3.6 SECTION TWO: THE SETTING
This study was conducted in a public suburban middle school located in southwestern
Pennsylvania. The total population of the student body is 1,300 in grades 5 – 7. This particular
school district is a merger of four separate municipalities. The students in this study followed a
schedule which consisted of ten periods, each approximately 45 minutes in length. More
specifically, the students’ schedules included five core or required academic classes and three to
four encore (exploratory arts/foreign language/physical education) classes with the remaining
time devoted for lunch and a tutorial and/or elective class.