Alliance for Excellent Education
July 2003
Middle schools, like middle children, are misunderstood. The No Child Left Behind Act adds to the confusion by treating middle schools as high schools at times and elementary schools at others. Since the definition of teacher quality differs with each classification, the distinction matters. In addition to outlining the teacher quality requirements of NCLB, this concise policy brief explicates NCLB's requirements for testing and defining adequate yearly progress for middle schools, and lists recommendations for states regarding NCLB implementation. Look it up at http://www.all4ed.org/publications/NCLB%20and%20Middle%20Schools_Confronting%20the%20Challenges.doc.