Middle School: Building Pathways to Success
Articles and References
Research studies and articles from school districts across the nation have validated that course failures and low attendance in middle
school are the strongest predictors of high school failure and dropout rates. These studies magnify the need for middle-level strategies
that build the path to graduation. Please review the following resources and join the initiative to increase middle school achievement
and build pathways to success.
JOURNAL ARTICLES, REPORTS, POLICY BRIEFS
Allensworth, E. M., Gwynne, J. A., Moore, P., & de la Torre, M. (2014, November). Looking forward to high school and college:
Middle grade indicators of readiness. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research. Retrieved
from https://ccsr.uchicago.edu/publications/looking-forward-high-school-and-college-middle-grade-indicators-readiness-chicago
From the Executive Summary: “Much of the pressure to improve educational attainment is on high schools, but focus has also
turned to earlier grades. There is a very large population of students who struggle with the transition from the middle grades to high
school, raising concerns that high school failures are partially a function of poor middle grade preparation. As a result, middle grade
practitioners are grappling with questions about what skills students need to succeed in high school, which markers they should use
to gauge whether students are ready to succeed in high school and beyond, and whether it is possible to identify in middle grades
students who are likely to struggle in high school and college.
“This report is designed to provide a detailed picture of the relationship between students’ performance in the middle grades
(grades five through eight) and their subsequent performance in high school and college among students in the Chicago Public
Schools (CPS).”
“There is a very large population of students who struggle with the transition from the middle grades to high school,
raising concerns that high school failures are partially a function of poor middle grade preparation.”
Balfanz, R. (2009, June). Putting middle grades students on the graduation path: A policy and practice brief. Columbus,
OH: National Middle School Association. Retrieved from http://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet.
aspx?ArtMID=888&ArticleID=314
From the Introduction: “The middle grades will play a pivotal role in enabling the nation to reach President Obama’s goal of
graduating all students from high school prepared for college or advanced career training. In high-poverty neighborhoods, in
particular, our research and school improvement work indicate that students’ middle grades experiences have tremendous impact on
the extent to which they will close achievement gaps, graduate from high school, and be prepared for college. Consequently, there is
a need to reconceptualize the role the middle grades play in the public education system. The middle grades, broadly defined as fifth
through eighth grade, need to be seen as the launching pad for a secondary and post-secondary education system that enables all
students to obtain the schooling and/or career training they will need to fully experience the opportunities of 21st century America.
“This brief, drawing on our research and field work, illuminates key policy and practice implications of the middle grades playing a
stronger role in achieving our national goal of graduating all students from high school prepared for college or career and civic life.
The brief is based on more than a decade of research and development work at the Center for the Social Organization of Schools at
Johns Hopkins University. It also draws on direct field experience in more than 30 middle schools implementing comprehensive reform
and a longstanding collaboration with the Philadelphia Education Fund.”
“…there is a need to reconceptualize the role the middle grades play in the public education system.”
www.voyagersopris.com / 800.547.6747
Dweck, C. S., Walton, G. M., & Cohen, G. L. (2014). Academic tenacity: Mindsets and skills that promote long-term learning.
Seattle, WA: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Retrieved from http://web.stanford.edu/~gwalton/home/Welcome_files/
DweckWaltonCohen_2014.pdf
From the Introduction: “Most educational reforms focus on curriculum and pedagogy—what material is taught and how it is taught.
However, curriculum and pedagogy have often been narrowly defined as the academic content and students’ intellectual processing
of that material. Research shows that this is insufficient. In our pursuit of educational reform, something essential has been missing:
the psychology of the student. Psychological factors—often called motivational or non-cognitive factors—can matter even more than
cognitive factors for students’ academic performance. These may include students’ beliefs about themselves, their feelings about
school, or their habits of self-control. Educators, psychologists, and even economists recognize the importance of non-cognitive
factors in achievement both in school and in the labor market. These factors also offer promising levers for raising the achievement of
underprivileged children and, ultimately, closing achievement gaps based on race and income. The research reviewed in this paper
shows that educational interventions and initiatives that target these psychological factors can transform students’ experience and
achievement in school, improving core academic outcomes such as GPA and test scores months and even years later.”
King, S. A., Lemons, J., & Hill D. R. (2012). Response to intervention in secondary schools: Considerations for administrators. NASSP
Bulletin, 96(1), 5–22. Retrieved from https://rtitoolbox.wiki.farmington.k12.mi.us/file/view/RTI+IN+SECONDARY.pdf
From the Abstract: “Secondary school administrators are increasingly finding themselves in the position of implementing Response
to Intervention (RTI). This system of providing progressively intensive levels of intervention for the purposes of preventing academic
failure and identifying children with learning disability may be useful at the secondary level. However, many aspects of RTI are based
on research conducted in elementary schools. The purpose of this article is to provide a basic description of RTI, to summarize
research conducted at the secondary level, and to provide a set of considerations for secondary administrators regarding RTI
implementation.”
Vaughn, S., Wanzek, J., Murray, C. S., & Roberts, G. (2012). Intensive interventions for students struggling in reading and
mathematics: A practice guide. Portsmouth, NH: RMC Research Corporation, Center on Instruction. Retrieved from: http://www.
centeroninstruction.org/files/Intensive%20Interventions%20for%20Students%20Struggling%20in%20Reading%20%26%20Math.pdf
From the Overview: “This publication provides research-based guidance for intensifying instruction in reading and mathematics for
students with significant learning difficulties, including students with disabilities, in kindergarten through grade 12. The guide gives
technical assistance providers and states information reflecting ‘best practices’ for implementing intensive interventions to improve
education practices for struggling students, including those who receive special education. It can also be used as a resource for
instructional specialists and special education teachers who are searching for broad guidelines on the design and delivery of intensive
interventions.”
Villavicencio, A. & Grayman, J. K. (2012, February). Learning from “turnaround” middle schools: Strategies for success. New York,
NY: The Research Alliance for New York City Schools, New York University. Retrieved from http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/research_
alliance/publications/turnaround_middle_schools
From the Executive Summary: “In New York City and around the nation, there is intense interest in the question of what it takes to
turn around a struggling school. The turnaround strategies that predominate in federal policy include school closure, conversion to a
charter school, dismissal of the principal and a substantial proportion of teachers, and the reassignment of students to other schools.
In contrast, the turnaround schools in this study substantially improved student performance without the infusion of extra resources
or the wholesale reassignment of students, teachers and administrators. Rather, these schools have made improvements by drawing
on existing resources and developing internal capacity to educate students effectively. Although this kind of transformation may not
be possible for all low-performing schools, the experiences chronicled in this report suggest important lessons for educators and
policymakers, both here in New York and around the country.”
…these schools have made improvements by drawing on existing resources and developing internal capacity to
educate students effectively.”
www.voyagersopris.com / 800.547.6747
Lesson 1 | Reading
5
10
15
20
Jazz began with a “recipe” that had many different
ingredients. Different groups of people, including
Africans and Europeans, were part of the recipe.
Different kinds of music, including the blues and ragtime,
were also a part of the recipe. All of these ingredients
combined to make America’s own music, jazz.
Workers sang songs during the long workday. They
sang in fields and on ships. They sang while working
on the railroads. The work song was an important part
of their day. With tools in their hands, they worked to
a steady beat. The songs made life a little easier. There
were many kinds of work songs, and these songs played
a part in jazz.
Church music was important to jazz. African
Americans made new kinds of church music. They
formed their own churches and rewrote the old songs
to express their faith. They changed the words, the
beat, and the tune. They used the African “call and
response” when they sang. This music became an
ingredient in the jazz recipe.
recipe
a list of the things
needed and
directions for
making something
steady
not subject to
change; constant
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Lesson 1 | Reading
simple
having few parts;
easy to understand
plantation
a large farm where
crops are grown
25
30
social
friendly; involving
several people
35
demand
requirement; need
combine
40
to put together; to
join
express
to communicate in
words
45
50
55
Music of immigrant Americans added to jazz. The
Scotch-Irish had ballads. Ballads tell stories of heroes
and their bravery, and these stories are often sad.
The song is usually simple. In a ballad, the story is
often more important than the music. Ballads became
another ingredient in the jazz recipe.
In the early days of America, ballroom dance
music provided popular entertainment. In the South,
dances were held on plantations. They were big social
events. There was a demand for musicians to play at
the dances. Many slaves learned how to play fiddles
and flutes. African Americans invented the banjo
and played it too. Black musicians learned the dance
songs and changed them. African and European music
combined to make dance music. This music became
another ingredient in the jazz recipe.
During the 1800s, a new kind of music called
ragtime was born. It was loud and fun. Musicians
pounded on their pianos. They made up songs to
express their appreciation for music. They played in
dance halls. The tunes were lively, and the rhythm
was catchy. Everybody loved ragtime. It had a strong,
irregular beat that was surprising. Ragtime became
another ingredient in the jazz recipe.
Sometime in the late 1800s, musicians began to
play the blues. Slaves had been freed, but life was still
hard. People were sad and frustrated. They expressed
their feelings in music. They called it the blues. Today,
people still sing the blues when they’re sad. The blues
became the final ingredient in the recipe.
The jazz recipe came together in New Orleans. By
1890, New Orleans was one of America’s most musical
cities. It had opera houses and concert halls. It had
dance ballrooms and street parades. It had Mardi Gras!
Many different people lived there. Africans and Native
Americans lived in New Orleans. The French and
Spanish also lived there. People from many places and
cultures created America’s own music, jazz.
Adapted with permission from “Jazz Ingredients”
by Heather Mitchell Amey
126
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Lesson 1 | Reading
Let’s Focus: “Jazz: The Recipe”
Content Focus
jazz music
Type of Text
informational
Author’s Purpose
to inform
Big Ideas
Consider the following Big Idea questions. Write your answer for each question.
Where did jazz music come from?
Why do people make music?
Informational Preview Checklist: “Jazz: The Recipe”

Title: What clue does it provide about the passage?

Pictures and Captions: What additional information is added here?

Headings: What topics will this text include?

Margin Information: What vocabulary is important to understand this text?

Maps, Charts, Graphs: Are additional visuals present that will help me understand?
Reading for a Purpose
1. Where did workers sing work songs?
2. What did African Americans do to change church music?
3. What stories do ballads tell?
4. Why were freed slaves singing the blues?
5. Where did all the different music come together?
6. What were the ingredients that made up the jazz recipe?
7. Why is New Orleans considered the “Melting Pot of Sound”?
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Lesson 1 | Vocabulary
Key Passage Vocabulary: “Jazz: The Recipe”
Rate your knowledge of the words. Define the words. Draw a picture
to help you remember the definition.
Vocabulary
124
Knowledge
Rating
recipe
0
1
2
3
steady
0
1
2
3
simple
0
1
2
3
plantation
0
1
2
3
social
0
1
2
3
demand
0
1
2
3
combine
0
1
2
3
express
0
1
2
3
Definition
Picture
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empty talk
jazz
Determine the meanings of the word jazz. Write the definitions in the boxes. Use the word in a sentence on the
lines below the boxes.
Multiple-Meaning Map
Lesson 2 | Vocabulary
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Lesson 5 | Reading
Guided Highlighting
Read the text and complete the tasks.
Jazz: The Recipe
Headings
African and European Music Unites
African Americans Add to the Recipe
The Melting Pot of Sound
Singing the Blues
Immigrant Americans Add to the Recipe
Ragtime Surprise!
Birth of Jazz
The Song of the Worker
Jazz began with a “recipe” that had many different ingredients. Different
groups of people, including Africans and Europeans, were part of the recipe.
Different kinds of music, including the blues and ragtime, were also a part of the
recipe. All of these ingredients combined to make America’s own music, jazz.
5
Workers sang songs during the long workday. They sang in fields and on
ships. They sang while working on the railroads. The work song was an
important part of their day. With tools in their hands, they worked to a
steady beat. The songs made life a little easier. There were many kinds of
work songs, and these songs played a part in jazz.
10 Church
music was important to jazz. African Americans made new kinds
of church music. They formed their own churches and rewrote the old
songs to express their faith. They changed the words, the beat, and the
tune. They used the African “call and response” when they sang. This music
became an ingredient in the jazz recipe.
15 Music of immigrant Americans added to jazz. The Scotch-Irish had ballads.
Ballads tell stories of heroes and their bravery, and these stories are often sad.
The song is usually simple. In a ballad, the story is often more important than
the music. Ballads became another ingredient in the jazz recipe.
140
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Lesson 5 | Reading
Guided Highlighting (cont.)
In the early days of America, ballroom dance music provided popular
20 entertainment. In the South, dances were held on plantations. They were
big social events. There was a demand for musicians to play at the dances.
Many slaves learned how to play fiddles and flutes. African Americans
invented the banjo and played it too. Black musicians learned the dance
songs and changed them. African and European music combined to make
25 dance music. This music became another ingredient in the jazz recipe.
During the 1800s, a new kind of music called ragtime was born. It was
loud and fun. Musicians pounded on their pianos. They made up songs
to express their appreciation for music. They played in dance halls. The
tunes were lively, and the rhythm was catchy. Everybody loved ragtime.
30 It had a strong, irregular beat that was surprising. Ragtime became
another ingredient in the jazz recipe.
Sometime in the late 1800s, musicians began to play the blues. Slaves had
been freed, but life was still hard. People were sad and frustrated. They
expressed their feelings in music. They called it the blues. Today, people
35 still sing the blues when they’re sad. The blues became the final ingredient
in the recipe.
The jazz recipe came together in New Orleans. By 1890, New Orleans
was one of America’s most musical cities. It had opera houses and concert
halls. It had dance ballrooms and street parades. It had Mardi Gras!
40 Many different people lived there. Africans and Native Americans lived
in New Orleans. The French and Spanish also lived there. People from
many places and cultures created America’s own music, jazz.
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Jazz began with a "recipe" that had many different ingredients.
Different groups of people, including Africans and Europeans, were
part of the recipe. Different kinds of music, including the blues and
ragtime, were also a part of the recipe. All of these ingredients
combined to make America's own music, jazz.
Lesson 9 | Writing
Blueprint for Writing: Main Idea
Write the main ideas and key details to help you retell the passage and write
a summary.
Unit 1
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