WNYC radio is running an entire series on what it is like to be 12 years old.

At 12, kids shed layers, test new roles and transform before our eyes as they explore what kind of adult they want to be. Their brains and bodies change at alarming rates. At the same time, school gets harder. In New York City, academic performance in seventh grade largely sets a student’s path in high school.

This episode looks at why some teachers actually choose to teach 12-year-olds.

A study by Martin West and Guido Schwerdt found that student achievement falls for students who move to middle school in 6th or 7th grade compared to students who remain in K-8 schools for those grades.

Peter Meyer wrote about middle schools in the Winter 2011 issue of Education Next.

- Education Next