ED338985 CG023806

 

Title: Stronger School Transitions Improve Student Achievement: A Final Report on a Three-Year Demonstration Project "Strengthening School Transitions for Students K-13".
Author(s): Weldy, Gilbert R., Ed.
Author Affiliation: American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, Washington, DC.(BBB10774); National Association of College Admissions Counselors, Alexandria, VA.(BBB28147); National Association of Secondary School Principals, Reston, VA.(FGK56325)
Pages: 184
Publication Date: 1991
Sponsoring Agency: William and Mary Greve Foundation, Inc., New York, NY. (BBB18887)
Available from: EDRS Price MF01 Plus Postage. PC Not Available from EDRS.
Language: English
Document Type: Reports--Descriptive (141)
Geographic Source: U.S.; Virginia
Journal Announcement: RIEAPR1992

This demonstration project sought, over a period of 3 years, to improve students' school achievement by strengthening the transitions that students make during their years of schooling K-13. These troublesome transition points, generally acknowledged to be home to school, elementary to middle school or junior high, middle level school to high school, and high school to college or career, are fraught with hurdles and stumbling blocks for many students. Students become anxious and distraught over the uncertainties of abrupt changes in buildings, teachers, classmates, and programs. Such needless anxiety and apprehension interferes with learning and impairs confidence and self-esteem. Students making transitions need information, support, and guidance, and should receive it from a variety of sources. The seven demonstration centers have devised and implemented dozens of programs to strengthen school transitions for students K-13. All of these efforts have been in the interest of improving student achievement. This document presents the experiences and findings of each project. Each section includes the recommendations which have grown out of the experiences in the demonstration centers. Although there were plans developed to assess the results of project efforts, there were no experimental programs that could be compared in a systematic way with control programs. Nevertheless, this final report describes what was changed and improved in these schools. The appendixes provide information about the development of the project and the demonstration centers, as well as sample center materials. (LLL)

Descriptors: *Academic Achievement; *Achievement Gains; Demonstration Programs; *Educational Improvement; Elementary School Students; Elementary Secondary Education; Program Development; Secondary School Students; *Transitional Programs