California Department of Education
Taking Center Stage – Act II

Adolescent Development

Recommendation 11—Accountability

A summary of young adolescent development, including brain research, as it pertains to the California Department of Education's Recommendation on Accountability.

Although young adolescents bring to school varied backgrounds that impede or promote academic learning, educators are accountable for every student succeeding. Supporting the students in every aspect of their development helps every student and more so for the students who are at risk. At-risk students may have experienced or are experiencing, for example, death, divorce, parent incarceration, high mobility, and mental, physical, or drug abuse. Those who are socially dysfunctional need confidence building from adults.1 Recognizing and responding to the developmental needs of individual middle grades students helps educators to be accountable for creating lessons and programs that help each of these young adolescents to succeed and to be accountable for their own success.

Teacher accountability includes:

  • Teaching organizational and study skills
  • Creating challenges that capitalize on the brain’s growth spurt
  • Being sensitive to the transition between concrete and abstract thinking
  • Using emotional “hooks” to make learning interesting
  • Creating time to learn, rehearse, and relearn if necessary
  • Creating schedules that address adolescent sleep cycles
  • Building on textbook lessons to add real-world experiences
  • Making sure that students can connect new information with previously learned knowledge
  • Creating a caring culture where all students are accepted and have at least one positive relationship with an adult
  • Understanding that young adolescents think more through their emotions than they are with good reasoning
  • Being aware that young adolescents are more vulnerable to negative influences than at any other age and properly guiding them to take healthy paths
  • Being sensitive to young adolescents as they are going through drastic physical changes
  • Being aware of and sensitive to students who are going through puberty early and those who are late
  • Developing challenging courses for all students
  • Providing many varied electives, clubs, and activities to all students so that all students can be exposed to experiences that build knowledge and skills
  • Creating a safe culture at the school
  • Knowing that young adolescents are at risk and being proactive so that they make healthy choices
  • Being a role model for leadership
  • Making sure no student falls into the achievement gap
  • Including families and communities as partners in helping students succeed in their academic and personal lives

Student accountability includes:


Adolescent Development Index

Recommendation 11—Accountability Contents

Footnote
1Raleigh Philp, Engaging ‘Tweens and Teens: A Brain-Compatible Approach to Reaching Middle and High School Students. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press, 2007, p. 85.

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