"It's not like you are trying to push down the high school model of six different teachers and five different classes," he noted.

"There's a lot of support for this type of school model in Philadelphia."

Focus the Nation provides a high school model on their web site.

In the lower second level there are several different teaching and school models that may exist.

The film contrasts the school's rigorous curriculum with the typical public school model.

The city has also recently created 38 schools for grades 6-12, another twist on the middle school model.

Specialists keep on looking for an adaptive school model.

But changing school models may not work either, Professor George said.

"The high school model is more of a bureaucratic model."

The new middle school model began to appear in the mid-1960s.