Junior High School
Junior High School, a school organized to help students make the transition from elementary school to high school. It is sometimes called middle school. A junior high school usually consists of the seventh and eighth grades but may also include the sixth grade, the ninth grade, or both. In some communities, junior and senior high schools are combined into a six-year secondary school. The majority of students in the United States are in school systems organized to include junior high school.
In general, a junior high school curriculum includes English, social studies, mathematics, science, music, and physical education. Foreign languages and shop and home economics subjects are usually offered as electives. The teachers usually specialize in a single subject area. Extracurricular activities such as athletics and dramatics are part of the program.
The junior high school movement began in 1909, when junior high schools were authorized by Berkeley (California) and Columbus (Ohio).