2. Project Concepts Connect To Learning Theories  A variety of current learning theories establish this projects basic solid foundation  This project connects research/practice and practice/research  The sound educational fundamentals within this project provide evidence of technological usefulness Things to note about this project:

3. Motivation  The motivation behind this project was to improve the overall acclimation and achievement success of incoming ninth graders in high school; improving student achievement and success at the start of their high school experience.  Likewise, the rationale was giving students a solid foundation to build opportunity for present and future successes (Armour, 2008; Barley, et al., 2007).

4. Project Insights  Available literature (i.e.:(Cooper & Liou, 2007; Daynes, et al., 2004) tends to be systematically geared toward a jump-start climate for the transition into high school; but it does not suggest a particular position on the appropriateness of a learning community’s expectations of the learners within it.  Thus, what arises is a question of the appropriateness of reform expectations by those involved. We must let the learning community (students, parents, staff, and administrators) know what is expected of them and how to accomplish and/or practice those expectations.  The purpose of this project is to establish a video that establishes and promotes useful information and help realize expectations.

5. Projects Theoretical Foundations  A mixed theoretical method is incorporated to give foundation to the overall argument that supports this projects premise. They are: Social Theory Practitioner Inquiry

6. Literature Supports Projects Soundness Social Learning Theory Social learning theory explains human behavior in terms of continuous reciprocal interaction between cognitive, behavioral, an environmental influences. A. Bandura N. Miller, & J. Dollard. Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. New York: General Learning Press. Miller, N. & Dollard, J. (1941). Social Learning and Imitation. New Haven, NJ: Yale University Press. Principles: 1. The highest level of observational learning is achieved by first organizing and rehearsing the modeled behavior symbolically and then enacting it overtly. Coding modeled behavior into words, labels or images results in better retention than simply observing. 2. Individuals are more likely to adopt a modeled behavior if it results in outcomes they value. 3. Individuals are more likely to adopt a modeled behavior if the model is similar to the observer and has admired status and the behavior has functional value. TheorySummary of TheoryTheoristBooks or ArticlesEducation Application

7. Practitioner Inquiry Practitioner Inquiry or research focuses upon local inquires designed to address and ameliorate local problems; concerned with solutions to and the conditions that produce problems within local learning community and stakeholder policy and practice; a critical social science. Groundwater- Smith & Mockler, 2007 Ethics in practitioner research: an issue of quality. Research Papers in Education, 22(2), 199-211. Practitioner inquiry identifies what ends can be achieved rather than investigate what those ends ought to be. Practitioner inquiry requires that teaching and research efforts move beyond a general useful function to develop greater capacity to critique underlying policies.

8. Project Recommendations Advance Education  Educational leadership must focus on a variety of issues that need to be changed or implemented in order to reform the ninth grade level for achievement and success at the start of transition into high school.  The ultimate goal for the high school student is completion of school by graduating and having a foundation to enter higher education and/or a successful career and future. Hence, it is important for educational leadership to launch a successful academic high school experience for incoming high school freshman; thus, securing students opportunity for a successful future (Knesting, 2008; Rumberger & Thomas, 2000, January; Zvoch, 2006)  This premise can be accomplished by focusing on launching a successful academic high school experience and future: Ninth Grade Climate Reform - A Change in Student Consciousness, Awareness, and Achievement. This project addresses this challenge, how it can be established, and ultimately accomplished.

9. Project Foundation  It is recognized that environment affects students. It is acknowledge by educational leadership that to be effective, environment must be specific to needs.  Furthermore, for specific environment to effect students in a positive and productive way, it needs to be clear in vision and goal, have straightforward structure, support equilibrium, and be motivating.  Thus, to achieve this purpose it is vital to construct a pathway that effectively negotiates that particular environment with the opportunity to build strong foundations on its objectives successfully.  A road map that is easily understood by all stakeholders and one that has clear directions for achieving and maintaining successful goals in the present and future.

10. Projects Purpose  My project purpose focuses on the premise that if a student can discover, understand, and focus their interest via a clear vision and goal, they can be motivated toward achievement and success.  Therefore, a particular mission and an instrument(s) to accomplish this must be devised. The project will help development studious student awareness, focus and ultimately successful achievement by way of offering students and parents tips on transitioning into high school more informed and hopefully with less stress.  Moreover, helping to enhance academic and social productively and success, which will help develop lingering positive psychological and physical associations within the school culture.

11.  Thus, helping students become more aware and conscious of the value of education as a tool for success in the high school education environment and life beyond. This will be accomplished by producing an innovative and informative video that will be placed on the schools website and aired for viewing during specific freshman homeroom sessions.  This video will communicate the high school’s mission, goals, student policies and procedures; as well as, information on how to navigate the learning environment productively, and provide academic tips to help transition into high school successfully. In due course, offering help for students to potentially reach their full academic capability.

12. Relevance  It is an accurate assumption to say that effective school culture develops academic, social, moral, physical and psychological skills –a cognitive view (Arrington, 2008; Snowman & Biehler, 2003).  This is partially accomplished by establishing appropriate environments, policies and procedures pertinent to education and its acquisition; as well as, providing paths and/or tools to help with successful compliance of them.  To be more specific to this capstone assignment, it is relevant to encourage first time transitioning high school students by way of establishing and providing appropriate traditional and innovative tools to help achieve optimal success at the start of transition into a new environment and beyond; specifically, in this case high school.  Hence, to make reference to the traditional and established student handbook, school policies and procedures, and paths of academia via an innovative informational and illustrative video would be of modern relevance in our technological world (Cowan, 2008).

13. Target Population/Learning Community Engaged  This project engaged a title one county high school learning community in the Mobile Public School District located in the southern area of the state of Alabama.  The location, Theodore High School, has approximately 1700 students and 175 staff members.  There are roughly speaking about 400 students designated as freshman at any given level transition time. The true -first time transitioning freshman and their parents or guardians, and the appropriate linked school staff are the target population of this project.

14. Benefits  There are many benefits that could manifest from the results of this project. Besides helping to clarify obvious and common basic concerns, policies, and procedures school wide, it would help illuminate beneficial transitioning information for incoming freshman and their parents or guardians.  Creating a culture of high expectations and an simple illustrated way to achieve it (Barley, Apthrop, & Goodwin, 2007).  Consequently, this project is done entirely to help establish a constructive fresh start for many students entering the new environment (high school) for the first time; assertively, stimulating achievement and success.

15. Optimistic Project Profits:  Student Awareness and Consciousness of the Value of Education  Focus and Vision of Interest  Goal Motivation  Organization of Objectives for Success  Improved Study Habits  Developed Ethics, Values, Culture, Climate  Student Self-Actualization or Self-Fulfillment  An Effective School Culture

16.  These aforementioned student and learning community benefits could be evaluated by analyzing proficient level transitioning within high school, the school’s social climate and student behavior, and by tracking freshman graduation rates.  Optimistically setting benchmarks for future life successes and achievements.  Also, an appropriate sampling of learning community stakeholders could also be surveyed in the future -on the effectiveness of the informative video; it’s use indefinite

17. Project Plan Initiation  Identified concern: How to transition into high school -Freshman 101  Investigation: It is important to examine and review the existing materials that are important to introducing new in-coming freshman to the high school environment.  Acquisitions: Accumulate the pertinent information that is currently in use and search out other information that is important to the concern and fill in the information gaps.  Selections: Determine what information will be used and how it will be a more rounded and detailed video presentation.

18. Resources  School Mission and Goals  Registration Procedures and Requirements- Registrar  Level Core Requirements  Level Interest Electives  Freshman Staff: Administrators, Counselors, and Teachers  Freshman Sponsors  Student Services: Interventions; Tutoring; Remediation; Credit Recovery  School Dress Code, Citizenship, and Character Expectations  Freshman Jam dates and details: School building acclimation; Locker and combination attainment; Senior Mentor assignment  Cafeteria and Break policies and procedures  Student Handbook exploration  School Calendar; Scheduled Quarters; Exams; Activities; Holidays  Available School Activities: Club, Class, Sports, and Sponsors

19. Tools  Personal movie making skills and available video editing programs  Available school technology  School website  School bulletin and other learning community mass correspondence tools

20. Amalgamation  Script and sequence the chosen presentation materials  Perform and video the presentation of the selected materials via student actors and appropriate school staff  Edit video into a useable video presentation  Provide video for use with classroom technology; Place on school website for informative staging  Include a survey form linked to the website video to evaluate the provided information benefits for the viewer.

21. Presentation  Inform the learning community of the availability of the video information and provide the website address for stakeholder home viewing and guidance  Schedule for in-school homeroom presentation Video Project Assessment  Analyze the presentation and surveys to improve the video’s purpose.  Revise materials if necessary

22. Assessment of Needs  It is important to get a good foundation of understanding as learner’s transition into a new learning environment. It is a quandary of many learning communities to decide at what point intervention and/or reformation is necessary to put an answer to the issue of successful level acclimation.  At no point is this more important than at the entrance to high school; subsequently, a particular starting point of hopeful maturity in students –the ninth grade level of high school.  It is of great importance to launching a successful academic high school experience and future by reforming the ninth grade climate; consequently, reform and change student consciousness, awareness, and achievement.  This done by researching and then providing necessary, useful, and successful transition information to freshman at the starting point of their high school careers. Establishing and achieving a successful high school experience is key to a successful future beyond. Therefore, a venue to provide such information is vital. Project Blueprint:

23. Project Timeline: Completed specific capstone project in six weeks; making useful project available to particular learning community at that time. The final products use will be indefinite. Below was the timeline for completing the project: Week I: Initiate Concept  Contacted sponsor and discussed project concepts  Planned and commenced project

24. Week II: Investigation:  Examined and reviewed the existing materials that were important to introducing new in-coming freshman to the high school environment. Acquisitions :  Accumulated the pertinent information that was currently in use and searched out other information that was important to the concern and fill in the information gaps.  Selections: Determined what information would be used.

25. Week III: Merge:  Scripted and sequenced the chosen presentation materials.  Selected cast to perform various video segments  Performed and filmed the presentation of the selected materials  via student actors and appropriate school staff Week IV: Review and Construct  Edited video into a useable video presentation  Made video ready for use with classroom technology

26. Week V: Attachments and Placements  Created an announcement to place in the schools’ mass bulletin  Will formulate a survey link for the website video to evaluate information benefits by viewers (future task). Week VI: Website  Provided the video for a staff presentation at a leadership conference  Made available on classroom technology access spaces  Placed with technology staff for inclusion on school website.

27. References  Armour, K. (2008). Motivating community based sustainable behavior: Identifying barriers to sustainable behavior and encouraging integrated community based approaches. Unpublished Dissertation, Royal Roads University, Canada.  Arrington, E. G. (2008). Cognitive Development Research Starters Education: Cognitive Development (Great Neck Publishing) (pp. 1-1): Great Neck Publishing.  Bandura, A. (1986). Social Foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.  Barley, Z.;, Apthrop, H.;, & Goodwin, B. (2007). Creating a Culture of High Expectations. Changing Schools: Getting a New Perspective on School Improvement, 55(Spring 2007), 1-12.  Cooper, R., & Liou, D. D. (2007). The Structure and Culture of Information Pathways: Rethinking Opportunity to Learn in Urban High Schools during the Ninth Grade Transition. High School Journal, 91(1), 43-56.  Cowan, J. (2008). Strategies for Planning Technology-Enhanced Learning Experiences. Clearing House, 82(2), 55-59.  Daynes, G., Esplin, P., & Kristensen, K. (2004). Learning as an epidemic: The tipping point, Freshman Academy, and institutional change. Perspectives: Policy & Practice in Higher Education, 8(4), 113-118.  Groundwater-Smith, S., & Mockler, N. (2007). Ethics in practitioner research: an issue of quality. Research Papers in Education, 22(2), 199-211.  Knesting, K. (2008). Students at Risk for School Dropout: Supporting Their Persistence. Preventing School Failure, 52(4), 3- 10.  Rumberger, R., & Thomas, S. (2000, January). The Distribution of Dropout and Turnover Rates Among Urban and Suburban High Schools. Sociology of Education, 73(1), 39-67.  Snowman, J.;, & Biehler, R. (2003). Theories of Psychococial and Cognitive Development. In Patricia A. Coryell (Ed.), Psychology Applied to Teaching (10 ed., pp. 37). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.  Zvoch, K. (2006). Freshman Year Dropouts: Interactions Between Student and School Characteristics and Student Dropout Status. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 11(1), 97-117.

28. Capstone Project: How To Transition Successfully Into High School: Freshman 101 (A Website Video – Approximate Length: 30 minutes )

29. Video Presentation:

30. Leadership Capstone Project: Power point and Video Production Produced by Jackie Whitehead July 2010