COMMUNITY AND THE CONNECTION TO PERFORMANCE IN HIGH SCHOOL: SUGGESTIONS FOR THE TRANSITION TO HIGH SCHOOL FOR URBAN DISTRICTS

Abstract

The high school dropout rate has become a critical issue nationwide. Research points to the high school transition as a stressful experience for students and identifies it as a potential contributor to the elevated dropout rate. Using the stage-environment fit theory as a framework (Eccles & Midgley, 1989; Eccles et al., 1993), this research examines the high school transition for a group of students in an urban school district. Four different school structures were used in this research. The sending schools included an elementary school (K-8) and a middle school (6-8). The receiving schools included a special admission high school and a comprehensive high school. The students were recruited from one of the two sending schools and interviewed in both eighth grade and ninth grade. Academic, behavioral and attendance records were also collected in both eighth and ninth grade. One major finding of this research was that eighth grade students enrolled at the elementary school were part of a more united community than those enrolled in the middle school. The elementary school was better able to meet student needs in interpersonal, instructional and organizational ways. These students experienced a more supportive and successful high school application process. A second major finding of this research was that when the students got to ninth grade, almost all of them reported a positive social transition while almost all of them experienced an academic decline. Students’ interpersonal needs were a priority to them, above their organizational and instructional needs. Additionally, the schools were unable to meet students’ instructional needs and thus were unable to provide a developmentally responsive environment to foster their academic success.