The Transition From Middle School to High School Essay

There has been growing need by the teachers and all the stakeholders concerned in America to help salvage the problems facing the ninth grade students during the transition period. The concepts used in the middle school tend to produce half-baked students that rarely conveniently go past high school. The process in the country has never been more treacherous, and the problems linked to the process seem to slowly get more disastrous for most of the students (Rutherford 54). Thousands of the ninth grade students in the US have been failing just six weeks into the high school program. There is the need then to help prepare these students to make a proper and successful transition to the next level in their learning process in the country.

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The students experience a lot of challenges while undergoing this transition in their life. These students who are in their adolescents' stage experience much impersonal, grade oriented, competitive environment that is more pronounced than the one they experienced in the middle school. During this process, the students experience a great diversity of teachers and their peers. This issue then implies that they are now in a position to choose from a variety of choices in the extracurricular and curricular activities (Muscara et al. 5). Based on this pressure, the grades of most students tend to drop, and they may then decide not to attend school as they used to do in middle school. Moreover, these students develop a more negative perspective on themselves and would then feel an increased need for some form of peer friendships in one way or the other.

Studies on the same topic have revealed that these students often have the feeling of excitement and concern on the aspect of joining high school. They seem to be looking forward to more freedom, choice, opportunities, and the desire to participate in the wide variety of extracurricular activities associated with high school life. However, the students also admit that they have the feeling of nervousness and even get scared about meeting the older students in the high schools. They are also afraid of the fact of getting lost in the larger school and maybe making bad grades (Grossman, Lisa and Amanda 107). They even feel that the teachers in high school may look and sound very strict and that they will be accustomed to much work. These students are also concerned with the hard work they are expected to show while in high school.

On the contrary, during this transition, the students may find that some of the fears were uncalled for and unfounded. They then realize some of the opportunities available in high schools come with significant responsibilities. Contrary to their beliefs, they find that the older students are very friendly and do not bully them at all depending on the discipline in the school. As much as there could be some form of teasing, but most of the older students were ready and willing to assist them in getting along and even became very good friends (Muscara et al. 7). The school compound also did not seem large as they thought it would be in their minds and thus had insufficient problems in getting across the sections in the school. As much as they were overwhelmed by the numerous extracurricular activities in the school, they realized that this coupled with heavy class work meant a great deal in balancing both in their life within the school. The primary concern was on how to study effectively and the problem of time management.

The school administration has the responsibility to make viable strategies to help these students make a smooth transition to the next level of education. This process requires specialized programs to assist in the cumbersome process among the students. Some schools provided supportive advisory groups with activities that would help in the articulation of the remediation programs in the transition process (Grossman, Lisa and Amanda 107). There is the need for some individual summer courses and programs that would be significant in helping the students understand the new school. The students alongside their parents are often provided with the relevant information regarding the new high school. They also aim at providing support to the students during the transition process. The two schools should also bring both their personnel together to learn about each others' requirements and curriculum to help bring in a peaceful and prosperous transition in the lives of the students.

Conclusion

In some schools, a month before the end of the academic year, Grade 8, middle school students, go on a guided tour to the High school where they are introduced to the facilities, classes, and labs among others. They get to spend time in the various categories, where appointed student ambassadors explain to them the subjects and lesson content of the different topics. Students do some sample work assignments that relate to these lessons in an attempt to familiarize them with the experiences (Rutherford 67). Moreover, all students' files, their MAPS, and CAT tests get transferred to the high school administration. As for SEN (special education needs students), all their data get transferred to their high school counselors and send department to continue with them on their educational plan.

Works Cited

Grossman, Jennifer M., Lisa J. Jenkins, and Amanda M. Richer. "Parents' Perspectives on Family Sexuality Communication from Middle School to High School." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15.1 (2018): 107.

Muscara, Marinella, et al. "The Transition from Middle School to High School: The Mediating Role of Perceived Peer Support in the Relationship between Family Functioning and School Satisfaction." Journal of Child and Family Studies(2018): 1-9.

Rutherford, Michelle. "Supporting the Transition from Middle School to High School." (2018).