Tuesday, January 24, 2012 By Ashley Reese
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While
seniors at EWG are preparing for their final semester before
graduation, freshmen are just beginning their navigation through high
school. What concerns do they have? Where are their priorities? Was the
transition from Junior High easy?
“I
would have liked to have my schedule in the summer… in order to learn
it ahead of time because when I started school, nothing made sense,”
stated freshman Jacquie Lerner.
She
wasn’t the only student who found EWG’s intricate schedule system
confusing. Of the seventy ninth-grade students surveyed, there was a
unanimous agreement that learning the schedule and consequently finding
the corresponding classes every day was confusing. To some, it is still a
daily challenge.
That
being said, EWG freshmen didn’t offer any other qualms regarding their
recent transition from eighth grade. “I actually like high school a lot
better, because I had more freedom,” said freshman Garrett Winter, “the
teachers let you do a lot more stuff and you can choose your own
classes.”
But just why
is freshman year so important? According to research presented by the
National High School Center, “the transition into high school is a
critical juncture for students – a time when they move from often
smaller and more supportive middle schools to larger high schools, where
the academic and social demands are higher.”
The
same research also indicates that “unsuccessful high school transitions
contribute to high drop-out rates, low on-time graduation rates, and
low achievement in American high schools.”
Evidently, ninth grade performance is also indicative of a student’s future. A report released in February by the Breakthrough Collaborative
network in association with the Department of Education explains that
“between 70 and 80 percent of students who fail in the first year will
not graduate from high school.” Because students must meet “more
rigorous academic expectations,” the report explains, it is therefore
the responsibility of school administrators to smooth the transition
into high school.
Numerous factors make the transition from eighth to ninth grade uneasy for a student. For example, an article published in the Adolescent Literacy
library, entitled “Ensuing Successful Student Transitions from the
Middle Grades to High School,” reports that the increased “number of
students” on a high school campus generates, “fear and trepidation…
feelings of being lost and not being connected… a strong sense of
anxiety, resulting from the newfound anonymity.”
A
similar article released by the “Freshman Transition” organization
notes that these “adjustment problems” are directly decreased as a
result of a comprehensive transitioning program within the district,
starting in eighth grade. This program should include, the report
explains, a student’s self-reported career outline – comparable to the
“ILP” system in place at EWG.
“But
getting the average 14-year old student to think about and cultivate
the attitudes and ambitions needed to be a successful adult is an uphill
battle,” notes Rebecca Dedmond, of the National Association of
Secondary School Principals.
And
so how does EWG emphasize the importance of a successful freshman year?
According to the guidance department, the fact that the Junior High
School and the Senior High School are physically conjoined plays a huge
part in the successful transitioning of students between the two. Where
students in other districts will experience in undeniable change of
culture and atmosphere by switching the locations in which the go to
school once they transition into ninth grade, junior high students at
EWG are consistently around upperclassmen, which allows for the
development of gradual bonding.
Freshmen
may still experience anxiety from the increased demand of college
preparatory classes, but the guidance department also reports that
teachers from the junior high and high school simply “talk to each
other.” This allows for an alignment of curriculum and expectations that
may not exist in public school districts elsewhere.
Many
EWG freshmen report their confidence in joining the high school. While
ninth grade students face their first bout of high school exams, some
students – like freshman Emily Hodges – explain that not only are they
confident about the beginning of their high school career, they are
“excited,” to embark on the journey.
So,
to the current ninth grade class – good job! You’ve made it through
your first semester. Keep it up! And to the incoming class of 2016 –
good luck! Remember that the administration and guidance department will
be here to make the transition as smooth as possible.