The Successful Middle School: This We Believe

by Penny A. Bishop, Lisa M. Harrison

A published update of a previously published position paper by AMLE. Includes the essential attributes of successful schools and how schools may engage in those activities to better prepare and provide for middle level students.

Genres: Education, Leadership

87 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Leila Samuelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone with an elementary ed degree who now works as a middle school educator, I found this book to be so motivating and inspiring! I love my middle school kiddos and team ❤️

[Jeanie Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen to a podcast episode with one of the authors here: https://tiie.w3.uvm.edu/blog/successf...

This update of the AMLE position paper is long overdue. Equity and cultural responsiveness are explicitly addressed, and the entire framework benefits from the additions. Bishop and Harrison include a great deal in this slim volume, and it is a must-read for middle-level educators.

[Jenna Plump · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this for a book study I signed up for - and I gave it 5 stars because it has a lot of core beliefs for a middle school teacher, but it definitely would’ve been better if I hadn’t already known all of this from my undergraduate degree. I guess that means I received a good, research based education, so I’m not mad!

[Justin P · Rating 2 out of 5]

Almost 1 star. I gave it 2 stars because of well-intentioned content.

This book feels like it was written by a committee. I had to force myself to finish reading it. The problem isn't the book's Lexile number or length. It's a short book. I read scholars monographs published by university presses whose authors use jargon on complicated topics that fill many more pages. The problem with this book is language. The authors chose to write in obtuse ways when clear, concise language would be best. Sentences are long and have multiple prepositional phrases that muddy the points to be made. The content and topics are fundamental to teachers, but it's written in ways that the reader looses track of key points.

And for content, a teacher will find the key points in many other books. The book is a manifesto of what middle school teachers aspire towards, as other reviewers noticed. The content is not methods based or practical steps for the teacher but the ideals of teaching young adolescents. Who would disagree with these ideals? The reader who is a teacher is left unchallenged with details on how to change instruction, curriculum, or classroom management.

I would not recommend.

[Tricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

An updated and detailed update of "This We Believe" put out by AMLE.
It reviews the Essential attributes of Successful Middle Level education and the 18 characteristics of successful middle schools. The text supports its statements with research as it goes along.

A helpful section at the end of the text goes over the psychological, physical, cognitive, and social emotional developmental markers of young adolescents and also gives a list of implications for each developmental marker for educators specifically.

This text should be gifted to any new middle school teacher, revisited frequently as a reminder for even the most experience middle level teachers, and looked to as a major resource for middle schools when needing a guiding direction for vision or purpose when decision making.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well-written explanation of what middle schools should look like in order to best serve that demographic. It looked at this from the viewpoint of curriculums, administrators, classrooms, teachers, and child development. As an educator at the middle school level, the best thing about this book was the last little bit where it offered very concrete items/advice to implement in order to achieve the authors’ vision. A useful, practical read.

[Nancy Sebert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good reminder and reinforcer of what middle schools can be and how educators can achieve these goals - I've read this many times and continue to try as much as I can to reflect and practice these beliefs as well as help my school achieve these characteristics as a whole.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful quick refresher and tool to use for organizing my thoughts. Solid list of resources in the appendix.

[Rachel Polacek · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good extended mission statement for what we should focus on at the middle level.

[Kristen Pollard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This manifesto, backed by research and best practice, provides a roadmap for effective and responsive middle school learning -- a necessary read for all middle school teachers and leaders.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great reminder about what makes great middle schools! Each edition of This We Believe gets better and more relevant.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good summary of everything important in middle school education. I think I’ll use this as a text in my middle school design course for pre-service teachers.

[Rebecca Sofferman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book outlines many different features of a successful middle school. There are many good ideas and best practices in this book. I think it would be a good read for someone who has little experience with middle schoolers or middle schools. As someone who has been working in a middle school for a number of years, it didn't really provide anything new or innovative for me. It was a good confirmation that our school is doing a lot of things right!