The middle level classroom presents unique challenges to educators who strive to provide opportunities that acknowledge learner diversity in terms of social, cognitive, physical, and emotional development. This is confounded even further within inclusive middle-school classrooms where the responsibility to differentiate instruction is even more critical. One way to meet the needs of all students is through cooperative grouping. Through cooperative grouping, middle-level educators can differentiate instruction and promote active learning by leveraging the naturally social nature of young adolescents. In this article, the authors present research on cooperative grouping as well as several considerations for effectively designing and implementing cooperative grouping for middle-level learners in an inclusive setting. Suggestions and examples with regard to group size, membership, group structure and roles, and classroom management and clear expectations are provided. Additionally, the four-clue group strategy is presented as a specific instructional method to support effective group learning experiences in the inclusive middle-level classroom.

The purpose of this study was to describe and examine the environments used by teacher candidates in multi-user virtual environments. Secondary data analysis of a case study methodology was employed. Multiple data sources including interviews, surveys, observations, snapshots, course artifacts, and the researcher’s journal were used in the initial case study, while using the resulting narratives of each student’s experience for the secondary data analysis. All data were coded and reviewed iteratively to inductively deduce the key considerations for virtual world environmental design. Five assertions were derived from the data to help guide the development of virtual learning environments. These five assertions focus on: novelty, the role of realism, fantastical and outdoor environments, maneuverability, and design for movement.

In this Practitioner Perspective, we explore two boundary spanning field experiences provided to teacher candidates to center middle school student voice and lived experiences supported by a school-university partnership. Surveys and teacher candidate reflections provided perspectives on both experiences and how these connected to coursework. We describe how both experiences influenced teacher candidates, enhancing their understanding of young adolescents, and bridging the theory-practice gap. Lessons learned through these experiences and future recommendations are included.

The Successful Middle School: This We Believe calls for specialized middle-level certification/licensure and teacher development. Certification/licensure has an impact on teacher preparation and, likely, the recruitment and retention of middle-level educators. In order to continue to advocate for specialized certification/licensure, research needs to determine the nature of certification/licensure, the origins and impacts of their shifts, and the recruitment and retention of middle-level educators, especially related to their pathway. This literature review is part of the development of a research agenda for the American Educational Research Association’s (AERA) Middle Level Education Research (MLER) Special Interest Group (SIG). The purpose of this review is to examine the current status of the research related to middle-level certification/licensure and the research questions generated for the MLER SIG research agenda. The literature from the last 23 years was explored to conduct this combination of literature and scoping literature review. Gaps of research were identified, and some questions were unable to be answered through this type of study. From this literature review, it is clear that ongoing and additional research needs to be conducted related to middle-level certification/licensure related to the research questions we initially generated as part of the research agenda.