Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Allen D. Eury
Committee Member
J. Michael Griffin
Committee Member
Maryellen Maher
Keywords
achievement, classroom instruction, curriculum fairs, freshmen, high schools, instructional improvement, mentoring programs, middle schools, North Carolina, parental involvement, rural schools, school site visits, student achievement, student adjustment, student attitudes, student involvement, student interviews, student preparedness, student surveys, student teacher attitudes, teacher interviews, teacher perceptions, teacher preparedness, teacher surveys, teaching skills, transition programs, transition to high school
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to develop strategies that would aid in the transition from middle school to high school. The school on which this study focused was in a rural area of North Carolina and served more than 1,700 students. There was no formal transition plan used by the school district. This study utilized 41 students and 33 teachers to gather data on the needs of rising 9th-grade students.
The study was divided into 4 parts: student survey, student interview, teacher survey, and teacher interview. The surveys collected data concerning student and teacher background information, student involvement in school, parental involvement, teacher perceptions of 9th-grade learning, and teacher preparedness for teaching 9th-grade students.
The researcher’s findings included the level of preparedness the students felt entering high school and student perceptions of what would have made the transition to high school easier. Teachers had a desire to help 9th-grade student achievement in the students’ first semester in high school. Ninth-grade teachers indicated the need to improve their teaching skills to improve classroom instruction.
Recommendations from this study included a mentoring program between senior students and incoming 9th-grade students; school site visits; 9th-grade teacher visits to middle schools; curriculum fairs that would showcase individual curricula, textbooks, examples of projects and other student work; open dialogue between high school and middle school administrators, teachers, and staff members; and a school year beginning 1 day earlier for freshmen.