A Middle School Curriculum: From Rhetoric to Reality

In the 1993 second edition of James Beane’s groundbreaking book on middle school curriculum, he reminds readers that real reform in the middle level has yet to address reformation of the curriculum and that it should: “After all, it is the curriculum, rather than the grade level reorganization or teaming that defines the value of schools for early adolescents” (Beane, 1993, p. 107). He is right, of course, and Turning Points 2000: Educating Adolescents in the 21st Century (Jackson & Davis, 2000) picks up where he and Turning Points: Preparing American Youth for the 21st Century (Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development, 1989) leave off, calling for a middle level curriculum that is based on essential concepts, reflecting concerns of the young adolescent, and linked to the ways in which student knowledge would be assessed (Jackson & Davis, 2000, p. 43). Despite the changes since 1993, Beane’s discussion on curriculum remains an essential aspect of middle level education.