A Qualitative Examination of Middle Grade Practices in Christian Schools: Could They Become Models for Middle Level Reform?

There has been much debate concerning the educational structures best suited for the teaching of students during the pivotal years from ages ten to fifteen. Many researchers and educators believe that the educational experiences for this age group need to be tailored to the unique qualities of this time in the life of a student. One purpose of this thesis is to examine the best practices for educating children during this time period. Another purpose of the study is to compare and contrast the practices in private Christian day schools to similar studies done of public school settings. The study found that although Christian schools are strong in areas like dedicated teachers, communication with parents, and ease of transition to the middle grades, they are not strong in things like teaming, heterogeneous grouping, and being task oriented