Chapter 9: The Unique Nature of Middle School Counseling

Over the last century, the American education system has seen two major shifts related to young adolescents. Initiated in the first few decades of the twentieth century, the junior high school became a fixture in America’s school districts in 1940 replacing the K-8, 9-12 models with K-6, 7-9, 10-12 versions (Lounsbury & Vars, 2003). The junior high was created based on the recognition of the developmental differences of young adolescents. Junior high schools were typically subject-centered, required a six-period day, organized teachers in departments, and emphasized primarily the academic development of students. Most of the research on junior high schools (e.g., Cuban, 1992) noted that these schools evolved into miniature versions of traditional high schools.