Works in Progress: A Report on Middle and High School Improvement Programs

Publisher: Comprehensive School Reform Quality Center
Publication Date: 2005, January
Publication City: Washington
Publication State: DC
Full text available online at: http://www.csrq.org/docs/WorksInProgressReport_Web.pdf

Abstract (written by WestEd)

This extensive report covers the following key issues facing middle and high schools:

• Transition from elementary to middle school
  
• Literacy and reading: middle school
  
• English language learners: middle school
  
• Violence and bullying: middle school
  
• Alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs: middle school
  
• Parental involvement; middle school
  
• Transition from middle school to high school
  
• Literacy and reading: high school
  
• English language learners: high school
  
• High school dropouts
  
• Violence: high school
  
• Alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs: high school
  
• Transition from high school to a postsecondary setting

The report introduces each topic, describes the key challenges and effective responses, and provides other considerations and additional resources.

The report's introduction states, "Works in Progress reviews improvement efforts in a rapidly evolving field. We hope that it provides education decisionmakers with a research-based, userfriendly snapshot of a variety of programmatic approaches that have been tried during the past few years to meet the challenges of educating secondary level students. It is intended to help education consumers at the district and school levels make evidence-based decisions about how to improve outcomes for middle and high school students."