ABSTRACT
It is the second day of September at Lookout Middle School in a working-class area of a large midwestern city. An ethnically and racially mixed group of 58 sixth graders fi les into a double classroom where their two teachers greet them. Both Ms. Bryant and Ms. Reed are assigned to their respective departments-one is in language arts-social studies and the other in math-science. Th e students will be in this class for fi ve 4-hour block periods each week.
