Designing a grade nine transition program

Abstract

The goal of any high school is to make certain that students are college and career ready upon graduation. It is incumbent on schools to make certain that students start their high school careers off smoothly and with minimal issues. The transitional period between grades 8 and 9 is a key time in a students educational experience and many times can set the tone for the next four years of school. Students often struggle as they transition from grade 8 to 9 with academic, social, and emotional issues. These issues can negatively impact a students success in school, preventing students from succeeding to their fullest potential and increasing their risk of not graduating from high school. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to understand how Success Junior/ Senior High School (a pseudonym), can help students transition to grade 9 through the design and implementation of a grade 9 transition program. Guided by the theoretical framework of stage-environment fit theory, this study sought to answer the following central research question: What strategies, practices, and resources should Success Junior/ Senior High School take to support the academic, social, and emotional needs of students as they transition from grade 8 to grade 9? Findings support the adoption of a freshmen academy model with an embedded advisor/advisee program. Details of the model, implications for practice and future research are discussed.