Book Introduction (p. vii): Just at the moment when school really ”counts”--in terms of both knowledge and credentials students need as they edge toward adulthood--a surprising number of young adolescents let their parents and teachers know that they don’t like school. Some announce their dislike; others disengage quietly--letting their actions speak for them, with only their falling grades to alert adults that something is wrong.
This volume, a collection of articles that have appeared in The Harvard Education Letter, explores why so many young people fall into a school slump when they reach the middle grades. What goes on in the minds of young adolescents as they struggle to adjust to a combination of biological and institutional changes? How are they affected by the tracking by ability that becomes so common in the middle grades? What can we learn from innovative teachers and programs?
In keeping with the mission of The Harvard Education Letter--to serve as a bridge between research and practice--this collection highlights the work and insights of both scholars and practitioners. Together, these sources contribute to an understanding of not only what goes wrong in the education of young adolescents but also how to reform the schools that they attend.
Adolescents and Schools: Improving the Fit