According to the New York Middle Grade Task Force, students in grades six, seven and eight have more in common with each other than with students in other grades. They are all entering puberty and their sexual-social development is accelerated. When students from this age group are together in the school yard with younger, more impressionable students, the younger ones might feel intimidated, or be exposed to bad language. The older students might be more likely to misbehave or engage in risky behavior in an attempt to demonstrate their superiority to the younger children.
A recent large-scale study of middle grades practices and student outcomes by Stanford University examined the factors that contribute to the success of middle school students . The researchers found that students achieve greater success in school when the following practices are implemented: intervention strategies for at-risk students, extra-curricular activities, emphasis on student assessment data, computer software and staff training in the effective use of the software. Due to budget constraints, it is more feasible for schools to implement these practices in stand-alone middle schools. Earlier studies from the 1970s and 1980s demonstrated similar results and several noted that students in middle schools also have better attendance.
All professional development organized for middle school teachers can be focused on the special needs of the middle years students. A school with a homogeneous student body can specialize all staff initiatives on the needs of only one group. When the middle years are combined with elementary grades, the financial resources have to be divided between the needs of the older students and the younger ones.
Principals of middle schools can hire guidance counselors who are skilled and experienced in dealing with pre-adolescents, rather than counselors who may be generalists. Counselors who are not specialists with this age group may not be able to provide the assistance that is needed for the best student outcomes. Seventh and eighth graders usually have some subject choice and it is more difficult for school administrators to timetable and staff a school that mixes elementary and middle grades.