Mon, November 10, 2025

Middle School Matters: How to Find the Right Fit for My Child

Michael Tapscott, Jr., Ed.D Assistant Head of School
Maggie Moslander Director of Teaching and Learning
Vinesha Phillip-Civil Director of Admissions and Enrollment
De La Salle Academy

Choosing the right middle school program for your child can set the stage for a lifetime of academic success and personal growth. The first step in finding the best school fit for your child and for your family is understanding your child’s unique needs, strengths, and interests. You may consider asking your child open and direct questions like, “What do you love about your current school? Is there anything you wish your school now had that it doesn’t? Is there anything about middle school that you’re curious about?” Your child’s answers to these questions will give valuable information about what you might look for in a middle school experience. 

Once you have a clear understanding of your child’s and your family’s goals and desires for middle school, the next step is to begin researching potential schools. New York City families have a wealth of options to choose from and it may feel overwhelming to navigate the broad educational landscape in New York City and all it has to offer. As you research, consider organizing what you find into the following categories to narrow down your search.

 Mission and Values

A school’s mission statement articulates the community’s core values and goals that shape the educational experience. It ensures that every decision, from curriculum design to student support, aligns with a unified purpose. The mission statement is important because it serves as the driving force for the entire school community. A well-crafted mission statement inspires and motivates students, teachers, and staff.

For students, a mission statement can help create a sense of belonging and identity within the school. It describes the school’s commitment to fostering academic excellence, personal growth, and ethical development. By articulating a clear vision of school values, the mission statement can encourage students to bring all of who they are to the community, inspire them to be their best selves, and recognize their role within the school environment. This helps students connect their individual efforts within the larger goals of the community, enhancing their motivation and engagement.

Teachers and staff benefit from a clear mission statement as it serves as a touchstone for their daily work and decision-making process, and provides a reference point that helps maintain consistency and focus. It ensures that the school’s educational practices are aligned with its core values and objectives. In addition, it clarifies the skills and attributes that the school values in its educators, guiding their professional growth and collaborative efforts.

Parents/guardians can find value in a school’s mission statement when it offers transparency about the school’s educational philosophy. It should help parents/guardians understand what to expect from the school and how the school will support their child’s educational journey.  

At De La Salle Academy, the mission statement is rooted in the Lasallian philosophy that centers on a social justice education and holds space for the spiritual development of children. De La Salle Academy places strong emphasis on creating a safer, more inclusive community where every student feels valued, respected, and celebrated for who they are. The elements of community are foundational values that are part of our Lasallian community and include care, support, and respect.

School Culture and Community

A positive school culture contributes to the development of healthy social and emotional skills. Promoting values like empathy, integrity, and inclusivity can help students navigate interpersonal relationships and build resilience. A supportive school environment can encourage students to take academic risks, explore their interests, and cultivate healthy and positive relationships with their peers and teachers. Knowing they have a network of supportive adults can increase students’ confidence and engagement, often translating to improved academic performance and personal growth.

The community within a school ought to be built on trust, communication, and mutual respect. This work extends beyond the school walls to families, creating a collaborative network that supports student development and achievement. When schools actively engage families, they strengthen the partnership between home and school. This partnership is essential, particularly in middle school, for supporting student academic progress and personal development. An inclusive school community encourages parents to be involved in school activities, support their children’s learning at home, and collaborate with teachers and school administrators to address concerns that might arise.

Places of learning should be both a school and a community, known for a holistic method of education and commitment to an individualized approach that sees and fosters the individuality of each student. It is important to place emphasis on students cultivating healthy and positive relationships both with peers and adults.  These relationships serve to support students as they share who they are and step fully into their power as scholars and leaders.

Academic Program

Students spend a large part of their day in classes, making a school’s academic program a critical component of evaluating potential schools for your child. However, evaluating an academic program can be overwhelming: schools describe themselves in many ways, from traditional to progressive, student-centered to inquiry-based. As you consider what might be best for your child, it is worth looking into a few questions in two particular areas: curricular design and teacher support and development.

When evaluating how a school designs its curriculum, it is worth asking the following questions: How does the school describe the “why” behind what they teach? Is the curriculum grounded in the purpose of cultivating a love of learning? Does the curriculum provide students with the chance to explore who they are, see themselves and their experiences reflected in the curriculum, and understand and bridge differences across many intersections?

Additionally, parents/guardians should explore how student interest is honored and supported. Do students have the opportunity to connect what they are learning to the world around them? Schools should be able to clearly articulate how and why their curriculum works to engage students and extend their learning across disciplines and beyond the school building.

We also recommend families explore how teachers at school are supported: How does the school provide opportunities for teachers to develop in the content areas they teach? Are teachers experts in their fields? Students benefit from teachers with both the content knowledge and the pedagogical practices to ignite intellectual curiosity and build foundational disciplinary skills to serve students now and in the future.

A successful academic approach is rooted in current research into what middle schoolers need to grow, learn, and flourish. Our teaching methods are diverse and adaptive, designed to meet the unique academic and developmental needs of every student. We work to empower a community of teachers and learners to center joy and purpose in the learning process and to co-create an academic program inviting students to learn in novel ways and connect their learning to the world.

Student Support

The transition from elementary school to middle school can present particular challenges as students learn to navigate more complex schedules, new classroom expectations, increased demand for organization, and evolving peer relationships. Families might investigate how schools support students as they step into this new independence: How does the school empower students to take ownership and accountability over their work and peer dynamics? How will a school support students when they struggle with academic content, the increased executive functioning demands of middle school, or community expectations? What support structures are in place for all students, and what additional supports may be available for students who need them? Middle school can often be a time when learning challenges that were not present in elementary school become more apparent; it is important for families to understand how the school helps you develop a clear picture of your student’s strengths and challenges and support their ongoing development.

For example, at De La Salle Academy, all sixth-grade students take two foundational courses, Learning to Learn and Introduction to Emotional Intelligence, to help them develop the academic, social, and emotional skills to successfully transition to middle school. Students also engage in a comprehensive advisory curriculum during all three grades, designed to support their identity development and academic, social, and emotional growth. Small group supports, like our executive functioning and SEL learning groups, enable us to target our supports to specific student needs. 

Approach to Admissions and Financial Aid 

Parents/guardians should begin familiarizing themselves with the process and deadlines for admissions and financial aid. To assess a school’s financial aid opportunities and affordability, review their costs, including tuition and other fees, alongside the availability of need-based and merit-based aid. Does the school provide opportunities for you to have honest discussions about your family’s financial situation and expectations in advance of the application process? Is the school transparent about the percentage of students receiving aid, and how financial need is assessed? Do you feel empowered to reach out to the school with questions about the application and financial aid process? The way a school treats you in the admissions process is a window into how a school and its community value its relationships with students and families.

Finding a middle school that is a right fit for your student can be a huge relief and also lay the foundation for your child’s future school journey. Though the process may be daunting, asking these difficult questions at the beginning can help you identify the school that best supports your child’s and your family’s long-term success.

Michael Tapscott, Jr., Ed.D., is Assistant Head of School at De La Salle Academy, an independent middle school for academically talented, economically less advantaged students in grades six through eight in New York City. Dr. Tapscott is an alumnus of De La Salle Academy and has worked at the school for 18 years in different capacities, including math and science teacher, math and science department chair, and dean of student affairs. He currently teaches an eighth-grade morals and ethics course. Visit www.dlsanyc.org for more information.

Maggie Moslander is Director of Teaching and Learning at De La Salle Academy, an independent middle school for academically talented, economically less advantaged students in grades six through eight. She also teaches social studies and learning to learn, a class focused on developing executive functioning skills and metacognition, for sixth graders. 

Vinesha Phillip-Civil is Director of Admissions and Enrollment at De La Salle Academy. With over five years of leadership, she is deeply committed to guiding prospective students and their families through the admissions process with care and compassion. She has held various roles over the last 22 years at De La Salle Academy. Vinesha’s passion for her role has not only helped shape the school’s dynamic, diverse community, but has also created a lasting, joyful impact on the school’s community.

This article appeared in the 2025 issue of the Parents League Review. Get the current issue of the Review free with a family membership. Or purchase it separately.