In this article, we share outcomes from the implementation of a ninth-grade academy in a large, comprehensive, Northern Plains, United States, school district. The article discusses the effectiveness of this reform in terms of the academic and social preparedness for students during the ninth-grade year and transition to high school. Findings…

For a middle school, family involvement in school life begins with the orientation program for incoming students. An effective transition program can help parents and prospective students anticipate a new school's academic and social expectations. This article describes a Vermont middle school's transition program, highlighting planning and…

A transitional "pre-first-grade" program (for kindergarten "graduates" judged unready for first grade) has been operating in the Irving (Texas) Independent School District since the early 1980s. This evaluation, comparing three sets of students (participating pre-first-grade students, nonparticipating refusers who entered first…

A survey of 50 Michigan superintendents who had recently left their positions for retirement or another position found that only 4 respondents felt like lame ducks during their disengagement period. The most productive behavior for departing superintendents is to conduct business as usual, complete major projects, move their districts forward, and…

Investigates three types of practices used by Maryland high schools to support the transition of ninth-grade students into high school: traditional transition activities, reform-oriented practices promoted by the literature on communal school organization, and practices providing additional instruction. Discusses policy implications. (Contains 21…

Describes the effects of Camp DETOUR, an adventure experience program for sixth-grade students at a Georgia middle school. Program goals were improvement of student self-esteem as a component of drug abuse prevention and improvement of student behavior. The program was shown to have positive effects on student self-esteem. This result may deter…

Follow Through, a Head Start transitional model serving low-SES children, requires active home-school collaboration. This study, which examines methods used by Follow Through teachers to contact families, shows that positive attitudes may not translate into innovative communication practices. Two-way methods were used primarily for high-ability…

A New York school district was forced to consider a grade-level reorganization or possible school closing, primarily resulting from severe economic pressures. Describes the advantages and disadvantages of reorganizing 2 K-5 elementary schools into a K-2 primary school and a 3-5 intermediate school. Cites four basic reasons frequently offered to…

The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) has worked with states, districts, and high schools since 1988 and with middle-grades schools since 1999 to improve student achievement. SREB followed students tested in 2000 and 2001 from eighth grade through ninth grade and found both middle-grades schools and high schools must find ways for students…

Examines whether team-taught, departmentalized, and K-8 schools differed in academic achievement at grades six, seven, and eight. Dependent variables were mean building-level achievement scores in reading, mathematics, science, and social studies on the Spring 1995 Missouri Mastery and Achievement Tests. During the transition year, middle schools…

Examines pre-first-grade programs in three New England school districts to determine why so many children cannot meet regular classroom demands. Extrayear programs are a quick fix allowing schools and communities to retain policies that permit children to be labeled, tracked, and retained. There is no substitute for a well-designed,…

The Baltimore City Public School System's (BCPSS) Grade 9 Transition Program was implemented in 2001-02. It is designed to increase student achievement in an era of No Child Left Behind federal legislation by providing additional time and learning opportunities for eighth-grade students who have not met all promotion standards established by the…