Research Findings

Results from two separate evaluations of Michigan Middle Start conducted by the Center for Prevention Research & Development (CPRD) and the Academy for Educational Development (AED) demonstrate the following gains:

Student Achievement

• Seventh-grade students in Middle Start schools gained an average of 10% for reading and 6% for mathematics on state standardized test scores over a two-year period, compared to non-Middle Start schools, which gained an average of 4% for reading and 4% for mathematics over the same period (CPRD).
• Over the three-year period of implementation, students in Middle Start schools experienced more varied and equitable learning opportunities and received more learning support from teacher teams (AED).

Student Development

• Student self-esteem and sense of academic efficacy improved and behavior problems decreased over a two-year period in Middle Start schools compared with students in non-Middle Start schools (CPRD)
• Small learning communities developed through teacher teaming; as a result students reported a greater sense of belonging and safety in school (CPRD).

School Capacity

• Schools showed evidence of consistent improvements in teaming and classroom practices; frequency of teachers' contact with parents; and staff's efficacy regarding reform work (CPRD).
• Administrators and staff collaborated on school-wide reform and became more student-centered in their reform efforts (AED).
  

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