CHARLES, MEGAN, LACY, CHAD

TRANSITION PROGRAMS

DISCUSSION

What were your feelings going into Middle School?

-What were your fears?-What were you excited

about?

PROBLEM

• Adolescents are facing many changes. • Physical• Intellectual• Emotional• Social• Moral

• These changes when combined with changing schools may distract them from academics.• SOLUTION- Transition Programs

BACKGROUND OF THE PROGRAM

• Most research has been done in the past 20 years• Research shows it’s vital to Middle School• Four Phases• Preparation• Transfer• Induction • Consolidation

WHO IS INVOLVED?

• Parents• Teachers/Administrators• Students

WHEN IS IT CONDUCTED

• Semester before move into Middle School• Semester before move into High School• Throughout the year• New to school students

HOW TO IMPLEMENT

• Starts Early• Begins with communication• Between administrators and teachers of both schools• Between students and staff

• Students visit new school• Structured Activities outside of school• Involvement of Parents• Continued transition support as needed

DISCUSSION

What were your feelings going into High school?

-What were your fears?-What were you excited

about?

TRANSITION PROGRAMS- IN ACTION

• Wheaton High School- Maryland• Rural and Urban district in Kentucky• Urban School in Georgia• Urban Middle School- Ohio• Columbus Middle School- Ohio

NEW STUDENTS- WHERE DO THEY FIT IN?

• Create a sense of community• Make students feel welcome• Create a welcome handbook/packet• Steering committee

ASSESSMENTS

Two Kinds of Assessments1)Gauges Students concerns and needs

-done at start of program-helps guide rest of program

2)Gauges the Program -Done by staff -May be expanded and modified for others

IMPACTS ON STUDENTS

• Raises GPA• Reduces disciplinary action needed• Increases involvement in extra-curriculars• Decreases anxiety • Assists in building the social bonds

• Hirschi’s Social Bond Theory• Attachments, Commitments, Involvements, Beliefs

BENEFITS AND DISADVANTAGES

• Family remains involved• Teachers have

community• Students feel

supported

• Time consuming• Chance of

miscommunication• Financial concerns

RECOMMENDATIONS

RECOMMENDATIONS

• EVERY SCHOOL should assist their students’ transition

1.Students’ voices are heard2.Students get to visit school: several times3.Students meet their new teachers prior to classes

and speak with coaches4.Students meet with older students5.Additional students support provided when

needed

RECOMMENDATIONS

6. Staff communicate-between both schools

-done frequently

7. Monthly updates sent to parents8. Parents are actively involved9. On going process

-more than a mere two sessions

-carried on into the school year

SOURCES

• Adelman, H. (n.d.). Welcoming and Involving New Students. UCLA Center. Retrieved July 23, 2012, from http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/welcome/welcome.pdf

• Cauley, K., & Jovanovich, D. (2006). Developing an Effective Transition Program for students entering middle or high school.. The Clearinghouse, 80, 15-25. Retrieved July 16, 2012, from the Ebscohost database.

• Chapman, M. V., & Sawyer, J. S. (2001). Bridging the Gap for students at risk of school failure: A social work initiated middle to high school transition program. . National Association of Social Workers, Inc., 23(4), 235-240. Retrieved July 16, 2012, from the Ebscohost database.

• Chen, G. (2008, September 2). Transition Programs from Middle School to High School | Public School Review. Profiles of USA Public Schools | Public School Review. Retrieved July 24, 2012, from http://www.publicschoolreview.com/articles/43

• Developing a transition program. (n.d.). NSW Public Schools Home Page. Retrieved July 24, 2012, from http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/gotoschool/highschool/transitions/developing/index.php

• Green, R., & Ollendick, T. (1993). Evaluation of a multidimensional program for 6th graders in transition from elementary to middle school. Journal of Community Psychology, 21, 162-176. Retrieved July 16, 2012, from the Ebscohost database.

• Grigal, M., Emmett, J., Emmett, R., & Dwyre, A. (2012). A Program Evaluation Tool for Dual Enrollment Transition Programs. Teaching exceptional children, 44(5), 36-45. Retrieved July 20, 2012, from the Ebscohost database.

• Koppang, A. (2004). A Transition Program Based on Identified Student and Parent Concerns. Middle School Journal, 36(1). Retrieved July 16, 2012, from http://www.amle.org/portals/0/pdf/publications/on_target/transitioning_ms/transitioning_ms_9.pdf

• Koppang, A. (2004). A Transition Program Based on Identified Student and Parent Concerns. Middle School Journal, 36(1). Retrieved July 16, 2012, from http://www.amle.org/portals/0/pdf/publications/on_target/transitioning_ms/transitioning_ms_9.pdf

• Loraine, P. (n.d.). Transition to Middle School. National Edcation Association. Retrieved July 22, 2012, from www.nea.org/tools/16657.htmhttp://

SOURCES

• Martinez, R. S., Aricak, O., Graves, M., Peters-Myszak, J., & Neillis, L. (2011). Changes in Perceived Social Support and Socioemotional Adjustment Across the Elementary to Junior High School Transition. Journal of Youth and Adolescents , 40(5), 519-530. Retrieved July 20, 2012, from the Ebscohost database.

• Noel, A. (2011). Easing the transition to school: Administrators' descriptions of transition to school activities. . Australaisian Journal of Early Childhood, 36(4), 44-52. Retrieved July 19, 2012, from the Ebscohost database.

• Office of Counseling and Student Services. (2010). A Guide to Middle School Transition. Wake County Public School System. Retrieved July 22, 2012, from www.wcpss.net/planning-guides/transition_guide_6_graders.pdf

• Petrakos, H. (2011). Editorial: Critical Issues in School Transition for Children and their Families. . Exceptionality Education International, 21(2), 2-4. Retrieved July 19, 2012, from the Ebscohost database.

• Schumacher, D. (1998). Transitions to Middle School. ERIC Digest, 0, 1-7. Retrieved July 16, 2012, from the Ebscohost database.

• Smith, J. (2006). Transition From Middle School to High School. Association for Middle Level Education. Retrieved July 22, 2012, from www.amle.org/portals/0/pdf/research/Research_Summaries/Transition_from_MStoHS.pdf

• Success | WEB | The Boomerang Project. (n.d.). High School Transition, Middle School Orientation, Student to Student Mentoring Programs. Retrieved July 21, 2012, from http://www.boomerangproject.com/web/success

• Supporting Children in Their Transition to Middle School. AMLE(2002). Association for Middle Level Education. Retrieved July 23, 2012, from http://www.amle.org/aboutamle/positionstatements/transitioningstudents/tabid/283/default.aspx

• Taylor, L., & Adelman, H. (n.d.). Transitions to and from Elementary, Middle, and High School. Mental Health in Schools Program and Policy Analysis. Retrieved July 11, 2012, from http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/transitionstoandfrom.pdf

• Taylor, L., & Adelman, H. (n.d.). Supporting Successful Transition to Ninth Grade. Mental Health in Schools Program and Policy Analysis. Retrieved July 16, 2012, from http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/practicenotes/transitionsninthgrade.pdf

• Transitions to and from Middle School. (n.d.). Mentoring. ORG. Retrieved January 23, 2012, from http://www.mentoring.org/downloads/mentoring_424.pdf

• Wheaton HS - Ninth Grade Academy. (n.d.). Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD. Retrieved July 20, 2012, from http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/wheatonhs/academies/ninthgrade/