Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this research study was to determine whether a relationship exists between the implementation of high school transition programs designed for 9th-grade students within a smaller learning community environment and the perception from teachers as to its efficacy and potency in preparing students for success in high school and beyond. This study examined 9th-grade transition programs and supports within a smaller learning community as a research-based response to decreasing the dropout rate and increasing the probability that students complete course requirements in order to graduate. Methodology: This study incorporated a mixed-methods approach that included both qualitative methodologies to pursue the perceptions of the school faculty who participated in a smaller learning community within a secondary school structure. Also, student achievement data were collected and analyzed. Findings: Analysis of the quantitative data revealed that students participating in a freshmen transition course might be better prepared and perform better on standardized tests. Qualitative data indicated that there was a marked difference in teacher perceptions of student preparedness for rigorous coursework, and students who participated in a yearlong freshmen transition course exhibited the skills and behaviors necessary and were better prepared for rigorous coursework required for graduation. Conclusions: Without coupling supportive structures with a solid foundation of the necessary skills needed for rigorous coursework and on-time graduation, many students continue to fail and eventually take an early exit from school. The study data supported the conclusion that students who participate in a yearlong freshmen transition program learn important organizational and study skills and are better prepared for rigorous coursework that is required for high school graduation. Recommendations: To help mitigate the high dropout rate, especially during the early years of high school, ninth-grade students need the support of well-designed transition programs that address their academic, social, and emotional needs. Secondary schools that wish to staunch the flow of high school dropouts should ensure all students receive a carefully crafted curriculum that explicitly teaches organizational and study skills to provide a solid foundation for success in rigorous coursework that leads to graduation on time and with a diploma.