Designing Transition
Programs That Work
Presented by:
Cathy Grewe, Jackson Middle School
Carla McCay, Parkersburg High School
Standard 2 – Program Delivery
Function 2G: SUCCESSFUL TRANSITIONS
The professional school counselor
establishes student supports for
successful transitioning through
programmatic levels, and from school to
school, school to work, or school to
post-secondary, or career and technical
training.
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Designing Transition Programs That Work
“ If students
successfully make
transitions into each
level of schooling
(elementary, middle,
and high), they are
significantly more
likely to graduate
from high school.”
Robert Balfantz
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Major Milestones
Post-Secondary
Education/Career
High School
Middle School
Elementary/
Kindergarten
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Going to KIndergarten
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Considerations
• Developmental concerns - gross motor
coordination, fine motor skills, cognitive.
• Adaptive skills – dress, personal care.
• Language and Communication skills
• Attachment issues
• Emotional/Behavioral issues.
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Kindergarten
Transition Programs
wvde.state.wv.us/oel/school-readiness.php
County Resources
WV Kindergarten Transition Tool Kit
Family Resources
Transitions – presentation prepared by
Betsy Peterson (2009)
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3rd Grade Considerations
• Social life becomes more important than
schoolwork/wants to fit in.
• Gaining confidence/increased decisionmaking.
• Academic concerns/grades &
standardized testing begin.
• Increased work/academic anxiety.
• Increased awareness of and tendency
toward pop culture.
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Moving Up to Middle School
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Considerations
• Major developmental issues – physical,
cognitive, social, and psychological.
• Academic performance tends to decline
after students enter the middle grades.
• Student concerns are logistical,
social/motivational and academic.
• Students entering middle grades are also
entering adolescence - importance of
peers and need to belong.
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A well-designed transition plan…
…can restore the strong sense of
belonging the entering middle school
student once felt in elementary school – a
key element associated with the positive
motivation to enjoy and success in
academic tasks.
National Middle School Association
Position Statement on Curriculum
Integration
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Transition studies…
“ …are calling for a more comprehensive
approach in which educators, parents
and students work together to design and
implement the best programs for helping
students make the transition from
elementary to middle grades schools.”
Yvonne Thayer, Senior
Director for SREB’s Making
Middle Schools Work
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Going to High School
g High
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Considerations
• Anxiety is high over school procedures
• Increased importance of academic
achievement (credits).
• Increased significance of peer
associations.
• Environment requires more self-reliance
and self-control.
• Influence of older peers.
• Increased societal concerns/issues.
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Ninth Grade is known as …
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“The pivotal year.”
“Holding tank for high schools.”
“Key valve in the education pipeline.”
“Greatest leakage in the education pipeline.”
“Most difficult transition point in education.”
“The ninth grade bulge.”
“The great sieve.”
More students fail ninth grade than any other grade level.
9th Grade Bulge in WV
23,500
23,000
22,500
22,000
21,500
21,000
20,500
20,000
19,500
2008
Grade 8
Gr. 8 in ‘07-’08
– 21,262
Gr. 9 in ‘08-’09
– 23,508
Gr. 10 in ‘09-’10
– 20,505
2009
Grade 9
2010
Grade 10
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20% of the 2007-08 Freshmen did not
graduate.
• 15% of all West Virginia ninth grade
students fail at least two courses.
Several studies have found that schools
with extensive transition programs had
significantly lower failure and dropout rates
than those schools that did not offer
comprehensive programs.
National High School Center
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9th Grade Transition Programs
Dekalb County, Georgia
• Summer Bridge Program
• Freshmen Academy
• Increased Math or English
• Advisor/advisee
• Tutoring Programs for identified students
• Skills Acquisition Model
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9th Grade Transition Programs
Bayou Blue Middle/Central Lafourche HS
• Summer Bridge Program
• Freshmen Academy
• Freshmen Seminar Class
• Advisor/advisee
• Tutoring Programs for identified students
• Speakers & Extra Curricular Opportunities
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Wood County Freshman Initiative
Innovation Zone
ENGAGE: Engaging Freshmen to Educate, Graduate,
and Achieve Post-Secondary Goals
KEY FOCUS AREAS:
ENGAGE ACTIVITIES: Universal freshmen transition strategies to
provide programs, activities, curricula, and support systems
designed to address fears and alleviate transition difficulties, to
increase opportunities for meaningful peer and adult mentorships, to
provide stronger support systems for struggling students.
P.A.S.S. PERSONALIZING ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL SUPPORT:
Academic and social support will be available for all students who
struggle academically, socially, behaviorally, or emotionally.
GOAL MENTORSHIP PROGRAM: Community members, teachers,
and senior students will serve as GOAL Mentors who will meet with
groups of students to develop meaningful relationships and to help
students develop academic and post-secondary goals.
Wood County Freshman Initiative
Innovation Zone
KEY COMPONENTS
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A transition day on the first day of the school year for incoming high school
students to include formation of ninth grade groups, tours, and activities to
promote academic success.
Monthly Freshmen ENGAGE assemblies and activities focusing on
achieving academic success, career awareness, and activities that promote
the ninth graders’ commitment to take responsibility for academic success
and choose to graduate.
Identifying at-risk students for more intensive transition activities and
preparation for high school.
Developing and implementing stronger support systems for ninth grade
at-risk (PASS) students through additional tutoring and scheduled academic
support opportunities.
Using a monitoring matrix based on the ABC risk factors, freshman
teacher teams will monitor student achievement and form personalized
intervention plans.
One-on-one GOAL Mentorships: Adult mentors will be assigned to At-risk
PASS students to encourage academic and behavioral engagement, goal
setting, and help students develop a vision for their futures and the
importance of school.
Freshman
Transition Programs
wvde.state.wv.us
School Counselors
Protocols
8th Grade Transition Protocol
Freshmen At Risk Early Warning Interventions
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Transition Key Components
Transition is an ongoing Process, not an Event
Academic
SocialEmotional
Expectations
Comprehensive Multi-Faceted
Well-planned
Systematic
Involving all stakeholders
Considers three-fold concerns:
Affective
Cognitive
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Behavioral
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Comprehensive Transition Key Components
Three Tier Approach
Recovery/Intensive
Targeted Intervention
Transition Strategies
Universal Transition
Strategies
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Universal Transition activities may include:
• School visits/Step Up Days providing students
with a snapshot of a normal day at the new
school.
• Freshman Seminar/Freshman Class
• Multiple orientation events involving students
from both feeding and receiving schools.
• Freshman Advisories/Advisor/advisee
• Welcome pep rally
• Speakers
• Extra-curricular opportunities
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Targeted Transition programs may
include:
• Summer Start-up Program for targeted at-risk
students.
• Social support groups and counseling.
• Safety Net Programs/Tutoring or support classes
for academic support.
• Doubling doses of English or Math
• Assign adult advocates/Mentors
• Linking students to students/student
mentors/tutors.
• Close monitoring of academic performance and
attendance of at-risk students.
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Other recommendations:
• Personalize the learning environment with ninth grade
academies and academic teams.
• Teacher teams can establish a common system of
expectations, and discuss students regularly to identify
common problems and discuss solutions.
• Provide ample opportunities and encouragement to be
involved in school activities.
• Involve parents and the community to encourage
students and help them see relevance in their
coursework.
• Develop a Freshman Transition Team to develop,
monitor, and evaluate Freshman Transition Programs.
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Comprehensive Transition Key Components
• Orientation activities involving teachers, students and
families to alleviate the anxieties accompanying a move
to a new school setting
• Providing students and parents with information about
the new school.
• Sponsoring Parent Nights and other means of sharing
new school information with parents.
• Arranging School Visits – Receiving school
representatives to feeder school and students visiting
receiving schools.
• Plan program to meet the needs of the local learning
community.
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Comprehensive Transition Key Components
• Collaboration – Collective, Collegial Approach between
schools, parents and teachers before and during transition.
• Relationships – Provides clear connections with caring
adults.
• Early Identification – recognizing students who could be
considered at-risk before and in the process of the
transition year.
• Having a rigorous plan for providing relentless academic
support.
• Modify staff and schedules when needed.
• Develop a “failure is not an option” culture for students,
parents, and teachers.
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Table Talk:
• What are some issues affecting transitions
related to your school setting or
programmatic level?
• What practices or programs is your school
or district using to facilitate successful
transitions for your students?
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Sites and Resources:
West Virginia Department of Education: wvde.state.wv.us
National High School Center: www.betterhighschools.org
National Middle School Association:
www.ncmsa.net
National Education Association:
www.nea.org
Also:
www.education.com
www.kidsource.com
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