Rationale: Exploratory programs provide adolescents opportunities to explore careers and ideas tied to their rapidly changing interests. They can explore individual talents or work with those expressing similar interests. Learning is most interesting to this age group when it relates to their immediate goals and interests.

Exploratory is described as "a point of view or a process, not just a specific exploratory content to help young people know themselves, their interests, aptitudes, and capabilities, and to satisfy their natural curiosity and questioning" (Lounsbury & Vars, 1987, p. 83).

Even as early as thirty years ago (1965), Alexander and Williams proposed guidelines for middle schools including the idea that a middle school should provide a rich program of exploratory programs. This is not a new idea, just one that has not always been fully implemented.

An Agenda of Excellence at the Middle Level (NASSP, 1984) make two recommendations related to exploratory programs:

1. Provide opportunities for students to achieve and demonstrate excellence in a number of domains and has a reasonable opportunity to excel at something (p. 3)
2. Recognize that the young adolescent is interested in virtually everything but nothing very much. Provide exploratory programs that introduce students to a variety of topics, skills, and content fields without requiring mastery (p. 7).

From Florida Schoolyear 2000 Project- Middle School Subcommittee (1994), some of the values of exploratory programs:

• Explores creativity, curiosity and experimentation and provides individual attention
• Allows creativity, stemming from the vivid imaginations of middle school students to be expressed, and allows for exploration of self and interactions with others
• Gives direct attention to the affective aspects of education
• Allows interest based activities for students who are generally restless and can rarely concentrate for more than 15-20 minutes
• Can provide mini-courses, service clubs, special interest activities

Characteristics of an exemplary middle level exploratory program (Bergman, 1992, p. 187):

1. It will not be competitive in nature
2. It will have a teachers who understand the process of exploration and the needs of the students
3. It will be a safe time and place to explore individual talents and ideas as a member of a structured peer group
4. It will allow students to begin or continue to develop their own ideas and talents.
5. It will include a series of courses or experiences that enable students to:

a. gather information and strategies

b. take risks without fear of failure

c. use their bodies and minds to create both product and processes

d. look at alternative ways of doing things

e. interact with peers in a productive, nonthreatening environment

An activity-centered/ problem-based curriculum and instructional activities provide relevance for students and a vehicle for integration. Young adolescents need more opportunities for exploration (Keefe, Valentine, Clark, & Irvin, 1993, p. 39).

Exploratory programs allow students to explore their aptitudes, interests, and special talents and to develop an accurate and positive self-concept (Middle Level Council, 1985).

George & Shewey (1994), report that 73% of the respondents in their survey reported that a curriculum characterized by both a core academic focus and a broad range of exploratory activities has contributed to the long-term effectiveness of the middle school program.

Traditional exploratory (George and Alexander, 1993) courses included art, music, home economics, industrial arts, typing, speech, drama, and health and PE. In the 90’s computers have been added. However, some middle schools have become more adventuresome and added additional courses:

Fort Campbell, Kentucky--- art, German, home economics, technology education,

communications enrichment, music & drama, Spanish, and instrumental music

Ballston Spa Middle School, New York--- block printing, children’s TV, clothing,

Colonial Ballston, copper foil, craft design, creative painting, crocheting and

knitting, drama, food exploration, graphics, guitar, home decorations, lamp or pet

cage construction, musicals, power mechanics, TV news, tutoring, tutoring

projects, and tie-dying-macramé.

Middle schools still have a long way to go in the full implementation of exploratory programs. Epstein and MacIver (1990) found that only 35% of the schools they surveyed had exploratory or mini-courses for all students in all grades (p. 64). However, they maintain that exploratory courses and mini-courses are a "signature" practice necessary for middle schools who are dedicated to meeting the needs of young adolescents.

Toepfer (1992, p. 217), says that between the ages of 10 to 14 years, students live through the most serious and traumatic changes that we humans ever experience, the physiological, biological, social, emotional and intellectual dimension of these changes must be reflected in the school’s exploratory program.

Selected References

Alexander, W. & Williams, E. (1965). Schools for the middle school years. Educational

Leadership, 23. 217-223.

Bergman, A. (1992). Lessons for principals from site-based management. Educational

Leadership, 50 (1), 42-43.

Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development’s Task Force on Education of Young

Adolescents. (1989). Turning Points: Preparing American Youth for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development, a program of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Epstein, J. & MacIver, D. (1990). Education in Middle Grades: National Trends and Practices. Columbus, OH: National Middle School Association.

Florida Schoolyear 2000 Project - Middle School Subcommittee (1994). Center for Educational Technology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida.

George, P., & Shewey, K. (1994). New Evidence for the Middle School. Columbus, OH: National Middle School Association.

George, P. & Alexander, W. (1993). The Exemplary Middle School, 2nd edition. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace Javanovich.

Keefe, J., Valentine, J., Clark, D., & Irvin, J. (1993). Leadership in Middle Level

Education, Volume II: Leadership in Successfully Restructuring Middle Level

Schools. Reston, VA: National Association of Secondary School Principals.

Lounsbury, J. & Vars, G. (1978). A Curriculum for the Middle School Years. New York: Harper & Row.

NASSP Council on Middle Level Education. (1984). An agenda for excellence at the middle level. Reston, VA: National Association of Secondary School Principals.

This We Believe. (1992). Columbus, OH: National Middle School Association.

Toepfer, C. (1992). Middle level school curriculum: Defining the elusive. In J Irvin (Ed.), Transforming Middle Level Education: Perspectives and Possibilities. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.