Administrators', Counselors', and Teachers' Opinions Regarding the Impact of Freshman Academies, Schools Within Schools, and Ninth Grade Schools, as it Relates to Effective Transitioning

Administrators', Counselors', and Teachers' Opinions Regarding the Impact of Freshman Academies, Schools Within Schools, and Ninth Grade Schools, as it Relates to Effective Transitioning PDF Author: Robyn Suzanne Killebrew
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Ninth grade (Education)
Languages : en
Pages : 133

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Book Description
The purpose of this study was to determine whether administrators, counselors, and teachers believe that implementing freshman academies, schools-within-schools, and ninth grade schools is an effective way to transition ninth graders into high school. This study included an introduction and a review of literature that discussed the following: adolescent years, transition from 8th to 9th grade, drop-out prevention, school reform in secondary education, professional learning communities, the freshman academy, and a conclusion. This study was also comprised with a methodology section, research results, conclusions, recommendations for policy makers and practitioners, and recommendations for future research. The questionnaire for this study was developed by the researcher. The questionnaire focused on the areas of demographics, academics, attendance, discipline, school culture, transitioning, socio-economic status, and instructional staff. Data was collected from seven different schools in Mississippi who currently house freshman academies, school-within-schools, and ninth grade schools. A total of 85 questionnaires were completed with 10 of those being administrators, 12 being counselors, and 63 comprised of teachers. This study specifically examined administrators', counselors', and teachers' opinions regarding the impact freshman academies, schools-within-schools, and ninth grade schools as it relates to effective transitioning. Results illustrated that there was a significant difference in the opinions of administrators, counselors, and teachers in the areas of academic performance, reduced discipline referrals, school culture, transitioning from eighth to ninth grade, and the morale on the staff of the school. However, this study yielded a non-significant relationship among the opinions of administrators, counselors, and teachers concerning the implementation of a freshmen academy on the drop-out rate and improving students from a low socio-economic class. Policymakers and practitioners were encouraged to look at freshman data, collaborate with middle school and high school teachers, and place their best teachers in the ninth grade to ensure a smooth transition for all freshmen. --Page ii.

Administrators', Counselors', and Teachers' Opinions Regarding the Impact of Freshman Academies, Schools Within Schools, and Ninth Grade Schools, as it Relates to Effective Transitioning

Administrators', Counselors', and Teachers' Opinions Regarding the Impact of Freshman Academies, Schools Within Schools, and Ninth Grade Schools, as it Relates to Effective Transitioning PDF Author: Robyn Suzanne Killebrew
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Ninth grade (Education)
Languages : en
Pages : 133

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Book Description
The purpose of this study was to determine whether administrators, counselors, and teachers believe that implementing freshman academies, schools-within-schools, and ninth grade schools is an effective way to transition ninth graders into high school. This study included an introduction and a review of literature that discussed the following: adolescent years, transition from 8th to 9th grade, drop-out prevention, school reform in secondary education, professional learning communities, the freshman academy, and a conclusion. This study was also comprised with a methodology section, research results, conclusions, recommendations for policy makers and practitioners, and recommendations for future research. The questionnaire for this study was developed by the researcher. The questionnaire focused on the areas of demographics, academics, attendance, discipline, school culture, transitioning, socio-economic status, and instructional staff. Data was collected from seven different schools in Mississippi who currently house freshman academies, school-within-schools, and ninth grade schools. A total of 85 questionnaires were completed with 10 of those being administrators, 12 being counselors, and 63 comprised of teachers. This study specifically examined administrators', counselors', and teachers' opinions regarding the impact freshman academies, schools-within-schools, and ninth grade schools as it relates to effective transitioning. Results illustrated that there was a significant difference in the opinions of administrators, counselors, and teachers in the areas of academic performance, reduced discipline referrals, school culture, transitioning from eighth to ninth grade, and the morale on the staff of the school. However, this study yielded a non-significant relationship among the opinions of administrators, counselors, and teachers concerning the implementation of a freshmen academy on the drop-out rate and improving students from a low socio-economic class. Policymakers and practitioners were encouraged to look at freshman data, collaborate with middle school and high school teachers, and place their best teachers in the ninth grade to ensure a smooth transition for all freshmen. --Page ii.

The Impact of a Freshman Academy on High School Transition

The Impact of a Freshman Academy on High School Transition PDF Author: Sherry Grier Veasey
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Academic achievement
Languages : en
Pages : 248

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Book Description
This dissertation was designed to identify and describe the impact a freshman academy has on high school transition for ninth-grade students at a rural high school in western North Carolina. This case study investigated the problems ninth graders encounter as they transition from middle school to high school. The study examined student achievement, student attendance, and the graduation rate in an effort to determine whether a freshman academy at the high school helped students transition successfully. -- The transition to high school may be difficult for some students because of the countless changes they are experiencing as adolescents. The high school in this study was located in a rural western town in North Carolina and identified the ninth-grade class as the class with the most struggling students. In an effort to help students transition successfully to high school, a freshman academy was implemented. -- This qualitative study consisted of interviews with the principal, assistant principal, guidance counselor, and teachers in the freshman academy. Additional data was collected from high school principals in the district with freshman academies to determine strategies implemented for freshman academies in the school district. Focus group interviews were conducted with teachers in the academy. A central office person was also interviewed. A survey was conducted with teachers to ascertain their perceptions of the freshman academy since the implementation. -- Interview data was collected, transcribed, analyzed, and reported in a narrative format according to themes and research questions. Survey data was collected, analyzed, and reported in a frequency table. Data from interviews, archival data, and the survey were triangulated to validate the findings for the study. -- An analysis of the data revealed the freshman academy at the high school did not impact student achievement, student attendance, or the graduation rate. The data did reveal there was an impact on student motivation, students' attitudes toward school, and the school culture. Students participated in the learning process by interacting with their peers. Teachers used various instructional strategies including technology to help motivate students. Students enjoyed positive relationships with their teachers. School-wide expectations and teacher collaboration contributed to the culture of the school.

Helping Students Make the Transition Into High School

Helping Students Make the Transition Into High School PDF Author: Marie-Andrě Somers
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 102

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Book Description
Ninth Grade Academies (NGAs)--also called Freshman Academies--have attracted national attention as a particularly intensive and promising approach for supporting a successful transition for high school freshmen. An NGA is a self-contained learning community for ninth-graders that operates as a school within a school. NGAs have four core structural components: (1) a designated separate space within the high school, (2) a ninth-grade administrator who oversees the academy, (3) a faculty assigned to teach only ninth-grade students, and (4) teachers organized into interdisciplinary teams that have both students and a planning period in common. The theory of action behind NGAs is that when these components are employed together, they interact to create a more personalized learning environment where ninth-grade students feel less anonymous and more individually supported. This, in turn, should help students succeed in school and stay on track to high school graduation. NGAs have shown promising results when employed as part of a whole-school reform model, but in these cases schools have received external support from a developer to create and sustain them. A growing number of schools and districts have been experimenting with NGAs on their own, but the little research that exists on their effectiveness is limited to anecdotal accounts. This study, which is based on a quasi-experimental research design, examines the effect of NGAs on students' progress toward graduation, their academic achievement, and their behavior in several school districts in Florida. The sample for this study includes 27 high schools that created NGAs between 2001-2002 and 2006-2007, along with 16 comparison high schools that serve ninth-grade students with similar characteristics as students in the NGA schools. As context for understanding the impact findings, this study also looks at the extent to which the key features of the NGA model were implemented in the NGA schools in the study and how this differs from the structures and supports in the comparison schools. The key finding is that the NGAs in this study do not appear to have improved students' academic or behavioral outcomes (credit earning, state test scores, course marks, attendance, suspensions, or expulsions). The findings also suggest that it can be difficult for schools to fully implement the components of the NGA model without expert assistance: Three years after their creation, only half the NGAs in the study had all four structural components of the model in place. Nationally, school districts continue to create NGAs, and recent efforts to implement them have incorporated various enhancements that are intended to strengthen and improve their implementation, but little is known about their effectiveness. Because students' experience in ninth grade is an important predictor of their future success, these efforts to create and improve NGAs should be examined in future studies. Appended are: (1) Technical Information; and (2) Beyond the Sunshine State: Ninth Grade Academies in Other School Districts. ["Helping Students Make the Transition into High School: The Effect of Ninth Grade Academies on Students' Academic and Behavioral Outcomes" was written with Janet Quint.].

The Ninth Grade Opportunity

The Ninth Grade Opportunity PDF Author: Scott Habeeb
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 0595484727
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 143

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Book Description
Across the country, high school freshmen have the highest rates of failure, discipline problems, and truancy. Defined as the "make it or break it" year, ninth grade can be a trying time for teenagers learning to make their own way in the world. The Ninth Grade Opportunity provides educators with a useful framework to build and implement a team-based Freshman Transition program, ultimately allowing teachers to play an integral role in ensuring every student's success. Scott Habeeb, Ray Moore and Alan Seibert have over 60 years of combined experience as teachers and administrators, and together have compiled a guidebook centered around a teaming approach that empowers teachers to better meet freshmen needs. Based on concepts behind their popular Freshman Transition workshops, the authors share ideas about why and how teaming teachers works and how it can benefit schools. Road maps provide guidance for teachers to learn specifically how to create a program built around key elements such as: Standardized expectations Learning skills Classroom leadership Parent/teacher contact Educators everywhere will benefit from the practical advice, expert insight, and helpful tips that transform the ninth grade problem into The Ninth Grade Opportunity, ensuring a successful transition for every high school student.

Dissertation Abstracts International

Dissertation Abstracts International PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Dissertations, Academic
Languages : en
Pages : 580

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The Perception of Administrators and Guidance Counselors in Five Rural High Schools of the Ninth Grade Transition Program And/or Strategies

The Perception of Administrators and Guidance Counselors in Five Rural High Schools of the Ninth Grade Transition Program And/or Strategies PDF Author: Sheila Vonta McGee-Carlton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : High school dropouts
Languages : en
Pages : 314

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Book Description


Resources in Education

Resources in Education PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 684

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Promoting Student Success

Promoting Student Success PDF Author: Micah Lonae Smith
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 140

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Book Description
The purpose of this mixed-methods study is to evaluate the impact of Morrison High School’s ninth grade transition program, the Freshman Academy, on student outcomes. Based on the outcomes, decisions will be made to determine if the Freshman Academy is meeting students’ needs or if the program elements need to be revisited to improve student achievement. Participants included teachers, school counselors, and administrators at Morrison High School in southeastern Virginia. The study employed the product component of the CIPP model of program evaluation to guide the data collection and to determine the merit, worth, and significance of the program. Quantitative data were collected using student outcome data based on GPA, attendance rates, number of discipline referrals, pass rates on Virginia Standards of Learning End of Course tests, and credits earned. Qualitative data were collected based on teacher, school counselor, and administrator interviews. Successes and challenges of the program as well as areas of recommended improvement are detailed in this study. Analysis of student outcome data revealed that students participating in the program are consistently meeting the benchmark intended outcomes for attendance, discipline, and credits earned and most students are passing the Algebra I and World Geography SOLs during the last year included in this study. Continuous monitoring and evaluation of the program elements can only assist teams in providing stronger transition programs to help students achieve the intended outcomes. Recommendations for future research and program improvement include collaboration between the Freshman Academy teachers and administrators with the eighth grade teachers and administrators at the feeder middle schools, developing a summer bridge program to target at-risk students, and increasing parental involvement and seeking their feedback on the Freshman Academy.

Student Transitions From Middle to High School

Student Transitions From Middle to High School PDF Author: J. Allen Queen
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317919610
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
This book shows administrators and teachers what they can do to make their students' ninth grade experience a successful one. Practical and research-based, this book showcases strategies to help you reduce your dropout rate, enhance student achievement, and provide a safe environment for your ninth grade students.

School, Family, and Community Partnerships

School, Family, and Community Partnerships PDF Author: Joyce L. Epstein
Publisher: Corwin Press
ISBN: 1483320014
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 508

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Book Description
Strengthen programs of family and community engagement to promote equity and increase student success! When schools, families, and communities collaborate and share responsibility for students′ education, more students succeed in school. Based on 30 years of research and fieldwork, the fourth edition of the bestseller School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action, presents tools and guidelines to help develop more effective and more equitable programs of family and community engagement. Written by a team of well-known experts, it provides a theory and framework of six types of involvement for action; up-to-date research on school, family, and community collaboration; and new materials for professional development and on-going technical assistance. Readers also will find: Examples of best practices on the six types of involvement from preschools, and elementary, middle, and high schools Checklists, templates, and evaluations to plan goal-linked partnership programs and assess progress CD-ROM with slides and notes for two presentations: A new awareness session to orient colleagues on the major components of a research-based partnership program, and a full One-Day Team Training Workshop to prepare school teams to develop their partnership programs. As a foundational text, this handbook demonstrates a proven approach to implement and sustain inclusive, goal-linked programs of partnership. It shows how a good partnership program is an essential component of good school organization and school improvement for student success. This book will help every district and all schools strengthen and continually improve their programs of family and community engagement.