10 Differences Between Middle School and High School

One of the scariest things about moving from middle school into high school is the increase in school size. That's often because several middle schools from one school district dump into one high school. So the high school your child will attend could easily have four times as many kids than their former middle school, and most of them will be absolute strangers.

As that first day of ninth grade looms, it can be overwhelming to imagine entering a totally unfamiliar (and much larger) campus and walking around in a sea of new faces. Most high schools are pretty attentive about easing the transition, but it's not hard to see how kids can get lost in the shuffle.

We know that high schools have higher enrollments than middle schools, so it stands to reason that classes are bigger, too. Student-to-teacher ratios vary widely across the country, but according to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average ratio was about 15-1 for 2019–2020 school year, but high school classes were usually bigger.

Jumping from a class with 15 students to one with 20 doesn't seem like that a huge deal, but it can cause things like your child to feel like they're getting less one-on-one interaction with the teacher. And there's definitely a lot less hand-holding in high school. Older kids are expected to be more responsible and independent, so they (in theory) don't need as much attention from their teachers. A student who's not quite ready for the task can end up falling through the cracks.

Eighth-grade teachers seem to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to make it clear to their students (or trying to scare their students, however you want to look at it) that there's going to be a lot more homework in high school. And they do this for a reason: There's a lot more homework in high school.

Kids who aren't ready for it can be in for a nasty shock during the first month or so of ninth grade. The increased workload — combined with the stress of new environments, schedules, expectations, teachers and classmates — can really throw some kids for a loop, so it's especially important for parents to be on their game during this transitional time.

Eighth grade — especially the last couple of months — is a giddy time for some kids. They're the oldest (and hence, coolest) in the school, and they take any opportunity to lord this fact over anyone they deem to be beneath them (that's, like, you know, everyone). But when the new school year rolls around, they discover pretty quickly how demoralizing it can be to plummet from head of the pack to bottom of the barrel. For this and the other reasons we've just discussed, many kids find themselves floundering in ninth grade. Some schools have tried to combat this phenomenon by separating freshman from the crowd just a little bit — they institute "ninth grade academies" or smaller class sizes to maintain some of that middle-school feeling for just a little while longer.

Since middle schools emphasize on community-building and nurturing students, kids don't get to choose what classes they take. Students might be put in different groups based on skill level, but in general, there's little variation in the courses. Sixth grade is American history, seventh grade is pre-algebra, and that's about it. High school is a whole new ballgame, with seemingly endless choices, which is exciting, obviously, but it can be overwhelming.

And the scheduling is always tough, too: What happens if your trombone-playing child is also a math whiz, and advanced trigonometry is at the same time as band practice? Or physics conflicts with French? There might not be an easy answer or a quick fix, but if parents, teachers and counselors work together, they can create a balanced schedule.

You might think that, as academic and athletic demands increase in high school, so might parent involvement. After all, this is a critical time in your child's life. Pretty soon, they fly the coop, never to be seen again.

But you'd be thinking wrong: Parent involvement actually decreases during the high school years. One reason is that high school often doesn't court parent involvement as much as elementary and middle school does; it's just a more hands-off type of environment. Parents also commonly assume that their contributions aren't needed as much because kids are older and more responsible. Not so. Many studies have shown that parental involvement is a major factor in their children's success. So go ahead and volunteer — your kids might be embarrassed to have you around, but it's for their own good.

People often refer to middle school as a "bubble." Students are doing their reading, writing and arithmetic, of course, but sometimes the process is emphasized more than the end result. Kids are learning about themselves, secure in their own little community, and there's not much focus on the outside world. But that all changes in high school. Suddenly the goal is very clear: college. No more fooling around — this is the real deal. Some students, to be sure, are grade-focused from day one, so this change in objectives can be exhilarating. Finally, all those As count for something! However, it can be jarring for a child who might not have been all that concerned about grades. So again, it's up to you, parents. It's your job to remind underperformers to step up to the plate.

Poor ninth graders. As if they don't already have enough to manage, what with an overwhelming new environment, bigger class size and increased academic demands, they also have to juggle multiple new teachers. In middle school, kids probably have at most two or three different teachers per day, but high school (as it does with everything) kicks that up a few notches. Now, they could have six or seven teachers each day — all with their own methods, standards, workloads, moods and idiosyncrasies. It's really no wonder that grades plummet and dropout rates soar in ninth grade. So, even while you stay on top of your child's work and grades, remember to be understanding — this can be a rough time. Once they hit 10th and 11th grade, though, you can really crack the whip.

Most of the changes we've discussed so far have some ambivalence attached to them: The transition to high school is exciting and scary. But sports are one part of high school life that can be parked squarely in the "exciting" spot. Most middle schools do have sports teams, but they don't bring the school to life like high school sports can. It's just like the switch in focus with academics: Sure, middle school sports are fun, but a high school football game is the real deal. Even if your child isn't an athlete, sporting events offer lots of opportunity for social interaction with new classmates. Also, a taste of school spirit never hurts — it gives kids the start of a new identity, which can make the transition a little less painful.

You knew we were going to get to this one sooner or later, didn't you? Peer pressure rears its ugly head pretty early in any kid's life, but the stakes are certainly raised in high school. Pressure to drink and do drugs certainly shows up for some during the middle school years, but kids (and parents) soon realize that those concerns are small potatoes compared to what's lurking in high school. And it's not only about illegal substances — it's clothes, eating, cheating, you name it. Succumbing to peer pressure can quickly derail an academic career, and it's a major factor in many dropout cases. As always, parents need to be vigilant and, most importantly, keep the lines of communication open.