Middle schools present challenge to educators

Driven by newly documented slumps in learning, by crime rates and by high dropout rates in high school, educators across New York and the nation are struggling to rethink middle school and how best to teach adolescents at a transitional juncture of self-discovery and hormonal change. The New York Times has begun a series of articles called “The Critical Years: Adolescent Experiments” that looks at changing theories of how middle school should be taught. Read the first in the series, “Trying to Find Solutions in Chaotic Middle Schools” at the newspaper's website.