Middle to High School Transition Group

JordanHopkins
LewisandClarkCollege
May20,2016


Rationale

Thetransitionfrommiddleschooltohighschoolcanhaveapositiveornegative

impactonstudents.Studentstransitioningintohighschoolcanfacesocial,emotional,

andphysicalchanges.Youngadolescentsenteringhighschoollookforwardtohaving

morechoicesandmakingnewandmorefriendshowever,theyalsoareconcerned

aboutbeingpickedonandteasedbyolderstudents,havingharderwork,makinglower

grades,andgettinglostinalarger,unfamiliarschool(Mizelle,1995Phelan,Yu,&

Davidson,1994).Inordertoensurethatourstudentshaveasuccessfultransition,

schoolcounselorsandteacherscancollaboratetogethertohelpstudentsbuild

knowledgeandawareness.Schoolcounselorscanandshouldconductguidance

lessonsandencouragehighschoolvisitations.Researchhasfound,however,that

whenmiddleschoolstudentstookpartinahighschooltransitionprogramwithseveral

diversearticulationactivities,fewerstudentswereretainedinthetransitiongrade(Mac

Iver,1990).AccordingtoMacIver(1990),ahighschooltransitionprogramincludesa

varietyofactivitiesthat(1)providestudentsandparentswithinformationaboutthenew

school,(2)providestudentswithsocialsupportduringthetransition,and(3)bring

middleschoolandhighschoolpersonneltogethertolearnaboutoneanother's

curriculumandrequirements.Allofthesecomponentshelpfuelasuccessfulmiddleto

highschooltransitiongroup.

Furthermore,TheAmericanSchoolCounselorAssociation(ASCA)isabeneficial

counselingresourceprogramthatshouldbeimplementedtohelpsupportstudentsatall

levels.Schoolcounselingprogramsarecollaborativeeffortsbenefitingstudents,
parents,teachers,administratorsandtheoverallcommunity.Schoolcounseling

programsshouldbeanintegralpartofstudents'dailyeducationalenvironment,and

schoolcounselorsshouldbepartnersinstudentachievement(ASCA,2015).Thereare

multipleresourcesthathelpguidecounselorsforasuccessfultransitiongroup.Itisthe

schoolcounselor'sjobtoensureacademic,career/college,andpersonal/socialsuccess

forallstudents.

ASCA National Standards Addressed:

Academic:
StandardA:A:A1.5A:A2.1A:A2.2A:A2.3A:A2.5A:A3.2A:A3.3
StandardB:A:B2.1A:B2.5A:B2.7
Career:
StandardA:C:A1.3C:A1.4C:A1.6C:A1.10C:A2.9
StandardB:C:B2.4
StandardC:C:C2.1C:C2.3
Personal/Social:
StandardA:PS:A1.1PS:A1.2PS:A1.3PS:A1.4PS:A1.5PS:A1.9
PS:A1.10PS:A1.11PS:A2.2PS:A2.3PS:A2.4PS:A2.6
StandardB:PS:B1.5PS:B1.9PS:B1.10PS:B1.12
StandardC:PS:C1.6PS:C1.7PS:C1.10

Developmental Assets Addressed:
3.OtherAdultRelationships
14.AdultRoleModels
15.PositivePeerInfluence
16.HighExpectations
21.AchievementMotivation
22.SchoolEngagement
24.BondingtoSchool
30.Responsibility
32.PlanningandDecisionMaking
37.PersonalPower
40.PositiveViewofPersonalFuture
Practical Considerations

Thisiswillbeaclosedgroup6studentsmeetingfor8sessionsof30minutes

each.Thegroupwillbeheldinthecounselingoffice.ThisgroupwillbeginlateJanuary

orearlyFebruary.Anindividualcheckinwitheachstudentwilltakeplacefollowingthe

lastsession.Inaddition,thegroupwillmeetoncemoreasawholeonemonthbefore

their8thgradegraduation.Toensurestudentsarentmissingoutonvaluable

instruction,therewillbecoordinationwithstudentsandteacherstofindthebesttimeto

meet.Asteadycommunicationwiththegroupmembersparents/guardianswilltake

placetoensureacademicandemotionalsuccess.

Screening and Selection

InJanuary,an8thgradecheckinwillbeconductedineachclass.Thecounselor

willannouncethetransitiongroupopportunity.Inordertoensuregroupsuccess,an

emailwillgoouttothe8thgraderteachers.Thisemailwillinstructteacherstolist5

studentswhotheybelievewouldbenefitfromthisopportunity.Theemailwillinclude

groupcontentanditwillindicatetobemindfulofstudentswhotheythinkmightfall

throughthecracksacademicallyandsociallyinhighschool.Oncethelistsfrom

teachersinreceivedattendanceandgradeswillbethoroughlylookedat.Thecounselor

willnarrowdownthegroupmembersbygrades,attendance,andrecommendationfrom

teachers.Thecounselorwillmeetwitheachstudentindividuallyandsharewiththem

thegoalsandcontentofthegroup.Studentswillbeinformedthatthisgroupis

completelyvoluntaryandparticipationisencouraged.Studentswhoexpressinterestwill

beselectedandencouragedtotakeapermissionsliphome.
Ethical Considerations

Apermissionslipwillbesenthometoparentsthatwillprovidethemwiththe

transitiongroupgoalsandcontent.Parentswillbeinformedthatthegroupismeantto

teachtheirstudentfoundationalskillstobestprepareacademicallyandsociallyforhigh

school.Inaddition,parentswillbenotifiedofthetime,thelocation(thecounseling

office)andgroupconfidentiality.Inordertoensurethattheskillslearnedingroupare

beingachieved,afollowupemailwillgoouttoparentsaftereachgroupsession.

Furthermore,agroupsessioncalendarwillbegiventoeachgroupmemberinwhich

theywilltakehome.Ifparentsshouldhaveanyquestionsorconcernstheywillbe

instructedtocontactthecounselingoffice.Duringthescreeningprocess,studentswill

beinformedabouttheimportanceofgroupconfidentiality.Eachsessionwillbeginwith

theconfidentialityguidelinesandifastudentexpressestheyareunsafe,inflictingself

harm,orplantohurtotherstheschoolcounselorwillbeinclinedtoreportit.Students

willalsobetoldeverysessionthattheydon'thavetoshareanythingtheyrenot

comfortablewith.

Group Leader/Qualifications

Thegroupleaderwillbethemiddleschoolcounselor.Thecounselorishighly

qualifiedtoplanandexecutegroupexpectations.Inaddition,theleaderhascompleted

courseworkingroupfacilitationandleadership.Thiscourseprovidedtheleaderwiththe

appropriateandeffectiveresourcestomakeagroupsuccessfulforallstudents.The

leaderisalsotrainedingroupethicsandhowtomaintainconfidentiality.
Curriculum and Process

Studentswillcomeupwiththeirowngroupnameandagreements.The

counselorwillguidestudentswiththeiragreementstoensurethattheagreementsare

mutuallyacceptedbyeachgroupmember.Binderswillbeprovided,studentswillwrite

theirgroupnameandtheagreementsonaseparatepieceapaperwhichwillslipinto

thefrontofthebinder.Thebinderswillbeheldinthecounselor'sofficeandwillbetaken

outforeachsession.Thecounselorwillalsoparticipateintheactivity.

Objectives:

Studentswillidentifyacademic,career,andpersonalgoals

Studentswillexplorehighschoolexpectations

Studentwillmaintainandorganizeabinder

Identifypersonalinterestsandlearningstyles

Appreciatesimilaritiesanddifferencesamongothers

Learnskillstoinitiateanddevelopconnectionswithpeersandotheradults

Identifystressorsthatcomewithalltypesoftransitions

Middle to High School Transition Content Outline

Session Topic/Content

1:Introduction IceBreakerActivity
Introductionoftheleader/binderactivity
GroupName
GroupAgreements
GroupConfidentiality
Groupdiscussion:
Whatareyourhopesforthegroup?
Whatareyouworriedabout?
Anysuggestionsontopicsweshouldtalkabout?
2:Gettingthe IceBreakerActivity
Worriesout Agreements/Confidentiality
(personal/social) FocusQuestion:Whatmakesusworrywhenwethinkabouthigh
school
MyFearsWorksheet
GroupDiscussionaboutHighSchoolWorries
CheckOut(WhenIthinkofhighschool,Ithinkof.)

3:Organization/ Energizer(IMustacheYouAQuestion)
GoalSetting FocusQuestion:Whatdoesorganizationlooklikeforme?
(academic) Binderactivity(dividers)
S.M.A.R.Tgoalsactivityandworksheet
Thedifferencebetweenshorttermandlongtermgoals
CheckOut(studentswillwriteonelongtermandoneshortterm
goal)

4:JohariWindow CheckIn/Energizer
(personal/social) Agreements/Confidentiality
ExplainingtheJohariWindowActivity
JohariWindow
Checkout(JournalReflection)
*DependingonhowtheJohariWindowActivitygoes,Iwillplantoconduct
individualcheckins

5:HighSchool Energizer
expectations Agreements/Confidentiality
(academic, WhatreallyhappensinHighSchool:
career, HighSchoolSchedules
personal/social) Credits
Howtoaskforhelp
Checkout
*Letstudentsknowthereare3sessionsleftuntiltheend.

6: Energizer
Interests/Learning Agreements/Confidentiality
Style FocusQuestion:HowdoIlearnbest?
(careerand LearningStylesurvey
personal/social) LearningStyleVideo
CISInterestSurvey
Exploringclassesinhighschoolthatreflectstudentinterests
Checkout(Writingdownquestionstheywouldliketoaskthehigh
schoolstudentpanel)

7:HighSchool Energizer
Freshman Agreements/Confidentiality
presentation FreshmanIntroductions
(academic, HighSchoolStudentPanel
 college/career, CheckOut(ThankyoucardsfortheFreshmanpanel)
personal/social) *Reminder:Nextsessionwillbethelast

8: FinalEnergizer
Celebration/Final Pizza/CookieCelebration
CheckOut Havethestudentswritealettertothemselvessotheyreceiveitat
theendofthesummerrightbeforetheirfreshmanyear.
Thecounselorwillalsowritealetteraswell(keepsthe
student/counselorconnectionfrommiddletohighpositive)
CheckOut
Studentswillwritetheirnameonablankpieceofpaper
Studentswillthengoaroundandwritepositivethingsabout
theirothergroupmembers
Thesepaperswillthengoonthefrontorback(clear)part
oftheirbinder

Multicultural Considerations

Thegroupwillconsistofstudentsfromdifferentculturalbackgroundsincluding

race,ethnicity,andsocioeconomicstatus.Theschoolcounselorisawareofcultural

differencesandwillbeculturallyresponsive.Havingawarenessofthiswillallow

studentstofeelcomfortablewithoneanother.Studentswillalsohavetheskillsto

develophealthyconnectionswithinthegroup.Studentswillbeencouragedtocome

fromaspaceofcuriosityratherthanassumption.
 References

AmericanSchoolCounselorAssociation.(2012).TheASCANational
Model:AFrameworkforSchoolCounselingPrograms,SecondEdition,
Alexandria,VA:Author

MacIver,D.J.(1990).Meetingtheneedsofyoungadolescents:Advisory
groups,interdisciplinaryteachingteams,andschooltransitionprograms.
PHIDELTAKAPPAN,71(6),458464.EJ402385.

Mizelle,N.B.(2008,December16).HelpingMiddleSchoolStudents
MaketheTransitionintoHighSchool.RetrievedMay15,2016,from
http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Helping_Middle/

Sink,C.A.,Edwards,C.N.,&ampEppler,C.(2012).SchoolBasedGroup
Counseling.Belmont,CA:Brooks/Cole.