IMPROVING IMPROVING TRANSITIONS FROM TRANSITIONS FROM

ELMENTARY TO ELMENTARY TO MIDDLE SCHOOLMIDDLE SCHOOL

Problem StatementProblem Statement

TRANSITION ISSUES:TRANSITION ISSUES:

Drop in gradesDrop in gradesLower attendance ratesLower attendance ratesMental Health Issues (Anxiety)Mental Health Issues (Anxiety)Loss of self-esteemLoss of self-esteem

CONCERNS TO BE CONCERNS TO BE ADDRESSED:ADDRESSED:

logisticallogistical

social social

academicacademic

BIGGEST CONCERNS BIGGEST CONCERNS (STUDENTS)(STUDENTS)

ACTION PLANACTION PLAN

• MAKE CONNECTIONS WITH MAKE CONNECTIONS WITH STUDENTSSTUDENTS– VISIT 5VISIT 5THTH GRADE CLASSROOMS WITH GRADE CLASSROOMS WITH

STUDENT AMBASSADORS TO TALK STUDENT AMBASSADORS TO TALK ABOUT MIDDLE SCHOOLABOUT MIDDLE SCHOOL

– SHOW STUDENT MADE VIDEO and SHOW STUDENT MADE VIDEO and ANSWERING 5ANSWERING 5THTH GRADE QUESTIONS GRADE QUESTIONS

– PENPALSPENPALS– SHADOWINGSHADOWING

BIGGEST CONCERNS BIGGEST CONCERNS (PARENTS)(PARENTS)

ACTION PLANACTION PLAN•MAKE SURE PARENTS FEEL WELCOMED

•INFORMATION AND TIME LINES SENT HOME

•INVITATION FOR PARENT ORIENTATION

PARENT ORIENTATION

Faculty SupportFaculty Support

Focus on:Focus on:• Developmental Stages of Developmental Stages of

AdolescentsAdolescents• Differentiated TeachingDifferentiated Teaching• Student Success skills workshopsStudent Success skills workshops• Positive Discipline TechniquesPositive Discipline Techniques• Student Advisory Leadership Student Advisory Leadership

TrainingTraining

RESULTSRESULTS

Student InterviewsStudent Interviews

• Students reported that the activities Students reported that the activities were “fun and cool”were “fun and cool”

• Students reported that they were a Students reported that they were a little nervous but excitedly looking little nervous but excitedly looking forward to attending middle schoolforward to attending middle school

• Students felt a connection to the Students felt a connection to the school before they started and felt school before they started and felt comfortable knowing who and where comfortable knowing who and where their advocate was their advocate was

Parent InterviewsParent Interviews

• Parents reported that their Parents reported that their perceptions of the middle school had perceptions of the middle school had improved greatly from their previous improved greatly from their previous beliefs that had been based on beliefs that had been based on speculations and gossipspeculations and gossip

• Parents reported less anxiety about Parents reported less anxiety about their child attending middle school their child attending middle school and stated that they felt it was and stated that they felt it was welcoming to their childrenwelcoming to their children

Teacher InterviewsTeacher Interviews55thth grade grade

• Teachers reported that 5Teachers reported that 5thth grade students grade students were excited about transitioning to the were excited about transitioning to the middle schoolmiddle school

• Students felt more comfortable with the Students felt more comfortable with the school after meeting students and school after meeting students and teachers in the building and having a teachers in the building and having a chance to explorechance to explore

• Teachers reported students had much Teachers reported students had much less anxiety then in previous years less anxiety then in previous years without transition program in placewithout transition program in place

FUTURE PLANSFUTURE PLANS

2007-20082007-2008• Summer Orientation ProgramSummer Orientation Program• Continue focus groups and interviews to Continue focus groups and interviews to

discuss concerns and possible discuss concerns and possible interventionsinterventions

• Create and implement student advisory Create and implement student advisory groups and student success skill groupsgroups and student success skill groups

• Bagels and….meetings with parents to Bagels and….meetings with parents to discuss whatever!discuss whatever!

Now it’s your turn…..Now it’s your turn…..

• THE TRANSITION PROGRAM YOUR SCHOOL THE TRANSITION PROGRAM YOUR SCHOOL CREATES WILL HAVE TO WORK FOR YOU!CREATES WILL HAVE TO WORK FOR YOU!

• CREATE GOALSCREATE GOALS• SET UP A TIME LINESET UP A TIME LINE• CREATE AN ACTION PLANCREATE AN ACTION PLAN• USE DATA AND SHOW TANGIBLE RESULTSUSE DATA AND SHOW TANGIBLE RESULTS

• We would love to help…..Use We would love to help…..Use our wiki site or email us with our wiki site or email us with questionsquestions