ABSTRACT
One of the more significant brain-based changes of adolescence occurs in an area called the prefrontal cortex. This brain region is responsible for complex cognitive behaviors. Adolescents’ construction site of a mind comes to school with them. And school—like no other area of their life—fires that hobbled circuitry to full capacity, both intellectually and socially. In the academic realm, a student whose brain is maturing at an average rate might have no trouble adjusting to the new rhythms of middle school. There are numerous psychosocial discrepancies across students that show up in middle school. One pressing psychological factor for adolescents is social comparison. They are developmentally driven to compare themselves to others and compete for peer approval. The primary developmental task of adolescence is achieving emotional independence from parents or guardians.
