Today’s Statesman editorial says it all: “If you want to fix high school, start with middle school.”
Middle school, says University of Texas researcher Ed Fuller, is the gatekeeper for student success in high school and college. Students who do poorly in middle school — particularly on the eighth-grade math portion of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills — are the ones most likely to fail ninth grade and eventually drop out. And low performers who do graduate from high school are less likely to be prepared for college work. So it all goes back to middle school. The Legislature and school superintendents should pay attention to this.
Fortunately for Central Texas, 1 Hour For Kids and its partners are paying attention to this!