In October, 1998 the Bedford Board of Education asked Professors Margaret Terry Orr and Thomas Sobol of Teachers College, Columbia University to review the organization and program of the Fox Lane Middle School in light of its history, its current comdition, and recent changes in its demography and educational environment.

Professors Orr and Sobol conducted the study with the assistance of two Teachers College graduate students. They reviewed appropriate records, consulted the research literature, and met with dozens of Bedford teachers, students, administrators. and parents, including staff from the senior high school as well as the Middle School itself. In addition, the graduate students spent six days "shadowing" individual Middle School students throughout their respective schedules in order to obtain an up-close, student's eye view of the Middle School program.

In general, the authors of the report believe that the Middle School does an excellent job of fostering the social and affective development of its students. In their view, its success in positively integrating children from every elementary school area in a diverse community is a signal achievement.

The authors also believe that the Middle School does a good job of meeting the academic needs of its students, but that in light of changing conditions (including new State standards and assessments), here there is need for improvement.

After describing and analyzing the Middle School's program, the authors offer two sets of recommendations, The first set lists those actions that should be taken no matter what decision is made concerning the school's "ungraded" form of organization The second set concerns the "ungraded" organization itself.