ABSTRACT
Reading this chapter will expose you to the rationalizations behind grade-and middleschool-level configurations that are in operation across the country. As a first-year teacher, some of you will be teaching in a middle school or a junior high school, whereas others will teach in schools that follow a K-8 or K-12 configuration. It is important, therefore, that you become familiar with school configurations because each has its own particular strengths and weaknesses. Learning how to capitalize on the strengths associated with the configuration of your school as well as minimizing its weaknesses will help you to become a more effective teacher in the classroom. In addition, this chapter will introduce you to the key characteristics of a high-quality middle-level school.
