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The middle-level candidate at Mars Hill College is prepared to teach young adolescents in grades six through nine. In keeping with the Conceptual Framework of the Teacher Education Department, the program is designed to prepare prospective middle level teachers to work effectively in middle schools. The Mars Hill College middle grades program goals include the content standards addressed in the four concentrations, the enhanced literacy component, and the middle-level standards. These goals are correlated with all national and state standards addressed by the NC Program Approval Standards, INTASC Standards, and the NETS-T Standards. The middle grades program goals are as follows. Upon completion of the middle-level program, candidates:

1. understand and apply the major concepts, theories, and research related to young adolescent development and learning.

2. understand, evaluate, and apply the major concepts, principles, theories, and research underlying the philosophical foundations of the developmentally responsive middle level programs and schools.

3. understand, evaluate and apply the major concepts, principles, theories, and standards, and research related to middle grades curriculum

4. understand, evaluate, and apply the major concepts, principles, theories, and research related to working collaboratively with families and communities to maximize student learning.

5. create meaningful learning experiences that are well grounded in research, principles, theories, standards, structures of content, breadth of ever-growing knowledge dimensions that develop young adolescents' competences in knowledge and skills.

6. understand, evaluate, and apply research-based literacy skills into all content areas.

7. understand, analyze, and create effective instruction that employs a variety of strategies for all learners regardless of ability and or learning styles.

8. understand, analyze, evaluate, and apply varying assessment strategies, both formal and informal, to ensure continual social, intellectual, and physical development of young adolescents.
9. engage in a variety of professional development practices to ensure continual renewal and professional reflection of pedagogy and content area knowledge.