This chapter provides middle school mathematics teachers with strategies to specifically address culturally responsive teaching goals. Authors provide background on culturally sustaining practices and use Ellerbrock and Vomvoridi-Ivanovic’s (2019) three goals for Responsive Middle Level Mathematics Teaching (RMLMT) as a foundation to suggest three specific tools middle level practitioners can use to enhance their students’ experiences. The first goal, advancing young adolescent learners’ mathematical thinking, includes getting to know individuals’ mathematical selves. Goal two addresses promoting equity in young adolescent learner’s mathematical classroom learning experiences. Goal three, attending to young adolescents’ characteristics, needs, and interests, includes an examination of ways to use young adolescent characteristics in middle school math classrooms. The three tools we are recommending include: reflection, literacy integration, and utilization of place-based, problem-based learning. Each of these tools reflect practices that sustain an environment operationalizing the goals of RMLMT.

Online teaching and learning has had a presence in K12 public education since the 1990s. Following the COVID-19 global pandemic, there has been a surge in online learning and an increase in research surrounding the role of online teaching and learning within the K12 context. However, while the inclusion of online pedagogies flourishes throughout middle-grade educational settings, there is limited contemporary research that speaks specifically to effective online instruction of young adolescent learners. This scoping review examines the existing body of literature pertaining to online pedagogies within the middle grades in an effort to map the current trends, gaps, and overall state of research pertaining to national and international middle-level online pedagogy. Researchers screened research and pedagogically centered peer-reviewed articles published between 2013 and 2024. The reviewed articles were charted according to standardized details—e.g., author(s), publication year, research purpose, study location, participant demographics, methodology, and outcomes—to identify themes relevant to online pedagogical approaches, national or international contextual considerations, connection to the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) characteristics, and more. The findings speak to trends and gaps within middle-grade online pedagogical research with recommendations for additional examination of research and pedagogy specific to middle-grade online teaching and learning.

With virtual schools increasing in number and gaining popularity as a viable educational option, how should they be designed to optimize learning for young adolescents? Is research-based pedagogy for this age group intentionally embedded in their foundational design? In this essay, the authors draw upon a scoping review of literature focused on virtual pedagogy in the middle grades to examine how the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) essential attributes of a successful middle school are directly or indirectly addressed in existing research on online pedagogy for middle level education. The paper explores implications for aligning virtual middle grades pedagogy with the AMLE essential attributes, preparing teachers to incorporate virtual pedagogy into their instructional planning and practice, and establishing accountability measures for today’s virtual middle grades schools.

The National Association of Professors for Middle Level Education has been focused on middle grades education since 1997. This is an introduction for the CIMLE Journal in celebration of NAPOMLE's 25 anniversary in 2022.