“Micro is an example of applying real learning theory – that we understand to work in the real world – to kids’ lives. It’s authentic. It’s real. It not only mimics, but prepares them for the real tasks they’ll have to do when middle grade students leave school: to work for other people, to solve problems, to use resources. That’s what we want!”
                -Linda Darling-Hammond, Stanford University Teachers College

The MicroSociety® Middle School Academy

Designed to empower young people to strive for the professions, MicroSociety Middle School Academy transforms middle school curriculum into student-run, hands-on, learning experiences that encourage student leadership. These small group learning opportunities incorporate, financial literacy, communications, public service, and business into the ultimate preparation for High School. MICROSOCIETY Middle School Academy empowers youth to be managers of their own destiny. Learning becomes exciting and attendance rises. When discipline, traditionally handled by teachers, is resolved by student consensus, behavior problems disappear. Students see the correlation between learning and real life and in the process, academic achievement improves. Increased attendance – decreased discipline problems – greater academic achievement – there is no better combination of factors for building productive, caring, and successful citizens of the world.

A TYPICAL STUDENT’S DAY
Students attend regular classes until the period of the day when the classroom doors open and the Academy springs into action. Every student is engaged in authentic work that requires them to apply these classroom lessons, their reading, writing, and math knowledge and skills in ways that are meaningful to them. Similarly, the classroom experience becomes more relevant and motivates independent and group learning. Our early exploration of careers includes:

• financial services
• hospitality and tourism
• human services
• health and information technology
• law, public safety, and security
• manufacturing
• market and sales
• science, technology and engineering
  

Every business and public agency begins with planning time – setting goals and objectives for the day, talking about problems and successes, ordering supplies, and managing workloads. At the end of the Academy, an hour later, the citizens again gather in their agencies and businesses to review their successes and challenges. Periods each week are devoted to journaling, reflecting on progress, modifying other plans and to reconciling accounts.

Relevant Content Motivates Students to Learn

• Two-thirds (69%) of all schools receiving MICROSOCIETY training enjoyed increases in English and language arts (ELA) in the first year of their participation compared to the year before their participation.
• When the ELA scores of all grades in the schools were averaged, including those that increased and those that decreased, the ELA scores increased 7% in the first year of the program and another 7% in the second year.
• When only schools that increased their ELA scores were considered, the average score increase in the first year was 22% and an additional 13% in the second year.

Math

• More than half, 57% of all schools receiving MICROSOCIETY training showed improvement in math in the first year. In the second, 73% of these schools showed improvement.
• When we averaged the math scores of all grades in all schools, we found a 7% increase in the first year of the program and a 14% increase in the second.
• When only schools that increased their math scores were considered, these schools showed an average 30% increase in the first year and an additional 17% in the second.