Designing Transition
Programs That Work
Presented by:
Cathy Grewe, Counselor, Williamstown High School
Kelly Mordecki, School Counselor Lead, Office of Institutional
Education Programs
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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Major Milestones
High School
Moving
Institutional
Ed
Middle School
Elementary/
Kindergarten
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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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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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•
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•
Behavioral
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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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Comprehensive Transition Key Components
Three Tier Approach
Recovery/Intensive
Targeted Intervention
Transition Strategies
Universal Transition
Strategies
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Universal Transition Strategies
Systems/programs in place that help ease the fears
and anxieties, teach students expectations and
familiarize students with the routines of the school,
help students feel safe and develop a sense of
belonging, address the developmental issues
common to their age group, provide opportunities
for engaging students, and help students realize
their personal plan for success and the importance
of school in the process.
Targeted Transition Intervention
Targeted Intervention
Systems/programs in place to identify, monitor, and
provide needed academic and emotional support
for students who struggle with the transition.
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.
Targeted Transition:
• Begins with the identification of students who
potentially may struggle at the new school.
• Communicating with teachers, counselors, and
administrators at the feeder schools to develop
an advanced warning system.
• Monitoring systems to identify students who
struggle academically or emotionally during the
course of the new year.
• Providing systems of support to address the
individual issues of struggling students.
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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Five key Challenges
Establish data and monitoring systems to diagnose why
students are struggling.
Address instructional needs of students not ready for rigorous
work
Personalize the learning environment to address individual
needs
Build capacity within the faculty and school leadership
Create connections to the community & higher education
Betterschools.org
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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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Freshman
Transition Programs
wvde.state.wv.us
School Counselors
Protocols
8th Grade Transition Protocol
Freshmen At Risk Early Warning Interventions
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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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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 and www.kidsource.com
wvde.state.wv.us/oel/school-readiness.php
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