Communities can publicize positive reports about and provide positive interventions for middle-grade students. Families can engage middle-grade children in active decision making. The goal is to understand career opportunities in a variety of fields through hands-on experience. In addition to coping with the physical and emotional changes of adolescence, middle-grade students and their families must also deal with changes in the way schools operate. Families can serve as advocates and resources for middle-grade children.
Relationships are the essence of middle-grade family and community involvement.
Schools and communities are ideal contexts for developing and fostering strong relationships with the families of middle-grade students. Schools can encourage direct contact between middle-grade families and teachers and can create staffing patterns that support these relationships. Families can be encouraged to build personal relationships with school staff. Responsibility and decision making are shared by a broad array of players, including the child. Just as adolescents' roles change during the middle grades, so do their responsibilities and decision-making strategies.