has indicated that schools with the elemiddle concept do not adhere to a strict middle school philosophy, but instead implement a "complete array of middle-level" programs (Hough, 2005, p. 12)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Burkam, David T., and Lee, Valerie E., and Michaels, Deborah L. (2007). School Grade Span and Kindergarten Learning. The Elementary School Journal, 107, 287-303.
• Hough, David L. (2003). The Case for the Elemiddle School. Middle Matters, 1-3.
• Hough, David L. (2005). The Rise of the 'Elemiddle' School: Not Every K-8 School Truly Applies Best Middle-Level Practices and Deserves the Designation. School Administrator, 62(3), 10-14.

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