Student Support/Engagement, Transition - Middle
Scenario | Introduction | Strategies | Barriers | Resources | Comments | Key Words
SISI - Standards and Indicators
Standard 1- Academic Performance – Curriculum1.1c The district initiates and facilities discussions between schools in the district in order to elininate unnecessary overlaps and close gaps
1.1d There is evidence of vertical communication with an intentional focus on key curriculum transition points within grade configurations (e.g., from primary to middle and middle to high)
Scenario
Jesse had looked forward to starting middle school! She was excited about riding the school bus for the first time and “changing classes”. But, by November the excitement had given way to dread. Jesse was having trouble keeping organized…soso many different classrooms, books. There were so many more students than in elementary school! More teachers…didid they know who she was? She feels like she doesn't know which end is up.
This is just one example of the anxiety and stress transition from elementary to middle school may pose for a child.
Introduction
Elementary, middle, and high schools often become separate islands for children as they move toward their high school diploma. Facing different evaluation criteria, perceived differences in student needs, competition for scarce resources, and schools targeting different age groups are seldom encouraged to work together.
As students move from elementary to middle school, and middle school to high school, they face the sometimes difficult tasks of dealing with a greater number of peers, interacting with adults in authority, and balancing their competing needs for social support and increased autonomy (Compas & Wagner, 1991). When students have difficulty with these transitions, schools often provide additional support through school social workers or special programs to enhance school success.
As the transition to high school approaches, the stakes become higher as students begin to connect school success or failure with perceived life chances (Hurrelman, Engel, Holler, & Nordlohne, 1988). For students who already have had difficulty negotiating these changes at the middle school level, high school success may seem impossible (Chapman & Sawyer, p235, 6p)
Students experience many changes in their school environment associated with the transition from elementary school to middle school or junior high school. The goals of elementary schools tend to be task oriented, whereas the goals of middle schools tend to focus on performance (Midgley, Anderman, & Hicks, 1995).
Middle school teachers tend to have many students for short periods of time; hence, the student-teacher relationship changes from elementary to middle school (Feldlaufer, Midgley, & Eccles, 1988). Associated with the change in student-teacher relationships is a change from small-group and individual instruction to whole-class instruction in the intermediate level schools.
Researchers have found declines in student self-perception and self-esteem associated with the transition from elementary school to intermediate-level school (Seidman, Allen, Abet, Mitchell, & Feinman, 1994; Wigfield, Eccles, Mac Iver, Reuman, & Midgley, 1991). Seidman et al. found the decline in self-perception to be independent of age, grade level, and ability level.
Importance of the middle school transition
- Focusing on the transition years is critical in preventing students at risk of dropping out of school from actually leaving school.
- The review of research on transition programs finds that students are less likely to drop out of high school if they participate in programs that help them transition from middle school (Mizelle, 1999)
- A recent study of Maryland schools revealed that many schools have instituted schools-within-schools, 9th grade academies, smaller learning communities, and other strategies aimed at improving the transition from middle to high school (Legters and Kerr, 2001)
This transition occurs at a time when most young adolescents also are experiencing the physical, psychological, and social changes associated with adolescence, including the new role demands presented by parents, peers, and teachers
Researchers' explanation for the academic and behavioral declines of general education students lies in the changes in the classroom environment that typically occur when students make the transition from elementary to middle school (Eccles & Midgley, 1989; Simmons & Blyth, 1987). In middle school, teachers are less likely to form interpersonal relationships with students and more likely to display higher levels of control and to discipline more frequently (Eccles et al., 1993b). This level of control contrasts with elementary school classrooms, where students are often given opportunities to take responsibility for their own schoolwork.
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Strategies
Effective and comprehensive transition programs help (1) build a sense of community; (2) respond to the needs and concerns of the students; and (3) provide appropriate, faceted approaches to facilitate the transition process.
The following guidelines are suggested for planning transition programs (Weldy, 1991 in Schumacher, 1998):
- Provide several activities that will involve students, parents, teachers, and staff from both schools in the transition process.
- Establish a transition protocol that can be easily replicated and updated annually with little effort.
- Establish a timeline for the transition process.
- Schedule meetings between collaborative groups from sending and receiving schools and discussions for adults and students about the issues.
- Assess the human and financial resources available to support the transition process. Identify adult and student leaders from all schools and constituencies to help with the transition. ED422119
- Ask students, teachers, guidance counselors, parents, and others to evaluate the transition program. (Schumacher, 1998)
Here are some things the National Parent Teacher Association recommends parents do to support their middle schoolers:
- Keep the lines of communication open between you and your preteen. Ask open-ended questions, which require more than a yes or no answer. For example, you might ask, "What did you do that was interesting today?"
- Continue to provide rules and structure for your children, inviting them to contribute to the establishment of the rules.
- Encourage your preteens early on to familiarize themselves with their class schedule, locker procedures, school rules, and so forth in order to decrease anxiety.
- Provide opportunities for your preteen to become more responsible, whether it's locating volunteer opportunities in the community or assigning them regular household chores.
- Get to know the school's administration and faculty, so that you can keep track of your preteen's progress.
- Request copies of the school calendar, discipline and other policies, class outlines, and so forth if these are not routinely sent to parents. Make sure, too, that you receive your student's report card every quarter.
- Continue to do things as a family, whether having dinner together or taking day-trips to places of interest to your child. (National PTA Every Child/One Voice http://www.pta.org/parentinvolvement/bts/a3b_transitions.asp# )
The following examples may be helpful in selecting or creating a transition plan to best suit your community:
- The need for curriculum articulation for all teachers at all levels should be clearly understood. Teachers from sending and receiving schools can meet to discuss curriculum and instructional practices.
- Teachers from receiving schools can visit the sending schools to initiate personal contacts.
- Letters can be sent home welcoming students and families, and inviting them to school activities.
- Parent Teacher Association members can call each new family welcoming them to the school.
- Guidance counselors and special education teachers from each school can meet to share information.
- Students of the receiving school can become "ambassadors" of goodwill. Student-to-student contact, preceded by a discussion of what information might be useful to new students, can help establish personal links. Sending-school students can be paired with receiving-school students for visitation days.
- Letters between students in the sending and receiving schools can be exchanged.
- Programs new to the entering students can be highlighted during student visitations.
- An unstructured open house can be held prior to the opening day of school; a structured evening open house can be held during the second week of school.
- A school handbook can be distributed to each family. Be sure to include phone numbers; school history; yearly schedules; teachers identified by grade level, team, and subject taught; bell schedules; lunch procedures; and other practical information. (Anderman, et al. 1996).
Another important strategy for successful transition for Kentucky Middle School students, is the development of the Individual Graduation Plan or IGP.
The Individual Graduation Plan (IGP) is a plan of study that emphasizes academic and career development for students beginning in middle school and continues throughout high school. The plans serves as a tool which helps students set learning goals based on academic and career interests.
Individual Graduation Plan Folders are designed for students to use in academic and career planning. The folder is designed to help students focus on the connection between course work and goals after high school. Folders provide space to record information pertaining to academic and career goals.
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Barriers
- Failing to involve students, parents, teachers, and staff from both schools in the transition process.
- Neglecting to establish a transition protocol that can be easily replicated and updated annually with little effort.
- Neglecting to establish a timeline for the transition process.
- Lack of communication between collaborative groups from sending and receiving schools and discussions for adults and students about the issues.
- Parents, teachers, and others who do not respect the difficulty transition from elementary to middle school poses to some children
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Resources
Kentucky Resources
The Early Childhood Regional Training Centers were established to provide training, technical assistance, consultation, workshops, conferences and lending of materials. They provide services to local school districts for early childhood programs for special needs and at-risk children age three to five. They provide peer-to-peer services to local school districts and other service providers.
Early Childhood Resources include materials and website links for many of the issues of importance to parents and teachers of children ages birth to five. Some of the topics of interest to early childhood parents and educators include growth and development of infants, toddlers and preschoolers; understanding and working with children with disabilities; social/emotional growth; parenting skills; early literacy, getting ready for school; child care; transitions; curriculum; various early childhood programs; multiculturalism and diversity; the arts; brain development; materials and supplies.
Primary Links are educational websites that provide interested stakeholders with resources regarding developmental and educational issues affecting primary children
http://www.ihdi.uky.edu/nectc/
The National Early Childhood Transition Center. The primary objective of the National Early Childhood Transition Center is to investigate and validate practices and strategies that enhance the early childhood transition process and support positive school outcomes for children with disabilities.
http://www.ihdi.uky.edu/projects/kytp/
The Kentucky Early Childhood Transition Project (KECTP) is a training and technical assistance project funded through the Kentucky Department of Education, Division of Extended Learning, Preschool Services, the Cabinet for Health Services, Kentucky Early Intervention System and The Cabinet for Families and Children, Child Care Division.
The project is an outgrowth of Project STEPS (Sequenced Transition to Education in the Public Schools) which began as a three year federally funded demonstration grant to Child Development Centers of the Bluegrass, Inc. in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1984 and continued through federal funding as an National Outreach Project. The Kentucky Early Childhood Transition Project focuses on transition "best practices” aand on the interagency process of transition systems development.
http://www.ihdi.uky.edu/projects/kytp/index.htm http://www.ihdi.uky.edu/stepsweb/
http://commissionkids.state.ky.us/firststeps/default.htm
Specialized Transition Resources
http://www.louisville.edu/edu/edsp/itc/
The Council's mission is to create a seamless system of support for persons with disabilities moving successfully through school into community living. It will be accomplished through innovation and leadership, interagency cooperative planning, information sharing and the collaborative use of resources on a statewide level.
Mid-South Regional Resource Center
These individuals are assigned primary responsibility for assisting state and local education agencies with secondary education and transition services related to special education.
Transition Contact: Jeanna Mullins Mid-South Regional Resource Center ((MSRRC) The Alliance for Systems Change, Interdisciplinary Human Development Institute/UK 1 Quality Street Suite 722 Lexington, KY 440507 859-257-4921 x 80388 (Phone) 859-257-4353 (Fax) jmullin@uky.edu http://www.ihdi.uky.edu/msrrc/Kentucky Department of Education
Preston Lewis, Division of Exceptional Children Services 500 Mero Street, 8th Floor Capitol Plaza Tower, Frankfort, KY. 40601 502-564-4970 plewis@kde.state.ky.usRehabilitation Services Administration (RSA)
This RSA Regional Office staff member assigned primary responsibility for transition services for students with disabilities.
Ralph PPacinelli RSA Regional Commissioner Rehabilitation Services Administration - Region IV U.S. Department of Education OSERS 61 Forsyth Street SW Room 18T91 Atlanta, GA 330303 404-562-6330 (Phone) 404-562-6346 (Fax) Ralph.pacinelli@ed.gov http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/RSA/Department of Vocational Rehabilitation
The Department of Vocational Rehabilitation Services provides services to people who are unemployed or under employed due to a disability.
Bruce Crump, Commissioner 502-564-4440Department of the Blind
The Department of the Blind provides services to people who are unemployed or underemployed due to visual impairment.
Denise Placido, Commissioner 502-564-4754Additional Resources
http://www.nccic.org/faqs/transition.html
Administration on Families and Children
http://www.pta.org/programs/cfs/cfsbooklet.pdf
Parent Teacher Association/Head Start Transition Planning Guide http://mi.essortment.com/parentchildsep_rvzd.htm
“How to ease the parent/child separation anxiety”. This article suggests varies strategies for helping both parent and child separate when it's time for school. http://okok.essortment.com/kindergartensta_rkkt.htm
Provides general guidelines for parents to use in determining a child's readiness for kindergarten. http://nc.essortment.com/ismychildread_rhum.htm
General guidelines for parents to consider when determining if a child is ready for kindergarten
http://ctct.essortment.com/preschooleducat_rdej.htm
Tips for parents on how to prepare children for preschool success!
http://mn.essortment.com/preparingfor_ryff.htm
This article focuses on ways that parents can help children get ready for kindergarten.
http://users.stargate.net/~cokids/transition.html
A list of strategies from different pre-schools and kindergartens on how to ease the transition from pre-school to kindergarten
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~ncedl/PDFs/TransFac.pdf
National Center for Early Development and Learning at the University of North Carolina/Chapel Hill. Provides a fact sheet regarding transition into Kindergarten.
Helping the separation anxious school refuser.; By: Scott, Judith; Cully, Marlane., Elementary School Guidance & Counseling, Apr95, Vol. 29 Issue 4, p289, 9p, 1 chart
Discusses separation anxiety and ways to help elementary school students who suffer from it and refuse to go to school.
Problem recognition; Prevention; School refusal; Accomplishing the return to school. Troublesome year-end transitions.; By: Schall, Jane., Instructor-Primary, May/Jun98, Vol. 107 Issue 8, p65, 5p, 2 charts
Presents tips for helping students cope with end-of-school transitions. Fears kids face and how to respond to those fears; Holding discussions about children's anxieties; Behaviors which signal that children are wrestling with feelings and thoughts they do not understand
DOBIE'S BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS FOR PRE-K, K, AND 1ST GRADE STUDENTS.; By: Howell, Glenda; Stenberg, Nancy., Education, Summer2002, Vol. 122 Issue 4, p715, 6p
In this article, the "Dobie Method" approaches learning through an integrated and intergenerational programming. It provides a continuous circling of multiple opportunities to support learning for all people involved in a child's education.
Welcome celebration begins the school year for parents, kids.; Curriculum Review, Dec92, Vol. 32 Issue 4, p16, 1/3p
Presents information about the welcome celebration at Riis Elementary School hosted by teachers and staff for parents and children on the first day of school year. How the event was celebrated; Main thrust of the program.
http://users.stargate.net/~cokids/transition.html
Ideas shared by preschool programs and school districts on how to ease the transition from preschool to elementary school
References
Chapman, Mimi V.; Sawyer, Jeffery S.., Children & Schools, Oct2001, Vol. 23 Issue 4, p235, 6p Bridging the Gap for Students at Risk of School Failure: A Social Work-Initiated Middle to High School Transition Program.;
Hurrelmann, K., Engel, U., Holler, B., & Nordlohne, E. (1988). Failure in school, family conflicts, and psychosomatic disorders in adolescence. Journal of Adolescence, 11, 237-249.
Compas, . E., & Wagner, B. M. (1991). Psychological stress during adolescence: Intrapersonal and interpersonal processes. In M.C.E. Colsten & S. Gore (Eds.), Adolescent stress: Causes and consequences (pp. 67-85). New York: Aldine de Gruyter
Miller, Susan A..,Great Greetings for Great Days!; Early Childhood Today, Aug/Sep2000, Vol. 15 Issue 1, p14, 2/3p
Lombardi, Joan (1992); Beyond Transition: Ensuring Continuity in Early Childhood Services. ERIC Digest. ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education, Urbana IL.
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