Freshman Transition Initiative

The 10-Step PlanThe George Washington University

rdedmond@gwu.edu

www.freshmantransition.org

How do we help ALL How do we help ALL students recognize the students recognize the

value of education?value of education?

The key to impacting students:

How do we help ALL students view their futures?

Studies show…Studies show…

The first year of high school (8th or 9th grade) is critical. Students make choices that impact the rest of their lives.

It is our responsibility to help them make informed choices.

Studies show…Studies show…8th - 9th graders:• Become more self aware/self conscious• Thinking becomes more critical, complex• Look for acceptance more from peers,

less from adults• Need independence, yet still rely on

adults for support• Take more foolish risks to align with

peers and avoid embarrassment

Freshmen report feelingFreshmen report feelingFreshmen report feelingFreshmen report feeling

Excited AfraidConfused SadProud CuriousBrave LonelyHelpless OverwhelmedWorriedJarman-Dunn, N. & M. Kiggins. Building the Bridge of Success. 2005 ASCA Conference presentation

Reasons Students Drop Out Early

Males Females

55% 49% Didn’t like school

52% 17% Couldn’t get along with teachers

31% 14% Felt they didn’t belong

18% 22% Couldn’t get along with peers

19% 33% Suspended too often

38% 25% Couldn’t keep up with work

46% 33% Failing grades

NELS. TwoYears Later: Cognitive Gains and School Transition

What can we do?What can we do?

Freshman Transition courseFreshman Transition coursefor ALL students that for ALL students that

culminates in a 10-year planculminates in a 10-year plan

Benefits of a Freshman Transition course:

• Creates buy-in to the educational process

• Offers relevant themes for academic skill development

• Helps students become identity achieved and builds self-esteem

• Supports counseling and guidance goals by helping students develop education and career plans

Step 1: Gather your resources

Course Standards for

Freshman Transition Classes

www.freshmantransition.orgThe George Washington University’sFreshman Transition Initiative

Standards-driven Freshman Transition courses:• Reduce dropout rates

(high school and college)

• Increase matriculation into post-secondary programs

• Increase recruitment and retention into technical programs

• Provide skills to successfully navigate life and work transitions

Step 2: Create a vision

Why is a 10-year plan important

for all freshmen?

The George Washington University’sFreshman Transition Initiative

Huge Gaps Exist Between Student Aspirations and

Reality

High school dropout rates remain high.

College graduation rates remain low.

Beyond 4- or 5-year plans

““We are seeing an epidemic of We are seeing an epidemic of work-life unreadiness, kids in work-life unreadiness, kids in their early twenties who can’t their early twenties who can’t figure out who they are or figure out who they are or what they need to be doing what they need to be doing with their lives...”with their lives...”

-Dr. Mel Levine on the Dr. Mel Levine on the Today ShowToday Show, , January 25, 2005 January 25, 2005

Author, Ready or Not, Here Life Comes

A 10-year Plan provides the vision that helps students:• Stay in high school, graduate, then…

• Enter and COMPLETE post-secondary education and/or training, then…

• Make timely and successful transitions into an economically self-sufficient adulthood

Step 3: Form a Planning Team

• Generate community buy-in

• Identify a curriculum that meets the Course Standards for Freshman Transition Classes

• Recruit experienced teachers

• Promote the School-wide Initiative

• Set up a system to share student 10-year plans with all teachers

The George Washington University’sFreshman Transition Initiative

The Course Standards for Freshman Transition Classes can be used to develop:• Freshman Orientation classes

• Smaller Learning Communities

• Critical “first course” for Tech Prep or Career Academies

• Career Orientation courses

• Life Skills mandates

• Dropout Prevention interventions

Step 4: Generatecommunity buy-in for

a Freshman Transition course &

the 10-year plan

The George Washington University’sFreshman Transition Initiative

COMMUNITY that takes RESPONSIBILITY and KNOWS:

“…individual workers will be more and more responsible

for managing his/her own career, risks, and economic

security…” (p.264)

“…everyone must tend to his/her own economic destiny…” (p. 21)

“…leadership, relationships, and creativity…” (p. 14)

“…create value…” (p. 239)

Thomas Freidman, The World is Flat:

A Brief History of the 21st Century

COLLEGE PREP?COLLEGE PREP?COLLEGE PREP?COLLEGE PREP?

50% of students who enter college never finish, BUT….

Studies show entering college freshmen who have a career plan/goal are more likely to graduate.

Important for ALL studentsImportant for ALL students

Studies show that students who can project themselves into the future and understand the consequences of their actions today are far less likely to drop out of school (high school or college), become a teen parent, or abuse drugs.

Step 5: Identify curriculumAligned/Validated with the

Course Standards for Freshman Transition Classes

Career Choices by Academic Innovations

meets 95% of the StandardsValidated supplements

Real Game ACRNA acrnet.orgCareer Solutions

careersolutionsgroup.com

COINCOIN Educational Products

Parent’s Planner

sydneysherrod@hotmail.com

Career Cruising

careercruising.com

Choose a curriculum that helps students:Choose a curriculum that helps students:

1. Recognize the value of education and the lifelong rewards of achieving in school

2. Become identity achieved, which builds self-esteem, confidence, and character

3. Create an educational plan for the next 10 years—along with the skills to change

Choose a curriculum that…• Is personalized• Gets students actively involved and

motivated• Demonstrates the importance of education• Encourages critical thinking and problem

solving• Integrates academics and career

exploration• Reinforces reading, writing, and

computation skills

Interests, Passions, Callings

Choose curriculum that motivates students to

Explore Experiment Create/Innovate Find their passion

“Uncover their recurring themes…”

“Having a cause fuels momentum during the startup years…when combined with self-discipline and well-honed work habits…”

(Levine, 87)

Motivational CycleMotivational CycleWhen a student sees personal benefit in the task – such as

developing their 10-year plan for their ideal future…

Skill Level IncreasesSkill Level IncreasesSelf-esteem IncreasesSelf-esteem Increases

Motivation IncreasesMotivation Increases

Student ExperiencesStudent ExperiencesSuccessSuccess

Comprehension Comprehension IncreasesIncreases

Step 6: Teacher recruitment

WANTEDExperienced, enthusiastic innovators

for a project-based, contextual classroom.

The George Washington University’sFreshman Transition Initiative

Recruit a Lead Teacher who:• Is the team leader and supports the

course instructors for the Freshman Transition course

• Has release time to develop and support the School-wide Initiative

• Provides professional development to all staff so they utilize the 10-year plans

• Pledges at least four years to the project to provide the consistency needed for institutional change

Step 7: Professional Development

Developing new classroom strategies, skills, and techniques for the active-learning

classroom

The George Washington University’sFreshman Transition Initiative

““The more the high schools The more the high schools personalize their work with personalize their work with students, the more effective students, the more effective they will be.”they will be.”

Theodore Sizer, authorTheodore Sizer, authorHorace’s Compromise: Horace’s Compromise:

The Dilemma of the The Dilemma of the American High SchoolAmerican High School

Advantages of integrated, Advantages of integrated, thematic-driven curriculum…thematic-driven curriculum…Learners:• See connections and relationships between

disciplines–more like the real world• Are more motivated and engaged by

thematic/relevant topics• Learn to synthesize information rather than

memorize facts • Gain an increased perception of the real world

that makes the transition to work faster and easier

Used in interdisciplinary Used in interdisciplinary teams…teams…• Integrates academics with career exploration

• Offers a thematic approach for an interdisciplinary team setting

• Saves many hours of team planning time

• Gives classroom teachers the vehicle for becoming part of the guidance team

• Provides counselors with in-depth data so the counseling process is more effective

• KEY: Common prep period at least 1x/week

Step 8: Make your Freshman Transition Initiative a

school-wide effort

Update the 10-year plansno less than once each

year

Each academic department commits to an active role in the update process.

The George Washington University’sFreshman Transition Initiative

For Example: At ABC High School, the following departments will facilitate the annual update of their students’ 10-year plan.

• 10th grade social studies department after students study globalization

• 11th grade English, after reading a novel or work of nonfiction aligned with the student’s career aspirations

• 12th grade senior project–prepping for college or workplace interviews

Step 9: Share all student’s 10-year plans each year with

their instructorsUse your students’ future goals and dreams to keep

them on-task academically. Students who complete a Freshman Transition course understand the consequences of their

efforts.

The George Washington University’sFreshman Transition Initiative

Using each student’s 10-year plan as a motivator,

classroom teachers can provide effective one-on-one guidance in an advisory role.

THEME AND CULTURE OF

COLLABORATION BY A TEAM OF

CARING, INNOVATIVE PEOPLE WORKING AROUND EACH

CHILD

TO

Ensure relevance and rigor for

ALL students

Step 10: Recognize and Celebrate

As our dropout rates plummet and our academic

scores rise, we want to remember to take time to celebrate the hard work

and dedication of all involved.

The George Washington University’sFreshman Transition Initiative

Visitwww.freshmantransition.org

for a copy of the Course Standards for Freshman

Transition Classes and a variety of other resources.

A presentation by

The George Washington University’sFreshman Transition Initiative

For more information, contactFor more information, contact

Rebecca Dedmond, Rebecca Dedmond, Ph.D.Ph.D.

The George Washington The George Washington UniversityUniversity

rdedmond@gwu.edurdedmond@gwu.edu