Updated February 2008

Developed by the National Association of Secondary Schools Principals (NASSP), Breaking Ranks in the Middle: Strategies for Leading Middle School Reform aims to improve the learning experience of every middle school student by providing middle school principals and middle school leadership teams with strategies for implementing successful school improvement initiatives.  Educational leaders in North Dakota cannot escape the fact that many teenagers are disengaged from the hard intellectual work expected by their middle schools and the larger community, and they are unprepared for the next step in their education.  Many middle schools are not doing as well as they want or as they should, especially for low-income and minority students and students with special needs.

The nine strategies and 30 recommendations that form the core of Breaking Ranks in the Middle are similar to those in Breaking Ranks II, but are grounded in the middle school philosophy. A commission of middle level practitioners and experts had an active hand in developing the book, which includes a number of full-length profiles and vignettes of schools that put the recommendations in action.

The standard BRIM class is a two-day module.  However, training schedules can be customized to meet local needs. The January training is designed to start late the first day, to allow teams to travel, to provide hands-on activities for participants, and to provide networking opportunities amongst middle school leaders.

During the two-day class, you will:
- Deepen your knowledge of the three core areas and nine cornerstone strategies in BRIM and be able to apply them to improve student performance in your school.
- Increase your capacity to engage in collaborative leadership for effective implementation of BRIM strategies.
- Learn to use tools to gather accurate and useful information to help identify entry points for implementing BRIM strategies.
- Build stronger relationships with colleagues, which can serve as the basis for networking and support as your school begins BRIM initiatives.
- Learn strategies to engage in conversations with stakeholders in the school community to integrate BRIM with the mission of your school.
- Develop a network of Middle School Leaders sharing expertise and programs that have been effective across North Dakota.

Click HERE for BRIM information at the NASSP website

Breaking Ranks in the Middle Schedule

10:00 am to 5:30 pm Day 1
8:00 am-5:00 pm Day 2

If you need lodging, a block of rooms is reserved under ND LEAD.  Please make your own room reservation.  The hotel releases rooms three weeks prior to the event.  Call Seven Seas at 701-663-7401.