Laura Hallberg, Ed.D. SUMMER BRIDGE AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING: THE TRANSITION TO HIGH SCHOOL

1.Understand the structure of a middle school to high school transition program 2.How teachers use social-emotional learning to support the transition to high school PURPOSE

1.Think about your favorite teacher … jot down 3 or 4 words or phrases that describe why this person is your favorite. 2.Think about when or why you feel a sense of satisfaction in your teaching … jot down 3 or 4 words or phrases that describe this. GETTING STARTED

 Large, comprehensive school district (30K+ students) created an Equity team to address disproportionate rates of students of color being suspended, expelled, referred to special education, truant, and failing.  Piloted at the high school with the highest dropout rate in the district, as well as its main feeder middle school.  Focused on the transition from 8 th to 9 th grade and the high failure rates of the freshman class. BACKGROUND

 In the school year, this high school had:  Total population: 1126 students  Freshman class: 295 students  74% Hispanic  13% White  5% African-American  8% Other  In the first semester:  52% of Freshman class with at least one F grade  53% were referred to the Student Attendance Review Board (SARB)  41% were suspended BACKGROUND (CONT.)

 Four major themes in the existing research: 1. The need for freshmen transition programs - Highest failure rates (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2003) - Correlation between middle school achievement and high school achievement (Weiss & Baker-Smith, 2010) - Long-term effects on achievement (Smith, 2006) 2. Creating successful transition programs: - Large comprehensive high schools are unable to emotionally support freshmen (Stadner & Gagnepain, 2000) - Reduce dropout rate to average of 8% (National High School Center, 2012) - Focus on building relationships with students (Allensworth & Easton, 2012; Cushman, 2006; Emmett & McGee, 2012; Holcomb-McCoy, 2011) WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SAY?

3. Creating a culture of support for freshmen: - "Academic optimism“ (Hoy, Tarter, Hoy, 2006) - Teachers' high self-efficacy motivates their relationships with students (Bolshakova, Johnson, & Czerniak, 2011) - Students at risk for dropping out often remain in school when they have caring teachers (Barile, Donohue, Anthony, Baker, Weaver, Henrich, 2012) 4. Relationship between social-emotional learning and academic achievement: - The "missing link" in schools (Elias, 2006) - Emotional understanding between students and teachers as the basis for learning (Hargreaves, 2000) - Teachers who are social-emotionally competent support the social-emotional learning of students (Collie, Shapka, & Perry, 2012) WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SAY?

1.Why do you think the transition from middle school to high school isn’t given much attention? 2.What kind of specific needs do you think 9 th graders need upon entering high school? 3.Do you think teachers need specific training that addresses the middle school to high school transition? If so, what specific needs could you identify? If not, why not? TABLE TALK

 Teachers were presented the data and then polled for ideas on how to support the freshman class.  The Equity Team provided personnel and financial support for two of these ideas (a Summer Bridge and a freshman transition course)  Coordinated with high school principal, middle school principal, and district personnel  Not summer school or credit recovery SUPPORTING FRESHMEN

 Wildcat to Warrior  Targeted students from main feeder middle school with GPA below 2.6  3 week program (M-Th): math, ELA, elective wheel  3 hours each day  Enrichment Fridays  Hired teachers currently teaching at the high school  Hired junior and senior students to be tutors/mentors  Students earned 2 elective credits  Heavily focused on social-emotional connections STRUCTURE OF SUMMER BRIDGE

 Two focus groups:  Wildcat to Warrior  Career Transitions  Participants were asked 8 multi-part questions that narrowed in scope:  General ideas about transition programs  Opinions on Wildcat to Warrior and Career Transitions  How they use social-emotional learning to meet the needs of freshmen  Specific examples of students they believe transitioned successfully THE STUDY

I. PERSONAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN STUDENTS & TEACHERS “… Kids are willing to do what you ask them to do when they trust you and when they think that you like them …”  Building trust with students  Teachers' positive attitude helps students feel valued  Showing students you care regardless of academic achievement RESULTS & FINDINGS

II. ACADEMIC EXPECTATIONS IN THE TRANSITION FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL TO HIGH SCHOOL “It was just obvious that the freshman year was the year that needs to be supported the most.”  Treat freshman year as a separate transitional year  Incorporate some middle school structures into freshman year  Increase articulation between middle school and high school RESULTS & FINDINGS

III. MAKING REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS “Some of them, I just feel like, don’t even understand what the options are for them.”  Connecting high school to the real world  Focus on transferable skills, such as decision-making  Increase opportunities for at-risk students RESULTS & FINDINGS

IV. THE IMPACT OF TEACHER BEHAVIOR ON STUDENT SUCCESS “The teachers, if they don’t have compassion already in their hearts to understand what that kid’s going through just to come to school that day … it’s more than content.”  Students are motivated when they feel emotionally supported  Relationships should be the priority  Model behavior – the importance of how something is said as much as what is said RESULTS & FINDINGS

V. SUPPORTING STUDENTS’ SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING “I think they’re really starting at this age to identify themselves as individuals … and we need to make more of an effort to reach or to support the whole child …”  Understand students' developmental needs  Focus on students' sense of belonging  Don't expect freshmen are socially or emotionally ready for high school. RESULTS & FINDINGS

 Use positive relationships with students to engage them academically.  Focusing on social-emotional learning provides students the ability to learn the skills for academic achievement  Support for freshmen need to be structured differently than for sophomores, juniors, and seniors  Commitment to social-emotional learning of both teachers and students RECOMMENDATIONS

 Study supports the existing research on the need for freshmen transition programs, based on social- emotional learning  School policies, practices, and programs must explicitly support student-teacher relationships  Two major benefits:  Supports student engagement, achievement, and students' ability to navigate through high school and beyond  Happy teachers = effective teachers CONCLUSION

1.What are some of the issues or roadblocks that might need to be addressed at your site? 2.What elements of transition programs do you think would be beneficial to your particular setting? 3.What questions do you still have? TABLE TALK