Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
James Ann Lynch
Committee Member
Michael Griffin
Committee Member
Maryellen Maher
Keywords
academic achievement, academic courses, advisor-advisee program, administrators, at-risk students, cause-and-effect study, comprehensive course scheduling, counselors, credits earned, data collection, freshman students, Georgia, graduation, Griffin High School, high risk students, implementation, incoming students, middle school administrators, ongoing transition program, open house, parents, promotion to 10th grade, quantitative study, school year, student information program, student promotion, teachers, test scores, transitional programs, transition program, 9th-grade students
Abstract
When freshmen enter Griffin High School for the first time, they may not realize the importance of passing academic courses and earning credits to graduate. Many times, students who are at risk become frustrated due to academic failures and because of these failures, begin to fall behind their peers in the number of credits earned. Promotion to 10th grade and even staying in school then become problems.
The purpose of this study was to implement an organized transition program for incoming, at-risk 9th-grade students that would increase the number of courses they passed, thereby helping them be promoted to 10th grade. An advisor-advisee program committee met every few weeks to monitor the students’ progress in class, number of courses passed, and credits earned toward graduation. Comprehensive course scheduling was accomplished by the 9th-grade students’ counselors, administrators, and parents.
The researcher developed a quantitative, cause-and-effect, time-delayed study involving middle and high school administrators; counselors; teachers; incoming, at-risk 9th-grade students; and the students’ parents. Data gathered from the school system’s computerized student information program; state of Georgia test(s) scores; and a survey of the at-risk students, their parents, and their teachers as to their needs and expectations were used to create a transition open house and implement an ongoing transition program during the school year.
The results of the study showed incoming, at-risk students performed better academically after the implementation of the organized transition program. At-risk 9th-grade students who took part in the organized transition program were also on track for promotion to 10th grade at a higher rate than students who did not take part in the program.