Designing Transition Programs That Work

Presented by: Cathy Grewe, Counselor, Williamstown High School

Kelly Mordecki, School Counselor Lead, Office of Institutional Education Programs

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“ 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

Designing Transition Programs That Work

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Major Milestones

Elementary/

Kindergarten

Middle School

High School

Post-Secondary Education/Career

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Major Milestones

Elementary/

Kindergarten

Middle School

High School

Moving Institutional Ed

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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

• Comprehensive Multi-Faceted• Well-planned • Systematic• Involving all stakeholders• Considers three-fold concerns:

Co

gn

itive Academic

Affe

ctiv

e

Social-Emotional

Exp

ect

atio

ns

Behavioral

Transition is an ongoing Process, not an Event

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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

Recovery/Intensive

Targeted Intervention Transition Strategies

Universal Transition Strategies

Three Tier Approach

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 InitiativeInnovation 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 InitiativeInnovation Zone

KEY COMPONENTS• 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.

• 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.

Targeted Transition:

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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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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.usNational High School Center: www.betterhighschools.orgNational Middle School Association: www.ncmsa.netNational Education Association: www.nea.orgAlso: www.education.com and www.kidsource.com

wvde.state.wv.us/oel/school-readiness.php