Freshman Transition
Initiative
The George Washington University
rdedmond@gwu.edu
www.freshman transition.org
The key to impacting students:
How do we help ALL
students recognize the
value of education?
How do we help ALL
students view their futures?
What can we do?
Freshman Transition Initiative:
- systemic change (10 steps)
- course for ALL students
- culminates in a 10-year plan
Standards-driven
Freshman Transition courses:
• Reduce dropout rates
(high school and college)
• Create meaningful pathways
• Increase matriculation into
post-secondary programs
• Increase recruitment and retention
into technical programs
• Provide skills to successfully
navigate life and work transitions
A 10-Year Plan provides
the vision that helps students:
• Create a personalized plan/pathway,
based on information and study...
• Stay in high school, graduate...
• Enter and COMPLETE post-secondary
education and/or training...
• Make timely and successful transitions
into an economically self-sufficient
adulthood.
Motivational Cycle
When a student sees personal benefit in the task – such as
developing their 10-year plan for their ideal future…
Motivation Increases
Student Experiences
Success
Comprehension
Increases
Self-esteem Increases
Skill Level Increases
Dan Blake
Career Development Specialist
Sonoma County Office of
Education
“Why do we have to know this?”
“You expect kids to choose a career in
middle school?”
Sonoma County Middle School Career
Exploration Program
“Why do we have
to know this?”
8
Sixth-through-ninth-grade children
have demonstrated very little
understanding of how school
relates to the real world and seem
to have little to no awareness of the
skills and knowledge needed for
success in the future.
(Johnson, 2000)
9
When surveyed, the majority
of high school dropouts say
they began to “disconnect” in
middle school or earlier.
(Castellano et al., 2002)
10
“You expect
kids to choose a
career in middle
school?”
11
Middle school is an ageappropriate time to ask students to
think about their career ambitions.
This does NOT mean forcing
students to make career choices,
but creating activities that allow
them to research and gather
information on specific careers.
12
Young people have high ambitions,
expecting to be highly educated
and have professional careers, yet
research has found that many do
not develop coherent plans for
achieving their goals.
(Hughes & Merchur Karp, 2004)
13
Sex-role stereotypes,
particularly about genderappropriate occupations are
formed early.
(Guss & Adams, 1998)
14
Guidance activities directed at
junior high school students had the
largest effect sizes, indicating that
guidance efforts may be most
effective with pre-teenage (rather
than high school or college)
students.
(Hughes & Merchur Karp, 2004)
15
Current efforts…
Too frequently, career preparation
for middle grade students
consists of a single, brief unit
once a year. Ideally, career
education and development
should be infused into the
curriculum.
16
The most effective career
development programs are
systemic—developmental,
accessible to all learners, and
embedded in the curriculum as part
of the whole process of educating a
child for the larger thing called life.
(Maddy-Bernstein & Dare, 1997)
17
Sonoma County
Middle School
Career Exploration
Program
18
Program Overview
History
Goals &
Objectives
Organizational
Structure
Funding
Key Curriculum,
Resources &
Activities
Planning &
Implementation
Challenges &
Barriers
19
Without willing &
motivated learners, all our
best reform efforts will be
in vain.
20
Dr. Patrick J. Holland
Principal, School of Law & Business
Crawford High School Educational
Complex
San Diego USD
“Best to Go By Plan Than Chance”
What’s In It For Me as a Student?
Relevancy and Relationship
9th Grade Readiness
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High Rate of Failure – Demographics?
Poor Attendance
Disruptive Behavior
Limited Study Skills
Low High School Expectations
Critical Thinking
Realistic Outlook – NFL, Rock Star
Apathy
Hard Work
Integration of Ten Year Plan
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•
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Within English - All Students - All 4 Years
Flexible – Can and Needs to be Updated
Part of LAB Senior Exhibition Project
Values Parent Input
Empowers Student – What Will I Be?
Serve as a Bridge for 9th Grade Entrance
Moves With Students
Personal Touch – Doc Talk – Transcripts,
CST
10 Year Plan Topics
• Income – earning gap – dropout vs.
graduates
• Lifestyle – employment and education
• Opportunity – education/training and
job growth – open doors
References – Noted on 10 Year Plan
Topics Slide
• Income and Lifestyle: “ From No Child Left Behind to Every
Child a Graduate – The Case for a National Response” ,
Alliance for Excellent Education, Aug. 2008
• Lifestyle and Opportunity: “ From No Child Left Behind to
Every Child a Graduate – The Case for a National Response” , A
Framework for Action to Improve Secondary Schools” ,
Alliance for Excellent Education, Aug.2008
• Note on Job Growth Opportunity and AA Degree: ” From
Remarks by President Obama at White House Summit on
Community Colleges, The White House Office of the Press
Secretary, Oct. 5, 2010
Visit
www.freshmantransition.org
for a copy of the
Course Standards for Freshman
Transition Classes
an other resources.
A presentation by
George Washington University’s
Freshman Transition Initiative
For more information, contact
Rebecca Dedmond, Ph.D.
The George Washington
University
rdedmond@gwu.edu