Academics
Middle School
Designed to help students in Grades 5 through 8 thrive academically, emotionally, and socially.
Middle School Magic
A Time of Self-Discovery
It’s a time of tremendous change, challenge, and growth as students become more accomplished and confident learners who understand themselves, how they learn, and how to self-advocate.
Our goal is to provide a nurturing environment in which to foster increased independence and fortify a range of skills so students are poised for success in our college-preparatory Upper School program.
Middle School At-A-Glance
Middle School Highlights
Smaller Classes
Our 9:1 student-teacher ratio in the Middle School offers an incredibly personalized learning experience for each student. Each teacher gets to know their students as learners and as people—their strengths, challenges, interests, and goals.
Teachers tailor instruction, provide meaningful feedback, and build trusting relationships that help students take risks, grow in confidence, and discover what they’re truly capable of.
Dedicated & Highly Skilled Teachers
Teachers in Grades 5 and 6 have a degree, license, or background in special education.
In Grades 7 and 8, departmentalized content experts use best practices for working with all learners.
Ongoing professional development ensures our teachers stay current with the latest research and strategies that support how students learn best.
Embedded Support
Teachers bring with them a toolkit of best practices and research-based strategies to both support and challenge students academically.
When appropriate, we provide thoughtful accommodations that ensure access without lowering expectations, empowering students to build independence, confidence, and lasting academic skills.
Academic Rigor
With high expectations, students are challenged to think deeply, advocate for themselves, and take increasing ownership of their learning—building the skills and confidence they’ll need for Upper School and beyond
Students engage in critical thinking, analytical writing, problem-solving, and collaborative projects across disciplines.
Executive Functioning Support
A hallmark of McLean’s Middle School is the emphasis of executive functioning skills across the subjects.
Our teachers focus on the organization of materials, task initiation, management, and completion, self-monitoring work, and long-term assignment planning.
Beyond the Classroom
There’s a place for everyone to share their talents and interests. Whether it’s athletics, clubs and committees, robotic competitions, art shows, drama and musical productions, or instrumental and choral concerts, our students have fun, make connections with peers and adults, and explore new passions.
Social-Emotional Learning
We promote positive community building in a variety of ways, including through Restorative Practices, Responsive Classroom curriculum, and our P.R.I.D.E. code of conduct (Positive interaction, Respect/Responsibility, Individual and community safety, Decision making, and Empathy).
Self-Advocacy
Self-advocacy is a cornerstone of the Middle School experience at McLean. Students learn how to understand their learning strengths and challenges, articulate their needs, and seek support with confidence and respect.
They develop the language and independence to ask questions, clarify expectations, and take ownership of their growth.
Q and A
Middle School Support
Students benefit from an individualized McLean Learning Profile, while simultaneously learning to take increased ownership of their learning, as is developmentally appropriate. Teachers implement the individualized strategies and accommodations recommended for each student in the classroom.
The Middle School Learning Services Team includes a Coordinator of Learning Services, Reading Specialist, Speech-Language Pathologist, Coordinator of Social-Emotional Programming and Counselors.
- Additional personnel who focus on math, reading, writing, executive functioning, and social-emotional needs
- Embedded, push-in support
- Work with students in small groups
- Serve as a resource to families
- Attend weekly meetings to share insights, observations, and develop strategies to support students
- Trained, expert teachers with skills to support varying learners
- Multi-sensory and multimodal approaches
- Interactive, meaningful, creative, and engaging lessons
- Integrated support from a team of specialists
- Differentiation in each group to meet students’ learning needs
- Fluidity in small groups so that students are appropriately supported and challenged as progress is made
- Access to accelerated courses in both the Middle and Upper School when appropriate
- P.R.I.D.E. (Positive Interaction, Respect & Responsibility, Individual & Community Safety, Decision, Making, and Empathy) Program is a positive behavior management system
- P.R.I.D.E. Matters course in Grades 5/6 teaches skills for developing and demonstrating character strengths such as empathy, responsibility, self-control, and leadership
- Good Morning McLean Advisory Program for Grades 5-8, creates a sense of community and safety to allow for constructive social-emotional learning and exploration of progressively more complex topics relevant to the daily life of a middle school student
- Coordinator of Social-Emotional Programming develops and implements a pro-social curriculum with an emphasis on our Personal Skills and Attributes
- Monthly division-wide goals to reinforce safety, kindness, and responsibility
- P.R.I.D.E. banners are awarded throughout the day as positive reinforcement
- Counselor-facilitated small group discussions to help strengthen relationships
| Traditional Learning Specialist Model | McLean’s Learning Services Model |
|---|---|
| Pulls students out of the classroom during academic periods | Supports students in peer groups in the classroom |
| Only works with students with disabilities | Works with all students |
| Serves as the “expert” of LD on the team | Collaborates with highly skilled teachers, Specialists, and families in a partnership |
| Is the sole provider of extra support | Communicates and coordinates support from team of providers (support team, outside supports, parents, teachers) |
| Focuses on remediation and catching a student up to grade-level | Focuses on working with the team to meet students where they are and moving them forward |
| The sole person collecting information about a student’s needs and documenting support in a file | Monitors and updates digital Student Learning Profiles℠, including teacher insights which are shared with teachers and Learning Services team from grade to grade |
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