Examines the current knowledge base and provides specific recommendations for educators and parents on ways to construct engaging learning environments for all young adolescent girls that promote research-based, high quality, & gender-equitable schooling

Adolescenceâ€"beginning with the onset of puberty and ending in the mid-20sâ€"is a critical period of development during which key areas of the brain mature and develop. These changes in brain structure, function, and connectivity mark adolescence as a period of opportunity to discover new vistas, to form relationships with peers and adults, and to explore one's developing identity. It is also a period of resilience that can ameliorate childhood setbacks and set the stage for a thriving trajectory over the life course. Because adolescents comprise nearly one-fourth of the entire U.S. population, the nation needs policies and practices that will better leverage these developmental opportunities to harness the promise of adolescenceâ€"rather than focusing myopically on containing its risks. This report examines the neurobiological and socio-behavioral science of adolescent development and outlines how this knowledge can be applied, both to promote adolescent well-being, resilience, and development, and to rectify structural barriers and inequalities in opportunity, enabling all adolescents to flourish.

(Sponsored by the Middle Level Education Research Special Interest Group and the National Middle School Association) Studies like the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) have compared the performance of U.S. middle grade students (i.e., eighth graders) to those in other countries. In relation to middle grade schools, 20 countries outperformed the United States in mathematics and nine countries scored above the U.S. in science. The intent of this volume of The Handbook of Research in Middle Level Education, An International Look at Educating Young Adolescents, is to broaden our understanding of middle grade schooling by critically examining the education of young adolescents (ages 10-15, typically grades 6-8) through an international lens. In addition to looking at how schooling and students are organized for teaching and learning, this handbook will focus on the successes and failures that are evident in a wide variety of nations, present the indictments and praises that have been offered by supporters and critics alike, and review the research that has been generated about educating young adolescents in an effort to cross national boundaries. Ultimately, this volume of the handbook series will explore what international perspectives teach us about the effective education of young adolescents.

While many initial education benchmarks are being met, new and continuing challenges exist for adolescent girls in the developing world. Discrimination, violence, marginalization, and health-related issues prevail, making proper education at the middle school level crucial during this unique development time. As we continue to see the expectations for girls grow, education for girls must also find a new place within the evolving norms of political, economic, cultural and social life. This volume takes a global look at the obstacles and enablers in girls’ education that can have lasting institutional, psychological and social consequences. It looks at many complex issues affecting education for adolescent girls around the world, including the underlying global demands for women in the formal workforce and the universal impact of gender-based violence, and provides a critical framework through which researchers may explore and critique these complexities.

This text for preservice and in-service teacher education courses shows how schools can educate girls and promote their positive self-esteem at the same time. Its purpose is to help teachers facilitate the development of gender-equitable schools and classrooms. Taking a feminist developmental approach, the text draws on an interdisciplinary knowledge base, synthesizing research from psychology, anthropology, sociology, and education. While it is rooted in scholarly research, the focus is on clarifying the connection between theory and practice, with an emphasis on practical applications. The text is organized in two sections--"Growth and Development" and "Teaching and Learning"--and includes a variety of engaging pedagogical features. Underscoring the need for teachers, school administrators, and parents to become aware of the intersection of development and education, Educating Young Adolescent Girls: *combines gender, growth, and development; *demonstrates how schooling can facilitate the total development of young adolescent girls; and *addresses a multiplicity of issues, including adolescent girls of color and young adolescents girls' sexuality.

This textbook is a comprehensive and practical guide to teaching middle level social studies. Middle level students are just as capable as high school students at engaging in hands-on, progressive, reflective activities, yet pedagogical strategies designed specifically for the middle grades are often overlooked in teacher education programs. This text provides both progressive and traditional teaching methods and strategies proven effective in the middle level classroom. The content of this book consists of conventional chapters such as “What is Social Studies?” and “Unit and Curriculum Planning,” as well as unique chapters such as “The Middle Level Learner”, “Best Practices for Teaching State History” and “Integrating the “Core” Subjects in Middle Level Social Studies”. In addition to the unique chapters and lesson plans many additional features of the book will be useful for middle level teaching and learning. These features include: • A list of website resources that provide links to thousands of lesson plans, state and national standards, and other multimedia tools that can be used in the classroom. • Individual, collaborative, and whole class activities that will help methods students develop a better understanding of the topics, lessons, and strategies discussed. • High quality lesson ideas and classroom tested teaching strategies embedded throughout the book. • Images of student work samples that will methods students visualize the finished product that is being discussed. • An examination of state and national standards that will help guide methods students in their lesson planning