By Carolyn Waters, EdD

Research Focus: Secondary Education Transitions (Eighth to Ninth Grade)

Type: Completed Dissertation (Doctoral Student)

What research challenge did your dissertation address?

Students often struggle academically, emotionally, and socially during the transition between eighth and ninth grade. Waters’s research examined the academic, social-emotional, and developmental challenges students face both before and during that transition, and the information and support they seek — around logistics, academics, strategies, connections to school, peers, and adults, and opportunities for empowerment and autonomy. The research points to a clear need for transition support to begin while students are still in eighth grade, which requires stronger connections between middle schools and high schools and opportunities for vertical alignment and professional development for eighth- and ninth-grade staff.

What inspired you to pursue this research?

Waters runs her school’s ninth-grade orientation and eighth-grade open houses and has planned numerous transition supports and activities over the years. Having taught ninth-grade students for many years, she witnessed their challenges during the transition firsthand and wanted to explore how students and staff perceive students’ needs during this period, and how students prepare for it. She wanted to find ways to meet those needs and provide developmentally appropriate support.

What was the impact and outcome of your research?

The research points to a clear need for stronger vertical alignment between eighth- and ninth-grade staff — teachers, counselors, and support staff — throughout the year, and shows that students benefit from beginning the transition process early in eighth grade. Learning about ninth-grade logistics and expectations, and becoming familiar with high school procedures and staff while still in eighth grade, is important to easing the transition and setting students up for success.