Those who watch hopefully for signs of improvement in our public school system can take encouragement from indications that officials are tackling one of education's trouble spots: middle school.

Children in grades 6-8 are navigating some fairly rough seas, with many coming under pressure to engage in risky behaviors, dealing with the emotional turbulence of early adolescence and tending to veer off the academic track. The results of failing to address this developmental hurdle seem evident in later years. Performance in recent standardized reading and math tests is worsening among 10th-graders, and scores by middle school students themselves indicate little progress.

That's why it's good to see the state Department of Education move ahead on plans to establish supplemental programs for middle schoolers on selected campuses, perhaps before the end of the year. Officials have correctly opted for prompt intervention, before students slide toward failure and beyond the reach of many school initiatives.

Parents of some students in last year's pilot program on Moloka'i point to children who gained a crucial boost in scholastic focus through a series of fun after-school incentives for learning. These included everything from cooking classes to dance classes, as well as tutoring and homework help.

Of course, there's more work to be done strengthening the approach we take toward middle school education. Teacher credentialing should be sharpened — some of which is already happening, with the creation of middle school teacher licensing in core subjects. Such efforts are critical if educators are to help kids at risk before they give up on academic achievement.