News and Highlights

Middle Schools Create College-Going Cultures

PALMS has published Steps in the Right Direction, which features three case studies of different approaches for creating a college-going culture at the middle level. Over three years, we worked alongside fifteen middle schools that used Tools for Latino Family Outreach to implement college-focused programming. The case studies compile the lessons we learned about planning and assessing progress toward helping all students get ready for education beyond high school.

 

Online Professional Development for Guidance Counselors

To support the work of the Collaborative Counselors Training Initiative, Education Development Center has designed the online course, "College Access for All Students: Strategies for Counselors in Career and Academic Advising." Delivered through three topical modules, the course aims to increase the effectiveness of middle and high school counselors in helping prepare students from low-income families for college.

"Putting Middle-Grades Students on the Graduation Path"

In this policy and practice brief, Robert Balfanz of Johns Hopkins University describes the impact that the middle grades have on students' prospects of graduating high school, especially in high-poverty environments.