fostering protective factors in the grade 8 transition to secondary school
TRANSCRIPT
Fostering Protective Factors in the Grade 8 Transition to Secondary
School
CCSSGrade 9 Coyote Retreat
“Be Brave, Believe, Be Yourself”
The Struggle• The transition to secondary school comes at a
critical point in adolescent development and has potential long term effects.
• Students who are unsuccessful in grade 9 are more likely to struggle throughout school and as young adults.
• Grade 9 students struggle significantly with peer interaction, teacher interaction, attendance, mental health issues, bullying and falling academic performance, putting them “at-risk.”
At-Risk
As identified in the Early School Leavers Study (2005), an at-risk youth is one who is unlikely to successfully progress towards graduation with the skills and self-confidence necessary to have meaningful options in the areas of work, leisure, culture, civic affairs, and relationships (cited in Tilleczek & Ferguson, 2007).
Nested TransitionsTilleczek (2010) suggests the transition from elementary to secondary school is best described as a series of “nested transitions”:• From childhood to adulthood
(physical and cognitive development);
• Along pathways to success through schools, communities and families;
• From elementary to secondary school within these larger transitions.
The Paradox
Want more independence and autonomy.
Need more supportto navigate changes.
Elementary School
Secondary School
Self-esteem hangs in the balance
• Self-esteem is the integrated sum of self-worth and self-competence.
• Self-worth is strongly influenced by quality of relationships with others and the judgements we make about how we are living up to expectations.
• Self-competence is related to our belief in our own coping skills.(Mruk, 1999 cited in Jindal-Snape & Miller, 2008).
Jindal-Snape & Miller (2008) summarize a number of resilience and risk factors in their exploration of
transition using resilience and self-esteem theories.
Self-esteem Locus of control social skills temperament personal awareness empathy parenting style parent relationship academic performance friend network
ResilienceFactors
RiskFactors
5 Areas Key to Transition
• Decreasing the number of problems in child’s life,
• Thinking of life as a developmental pathway,• Providing a secure base of attachments,• Fostering self-esteem, and• Facilitating self-efficacy by involvement in
planning and preparation (Jindal-Snape & Miller, 2008).
Literature Review
• other comprehensive literature reviews• studies involving 1:1
interviews/written feedback • longitudinal surveys • meta studies in which survey
data was complemented by school data
Recommendations• Foster school attachment.• Provide opportunities to form and reinforce positive
relationships with peers.• Create opportunities for relationship building and
mentoring by senior students and caring adults.• Decrease anticipation stress of adolescents (and
families) by providing accurate information about expectations, school structure, and strategies.
• Increase feelings of competency by providing opportunities to achieve success and practice skills
• Collaborate with families to support adolescents.
• First week of school; seniors go Wed, gr. 9s Thu/Fri.• Senior mentors meet grade 9s at camp and give out CCSS t-
shirts, the unofficial camp uniform• Grade 9s and student and teacher mentors participate in a
variety of activities, each followed by a debriefing session ice breakers GLO motivational & problem solving activities high & low ropes challenges• Highlight: motivational speech by Stu Saunders
CCSSGrade 9 Coyote Retreat 2010
• Team building• Goal setting• Forming relationships with peers, seniors and staff• Leadership• Personal development and awareness• Understanding “High school is what you make of it”• Inclusive community building• Embrace diversity• Peer support• Cultivating sense of belonging
The Goals of the Activities
What we experienced …
• Staff• Senior mentors• Grade 9s
What happened later …• Continued positive relationships between grade 9s and the
staff and seniors who attended the camp• Lots of CCSS t-shirts in the halls• Dramatic reduction in the course failure rate between first
semester this year and last for grade 9 students. (Only 19 grade 9 students failed courses at the end of semester 1, vs. 44 previous year.)
• Reduction number of suspension days for grade 9 students. • Substantial drop in truancy rate for gr. 9s in semester 1 over
the previous year. (Reduced by half.)• At risk students who did not go to camp still face the most
challenges
Credit AccumulationFirst Camp Cohort Second Camp Cohort
Semester 1 Failure RatesStudents Credits
Grade Total Failed 1 Failed >1 Possible Failure2011/12 9 224 11 9 896 3.35%2010/11 9 222 19 5 888 3.15%2009/10 9 255 44 20 1020 8.14%2008/09 9 271 36 19 1084 6.64%2011/12 10 231 16 25 924 8.882010/11 10 254 34 16 1016 5.91%2009/10 10 278 57 21 1112 8.54%2008/09 10 301 39 15 1204 5.65%Semester 2 Failure Rates
Students Credits Grade Total Failed 1 Failed >1 Possible Failure
2011/122010/11 9 225 14 15 900 5.56%2009/10 9 256 16 25 1024 8.98%2008/09 9 271 25 23 1084 8.39%2011/12 102010/11 10 255 19 21 1020 7.06%2009/10 10 273 21 39 1092 12.04%2008/09 10 302 27 22 1208 6.54%
SuspensionsFirst Camp Cohort Second Camp Cohort
Sem 1 Grade Total # # of Repeats Avg # of Days Median # of Days2011/12 9 9 2 3.5 32010/11 9 16 8 3 32011/12 10 9 1 2 12010/11 10 24 5 3 2
Sem 2 Grade Total # # of Repeats Avg # of Days Median # of Days2011/12 92010/11 9 10 5 3 12011/12 102010/11 10 20 11 3 3
Attendance First Camp Cohort Second Camp Cohort
total number %total days
total days
total days
year grade students truant truant absent late excused
2012 9
2011 9 216 31 14% 450 202 48
2010 9 248 61 26% 933 409 77
2009 9 271 64 24% 771 347 99
2012 10
2011 10 243 74 30% 941 424 87
2010 10 253 98 39% 1784 568 170
2009 10 302 128 42% 1677 472 188
The CCSS Grade 9 Retreat 2011 and2011 and Follow up
• Expanded senior mentor training and role facilitated by The Beanstalk Project – www.thebeanstalkproject.org
• Integration of leadership/teambuilding workshops in programming for those not attending
• Follow up motivational session mid-September by Beanstalk Project for all grade 9s
• Afternoon workshops with the Beanstalk Project for Shining Stars from Camp and Students who did NOT attend camp
• Follow up video presentation by Beanstalk Project facilitated by mentors in home rooms
What happened next …
• Increased participation• More of the same – fewer failures, better
attendance, fewer teacher concerns• How do we pull in the students who we
already know are at risk and refuse to attend camp?
Looking Ahead to 2012
• Grade 8 Fantastic Fridays• Addition of CCSS led workshops to camp
schedule, e.g., mental health awareness and resources
• More mentor programming throughout the school year
• Incorporation of elements of the IPP into the follow up work with mentors and teachers
Nuts & …
• Approximately 2/3, ¾ have attended – 180 grade 9s, 20 senior students, 18 staff
• Grade 9s pay $100 each with poverty intervention and contests for bursaries
• Senior students and staff do not pay• Seniors help facilitate activities and supervise
cabins; many offer high school 101 in cabin• Singing, skits etc. are encouraged at camp
fire
… Bolts
• Teacher participation is voluntary and includes admin, guidance, co-op, EAs as needed
• Teachers with grade 9 classes either go to camp, do on-calls for others who go to camp, or provide/supervise program for students who do not attend camp
• Everyone needs to bring sleeping bag, pillow, towels, flashlight, cold and wet weather gear – we play rain or shine!
Facilities: www.ylcc.com
• YLCC Orillia can accommodate approx. 300 overnight, Pigeon Lake approx. 120; cabins with bunks and mattress sleep up to 20; common washroom facility
• YLCC Camp counsellor ratio is approx. 1:15 with more staff on hand; all fully trained and safety certified
• All meals provided; nut free• Facilitated activities run from 7:30 flagpole to 11pm• Facilities include high and low ropes, rock wall, fixed and non-
fixed initiatives, grassy fields, wooded area, camp fire ring, beach & kayaks
• Separate teacher cabins w/washroom sleep up to 12• Special needs can be accommodated
Promotion• Promotion during January
feeder school visits and Grade 8 Parent Night
• Posters and permission forms go out with draft timetables in June
• Summer reminders through e-mail, Synervoice
• Forms and money collected on Orientation Day and up to Camp Day
T-shirt Design Contest
Win your trip to camp!
Organization• Permission forms and money collected by feeder schools and
forwarded to CCSS – NOT processed by feeder schools• Forms and money collected on Orientation Day and up to Camp Day• One teacher goes with senior students a day early for training• Students assigned to cabins such that at least 2 students from any
given feeder school are in a cabin – everyone knows someone• Students permitted to request a cabin mate if necessary – few do• Cabins are assigned to buses• Grade 9s report to the foyer on the morning we leave and find their
names on alpha lists which indicate cabin and bus number• Bag checks are done as students board buses• YLCC plans everything else!
The Bottom Line
Coyote Retreat• Camp fees $16 000• Bussing 3 000• T-shirts and prizes 1 000The Beanstalk Project Mentoring Program 3 500• Includes 2 x full day workshop• 1 video module
The Last Word
Questions
Reading & Resources
www.claringtoncentralss.ca Select Guidance,Grade 9 Transition ModelTo view complete proposal and PowerPoint