What do you term "middle school"?

[Dmmetler]

The reason why I ask is that apparently there are multiple parents in my HS group who consider "Middle school" to begin at about 3rd/4th grade, and "high school" to begin at about 6th/7th.

 

I've always thought of middle school as beginning in 6th or 7th-what used to be called "Jr. High" and high school beginning in 9th or 10th.

[milovany]

Middle school is grades 6, 7, 8. Junior high is grades 7, 8 and sometimes 9. Some locations have middle schools and some have junior highs (if they don't have K-8 system).

[melbotoast]

5th or 6th is beginning of middle school. Maybe even 7th. High school begins 9th or 10th.

[NotSoObvious]

Well, I went to "jr high" and that was 7th and 8th but most middle schools are 6th, 7th, and 8th.

[Spy Car]

Middle School is 6th-8th Grades.

 

Jr High School (back on the day) was 7th-9th Grades.

 

Bill

 

 

[Renthead Mommy]

5th-8th middle school

[bettyandbob]

7th and 8th or 6th, 7th and 8th.

 

High school starts in 9th. Some students take classes for high school credit during middle school. generally algebra I and higher math and foreign language.

[BakersDozen]

7th-8th = middle school

[twoxcell]

Around here middle school is 6th,7th, and 8th grade. Highschool is 9th-12th.

[twoxcell]

Middle School is 6th-8th Grades.

 

Jr High School (back on the day) was 7th-9th Grades.

 

 

Bill

 

:iagree: The Jr highs have all been fazed into Middle school for the most part.

[Murphy101]

- 4th elementary

5 - 8 middle

9 - 12 high school

[Ellie]

Many homeschool parents think they can make their own rules for everything. :glare:

 

Middle school (and I don't consider homeschooled children to be "in" middle school) would be 6th, 7th, and 8th. Kindergarten through 5th would be elementary. Ninth through 12th would be high school.

 

I prefer elementary (1st-6th), jr. high (7th-9th) and senior high (10-12). But--and I find this hard to believe--no one asked me what I prefer. Sheesh. :D

[milovany]

Wiki says ...

 

middle school ≠ junior high

[J-rap]

5th through 8th.

 

Junior High (in my home town back in the day) was 7th and 8th.

[Word Nerd]

I assume it would depend on the school in question. Ours goes from grades 6-8. My junior high growing up was 7-8.

[Amy in NH]

The local middle school is grades 4-8.

 

The junior high I went to was grades 7-8.

[Dmmetler]

That helps to explain the confusion!

 

I'm thinking we need to define ages/grade ranges.

[lamppost]

I've never heard of anyone thinking 3rd/4th was middle school.

 

Maybe they're confused because of the term "middle grade" which is often applied to books written for kids in grades 3-5.

[Cinder]

When we lived in AR the school system was Elementary=K-4, Middle School=5-6, Jr High=7-9 and High School=10-12.

 

I'm in GA now where the system is Elementary=K-5, Middle=6-8, High=9-12.

 

Where I grew up we didn't have middle school or jr high; it was called Intermediate School and included 7-8 except for the big schools in the city which were 7-9.

[AndyJoy]

When I was in 7th grade in 1994, our town had elementary K-6, jr. high 7-9, and high school 10-12, though 9th grade credits counted toward High school.

 

When I was in college, my hometown changed to elementary K-4, middle school 5-7, jr. high 8-9, and high school 10-12.

 

Everywhere else I've lived either has middle school as 6-8 and jr. high doesn't exist anymore or still has K-6 as elementary and 7-8 as jr. high and 9-12 as high school.

[Unicorn.]

Middle school and Jr. High are basically the same, and can either be 6-8 or 7/8. High school is 9-12. I prefer to think of elementary as 1-6, but I realize some like to include 6 as middle or Jr. high.

 

When I was growing up, we used the term Jr. High, and it was originally a 7/8 campus, but changed to 6-8 when I was in 4th grade. It wasn't until about 14 yrs ago, when our school district built a second middle school, that they started calling it "middle school". Actually, that other campus was strictly 6th grade until 4 yrs ago, and they still called them both middle schools.

[Farrar]

I've never heard of 4th grade being middle school, much less 3rd!

 

Some school systems have to rearrange grades according to space and busing. I've heard that 5th is increasingly being put into "middle school" but there was a middle school movement back in the 70's and 80's - about team teaching and so forth - and it was defined as 6th-8th at that time.

[BigMamaBird]

I've always considered Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Middle School.

 

Our public school has a separate building for all Kindy; 1-6 is Elementary, 7-8 is Middle, and then 1-12 is High school.

[BigMamaBird]

I've always considered Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Middle School.

 

Our public school has a separate building for all Kindy; 1-6 is Elementary, 7-8 is Middle, and then 1-12 is High school.

[EKS]

Middle school = 5th or 6th grade to 8th grade

 

Junior high = 7th to 9th grade

[PuddleJumper1]

For me growing up there was no middle school. We went from elementary K-6 to junior high 7-8 to high school 9-12. Here, where we live, kids go to intermediate 4-5, middle school 6-8 and high school 9-12.

[Crimson Wife]

The district where I grew up had a single elementary school and a single secondary school. The administration kept switching the 5th & 6th graders back between the two schools depending on space. When I went through, it was K-4 elementary and 5-12 secondary, with the 5th-8th considered the middle school wing of the school. When my youngest brother went through, it was K-6 elementary and 7-12 secondary, with the 7th & 8th grade considered the middle school wing. Currently they have K-5 elementary and 6-12 secondary.

 

In the district where I currently live, the elementary schools are K-5 and the middle schools 6-8.

 

I personally tend to think of 5th as middle school because it was when I went through and also because my DD is currently going through puberty.

[Ellie]

 

I'm thinking we need to define ages/grade ranges.

 

 

It's probably better to think in terms of age/grade ranges rather than "middle school" or "junior high" or whatever (although really, the only time you'd need to know "grade ranges" would be if you're planning a field trip to somewhere that wants to know grade levels so they can group the children/plan the program).

[Mom2OandE]

I did junior high from 6-8th grade.

[Orthodox6]

The second floor of a three-story school building.

[TXBeth]

In my hometown, going by the building names, they had elementary k-4 or k-6, middle schools 5-6, jr high 7-8, and high school 9–12. 9th grade actually had their own campus, but they were still considered high schoolers and they played sports at the high school (I think).

 

Those who include 9th grade in Jr. high, do you not have a freshman year of high school? What year do you start accumulating high school credits? I always thought that strange because it means there are only 3 years of high school and it would be hard to accumulate enough credits to graduate in just three years.

[mom2scouts]

Middle school is usually grades 6-8, but sometimes includes 5th grade. Third and fourth grade are NOT considered middle school just because they are in the middle of elementary school and the homeschool families you know are confused.

[Orthodox6]

Turning serious now, I have wondered when/where the concept/term of "middle school" was invented. I grew up with only "junior high" existing, which was grades 7-9. I sometimes have conversations with other parents, who do not believe that their children in middle school (which around here means grades 5-8) should be grouped in that way because of normal developmental concerns.

 

To answer TXBeth: I grew up in Houston. Ninth grade was the terminal year of junior high. All activities (sports, band, orchestra, clubs of assorted types) were with our fellow students in grades 7-9. The "high school problem" you reference was addressed by stern warnings to us throughout the eighth grade that "next year" (i.e. the ninth grade), our grades "would count", and would be entered onto the "Permanent Record Card". This PRC would accompany us to the end of the twelfth grade, providing the four years of credits required for high school graduation.

[Dory]

This has been interesting reading. I've always wondered how the schools down there split their grades. Up here we have a primary which goes from k-3rd, then a elementary (middle school) that goes from 4th-6th, and a high school from 7th-12th. The high school has the junior highers (7-9) downstairs and the senior highers upstairs. Splitting it like by 3 grade splits like that always made sense to me.

[JudoMom]

Typically, I think of MS as 6th-8th, and HS as 9th-12th.

[Pawz4me]

Middle school here is 6th through 8th -- the same thing that was called junior high when I was a kid.

[texasmama]

I consider 7th-8th grade middle school and 9th-12th high school. Many local schools consider 6th middle school.

[Ecclecticmum]

In my mind there is no "middle school" probably because I'm in Australia? So it's primary/elementary is K-6 and high school is 7-12.

 

Thinking about it from a logical standard, when seeing middle school, I always think primary 1-4, middle 5-8 (transition years) and high school being 9-12th. So whenever someone mentions middle school or middle grades, I'm thinking the 5th-8th region.

 

Is that not right? :confused1: I thought that was the standard, but perhaps its just my-own-mind-standard :laugh:

[vonfirmath]

To answer TXBeth: I grew up in Houston. Ninth grade was the terminal year of junior high. All activities (sports, band, orchestra, clubs of assorted types) were with our fellow students in grades 7-9. The "high school problem" you reference was addressed by stern warnings to us throughout the eighth grade that "next year" (i.e. the ninth grade), our grades "would count", and would be entered onto the "Permanent Record Card". This PRC would accompany us to the end of the twelfth grade, providing the four years of credits required for high school graduation.

 

 

I grew up in Houston too (Aldine district)

K-4 elementary

5th was a school of its own

6-8 Jr High

9-12 High school

 

Except we moved between 8th and 9th

 

College Station:

9-12 was high school. My sister was in a hr high that was 7-8 only (Due to space)

 

I know for a time before they built the 2nd high school, 9th grade got kicked down and high school was 10-12 alone.

 

Where we live now

K-2 Primary

3-5 Elementary

6-8 Jr High

9-12 HiGh School

[KungFuPanda]

Elementary K-5 (sometimes 6)

Middle 6-8

Jr High 7-9

High School 9-12

Senior High 10-12

 

I wouldn't consider 5th middle school and think it's pushing things quite enough to have 6th there. I can see how the kids get shuffled when crowding is an issue.

 

I like the old Jr/Sr High model just because I think those age groupings are more developmentally appropriate, but I've never lived anywhere that was set up that way. I have friends in upstate New York whose kids go to Elementary-Middle-Jr High-Senior High. I've never heard of any other district doing this.

 

As far as co-ops are concerned, it seems everyone believes their kid should be grouped with older kids, but nobody thinks their kid should be with younger kids. If the "middle school" label is used to widely, I'd just specify 6-8 or whatever level you're targeting.

[ocelotmom]

I've never heard of anyone thinking 3rd/4th was middle school.

 

Maybe they're confused because of the term "middle grade" which is often applied to books written for kids in grades 3-5.

 

That's what I thought, too. I can see that being confusing for someone who grew up with Jr. High and not Middle School. Or maybe they're accelerated using middle school level curriculum?

 

I went to a middle school, and it was 6-8. Jr. High in the town we used to live in was 7-9, but I think 7-8 is more common.

 

I can see middle school possibly extending down to 5th grade, but not 3rd and 4th.

[Orthodox6]

 

I grew up in Houston too (Aldine district)

K-4 elementary

5th was a school of its own

6-8 Jr High

9-12 High school

 

Except we moved between 8th and 9th

 

College Station:

9-12 was high school. My sister was in a hr high that was 7-8 only (Due to space)

 

I know for a time before they built the 2nd high school, 9th grade got kicked down and high school was 10-12 alone.

 

Where we live now

K-2 Primary

3-5 Elementary

6-8 Jr High

9-12 HiGh School

 

Based on that, I would be your elder. (was graduated in 1973)

[Pamela H in Texas]

Here, Middle School is 7 and 8 while high school starts in 9th.

In another town, 5th and 6th is middle, 7th and 8th is jr high, 9th up is high school.

When I was a kid, jr high was 6-8th.

 

I think one consideration regarding people knocking it lower is the focus of grade levels:

• K-3 is for basic, foundational skills
  
• 4th-6th/8th has life skills, getting ready for higher level courses
  
• 7th/9th starts high school level courses now that more and more kids take maths, sciences, languages, etc in jr high
  

I absolutely think that 7th is definitely a ramp-up time IF it isn't high school level itself.

Maybe we should re-define the levels though I think there is SUCH a wide range of ability, it'd be difficult to do so.

[happypamama]

5th, but only because the local school that my kids would attend if they weren't homeschooled starts middle at 5th grade.

[AimeeM]

Well, I'm from public school land where middle school is grades 6-8.

My husband, on the other hand, doesn't really respond to "middle school" - he grew up in parochial school land (K-8 Catholic schools, where the entire school was considered "elementary").

[ElizabethB]

It varies from state to state, and sometimes it varies within states. Since we have lived in a lot of states, I have seen a lot of different ranges for middle school. I grew up with 7 and 8 and thought that was normal, then I started moving around and saw schools that varied from 6 - 9, but not always all 4 grades, usually 2 to 3 of those grades.

 

Recently, a lot of states seem to be starting middle school in 5th grade, and I have seen as early as 4th grade in a few districts.

 

Most people think whatever they know is normal and are surprised when they find out other states have different cut-offs, and seem surprised when I ask when middle school starts in the area.

[Elfknitter.#]

Middle School is 6th-8th Grades.

Jr High School (back on the day) was 7th-9th Grades.

Bill

 

This. My fifth grade class was the first at our elementary school to promote to "middle school." I was there for grades 6-8, then onto high school, 9-12.

 

When we lived in AR the school system was Elementary=K-4, Middle School=5-6, Jr High=7-9 and High School=10-12.

 

That seems unnecessary. Are middle school and jr high in separate buildings/ locations?

[Melissa in Australia]

here in Victoria Australia, middle school is defiantly grades 4,5 &6. High school starts at year 7. there is no such thing as junior high here.

[Lizzie in Ma]

Around here middle school is 7th and 8th and high school is 9th-12th.

[kewb]

Around here Middle school is grades 6, 7, 8. Personally, I prefer the Jr. High model of grades 7, 8, 9. I honestly do not believe that most 6th graders are emotionally ready for what is expected in middle school.