This study used comparative interrupted times series analyses to assess the impact of a continuous improvement-focused family engagement intervention on ninth grade attendance and course passing rates. The intervention, conducted in an urban district, sought to improve middle and high school family engagement practices during the transition to…

Graduating high school seniors who are college and career ready has become a focal point of our nation. The Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program has been preparing college and career ready students who are first generation college-going students, from subgroups traditionally underrepresented in higher education, and from…

A collaborative study was conducted to investigate students perceptions of their learning environments in elementary and middle school and to suggest interventions that would aid the school district in creating developmentally appropriate practices at the secondary level as the students experience the transition into middle school. Data were…

Junior high schools have been blamed for failing to meet the needs of early adolescents. Proponents of the new middle school structure favored moving grade nine to the high school and moving grade five and or six from the elementary school to the new structural organization. The uniqueness of the middle school is in how the philosophy behind this…

This paper offers a structured framework for the transition of students with disabilities from middle or junior high school to high school. First, it outlines a transition decision tree to help decide whether a formal transition plan is needed. Next, the paper offers a 10-step set of practices appropriate for all students with disabilities in the…

The project described in this paper focuses on researching approaches to ease the student's transition from elementary to middle school. The method presented equips teachers with an eight-step strategy for helping students think through everyday decisions and stressful situations. The materials target situations that children face while…

This study examined the relationship between transition from elementary to middle school and achievement gaps in math and science in eighth graders with (N=296) and without (N=1608) learning disabilities (LD). An abundance of research suggests that motivation and achievement decline during the early adolescent years, and that this decline is often…

Although transition services and plans for youth with disabilities are mandated by age 16 by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, a need clearly exists to provide transition services before age 16. The literature documents the need for transition programs that develop problem-solving skills, career awareness, an interest in future…

Two alternatives to retention in grade for secondary school students were evaluated in Austin (Texas). Both were designed to allow students who are potential retainees (PRs) to receive remediation in one semester. The Transitional Academic Program (TAP) allows PRs to enroll in ninth-grade courses while repeating eighth-grade courses they had…

A discussion of elementary and middle school curriculum design to meet the needs of students learning English as a Second Language (ESL) focuses on the ways in which ESL instruction can be incorporated into the curriculum. It begins with a brief review of statistics on the population of limited-English-proficient (LEP) students in the schools and…

A 5-year federally funded substance abuse prevention program targeted 426 high risk middle-school youth from 4 school districts in Nassau County, New York. Combining a child-centered model with a systemic approach, the program's goal was to prevent or delay the onset of alcohol and other drug use. High-risk youth were identified by school…