Middle Schools In The United States

There have been middle schools in the United States since the 1950s and 1960s. Although the grade levels are different between communities (5–8 or 6–8), middle schools have one thing in common: they do not work. Not only do students experience social difficulties, but their achievement levels decrease. Middle schools should be abandoned because they simply do not work.
When students move from elementary to middle school, they face numerous social challenges. For example, middle schools are often much larger, and students may find themselves separated from their elementary school friends. They have to make new friends in a strange, unfamiliar setting. Also, instead of having one teacher, students have five to seven different teachers a day. That is a lot of new people to get used to.
For example, a study in New York City by Rockoff and Lockwood showed an achievement drop in students who made the change to a middle school. Another study, this time in Florida, showed that students who attend middle school scored lower on both mathematics and reading tests. In addition, students who attend middle school have a higher drop-out rate in high school. This study showed the same problems in all types of communities: cities, towns, and rural areas.
The idea of having a middle school might sound good, but results show that it is not good in real life. For example, many elementary students have social problems making the change to middle school. However, the main point of going to school is to learn. In this key area, middle schools have failed. It is time to go back to having K–8