Chapter 14: Examining The Transition From Middle School To High School: Translating Research Into Practice

The transition from middle school to high school is receiving increased attention from researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. Reasons for the interest can be tied to the fact that ninth grade course failures, expulsions and suspensions, and high school dropout rates exceed that of all other secondary school grades (Hertzog & Morgan, 1998; National Center for Education Statistics, 2002; Roderick & Camburn, 1999). For students and parents, the transition from middle school to high school equates with feelings of anticipation and anxiety (Mizelle & Irvin, 2000; Morgan & Hertzog, 2001; Zeedyk, Gallacher, Henderson, Hope, Husband, & Lindsay, 2003). A rite of passage aura exists with regard to moving to high school. Increased social and academic opportunities and the requisite responsibilities that go along with them are often not uniformly defined in the minds of students, families, and teachers (Akos & Galassi, 2004a).