Freshman Transition Program VS. Freshman Transition Course

[DJSerafin]

Can anyone provide me with information on implementation of an Academy/Transition Program with teaming of teachers vs. Transition Course taught by a single teacher from a specific department?

[Jenny Thompson]

I am interested in this as well.

[Scott Habeeb]

We've had the same kind of weather here. Let me know if I can help you out at all.

[DJSerafin]

Scott,
Have your book. Will check it out when I return to school. We have been snowed in for the last two days here in NJ. Trying to take care of some business while at home.
Thanks for your help.

[DJSerafin]

Thank you. I totally agree. Just trying to get some statistics to share with my administrative team and to prove this point.

[Gary Birdwell]

Personally, I do not believe the needs of the current ninth grader can be met with one teacher / one course per day. The students are at the most critical time of their educational lives. Statistics prove out that if a student is to drop out, the ninth grade year is the most likely year.
That being said, many schools have chosen to go with a Transition Course in an attempt to "stop the bleeding." This may fix things temporarily, but to address the cause, you have to change your way of thinking. Implementing a transition program, that attempts to prepare the students for their soph. year and the rest of their high school experience can address the many needs. How can a single 40-60 minute course address academic success, personal responsibility, social interaction, parental involvement, and promote some type of cross curricular development? Simple answer; it cannot.
A fully implemented program allows the staff to work with 1/4 of the high school population and address both individual and group norms that prepare students for the next part of their education. Just my prejudice, but I think a program is much more encompassing rather than a singular course.

[Scott Habeeb]

This will sound fairly self-serving, but you might want to check out my book, The Ninth Grade Opportunity. It definitely addresses this topic in great detail.

The basic differences that favor the teaching approach are:
1. With multiple teachers focusing on an issue the odds of it being effectively communicated are greatly enhanced.
2. The skills one would learn in a transition course need to be woven into the fabric of a student's academic life. This is easier to do when the skills are not taught in isolation.
3. A separate transition course limits the number of electives that a freshman can choose.