The Emergence and Development of a Radically Innovative Junior High School Program.

In September, 1969, a radically innovative program for middle school children was undertaken at Theodore Roosevelt Junior High School, one of eight junior high schools in School District 4J, Eugene, Oregon. Because the Roosevelt program is one that goes far beyond the usual idea of innovation, it is anticipated that this program description will be useful in providing incentives for educators to pursue new concepts in curriculum construction and program planning. This analysis was limited to the initial three years of the program development and to its first year of operation, 1969-1970. First, some background information about the program is presented. Then, the authors discuss the development of the program--detailing both the formal and informal actions which led to the program inception--and describe the initial summer workshop. The presentation next covers the implementation of the program, the first year of operation, problems encountered and solutions formulated, and analyses of actual student choices. Following these analyses are an evaluation of the first year, some conclusions reached in the second workshop, examples of student and parent reactions, and a discussion of the direction for the second year. A summary and an overview of the program after the first year conclude the publication. A short bibliography is included. (Author/EA)