Turning Points Overview
Turning Points is a New American Schools design for comprehensive middle school change developed and coordinated by the Center for Collaborative Education in Boston, Massachusetts. The Turning Points design enables middle level schools to create caring and challenging learning communities that meet the needs of young adolescents as they reach the "turning point" between childhood and adulthood. In 1999 there were 30 Turning Points schools in Massachusetts, Illinois, and Missouri. Additional schools have been added in these states as well as in Colorado for the 2000-2001 school year.
The Turning Points Design holds the view that the middle school is potentially society's most powerful force to help every young person thrive during early adolescence, and embodies the vision of an adolescent as:
An intellectually reflective person
A person en route to a lifetime of meaningful work
A good citizen
A caring and ethical person
A healthy person
from Turning Points: Preparing American Youth for the 21st Century, a report issued by the Carnegie Council of Adolescent
The Turning Points school, based on this design, improves the educational experiences of young adolescents by addressing the emotional and intellectual needs of all students.
The Turning Points model, shaped by a coherent philosophy embedded in the Turning Points principles, includes support through on-site coaching, networking and professional development, a self-study survey, resource guides and a web site, and a strong accountability process. The goal of this systemic approach is to dramatically improve teaching, learning, and achievement for all students.
For more information regarding Turning Points contact the Center for Collaborative Education (CCE), Boston, Massachusetts website at
www.ccebos.org or contact CCE at (617) 421-0134.