Craig Kotsmith EDAD 5913 - Communication and Community Relations June 2012 Final Project

PHASE I: Sixth-Seventh Grade Transition (Elementary-High School) Braham School District has revealed an alarming number of students floundering during their transition from 6th grade to 7th grade. The current transition approach fails to adequately address their developmental needs. The 6th grade is highly structured while the 7th grade allows for a great deal of freedom. We all know that with increased freedom, comes greater responsibility. The increased load of responsibility tends to throw many of our 7th grade students into a tailspin. How can Braham school district create a collaborate approach to meeting the emotional/psychological, physical, and academic needs of this adolescent group? The focus is on a positive, successful student transition into the seventh grade level. Influence As a 7-12 grade teacher, I can help lead change in the transition process, but it will require support from our 7-12 grade principals, Judy and Justin, cooperation from the 6th & 7th grade teaching staff, and increased awareness and involvement of parents. Of course, the students are also a critical component since they will be the group greatest affected by transition efforts. Constituencies Transitioning students 6th and 7th grade teachers and support staff Parents Building administrators Relationship to Communication Theory The model for communication often appears as a linear process from source to receiver. However, when examining school issues, it is important to understand just how many sources can exist for students. Even if all of the teachers are on the same page, which is a challenge in itself, they may receive a different message from their parents, peers, other school support staff, or even community members. It is essential that we are able to send a clear, consistent message to the transitioning students from various constituencies. Equally important is the need to for a change agent to clearly communicate desired outcomes to various constituencies. Also, this communication model does not recognize the impact of noise in the communication process. Think of all the distractions to the communication process adolescents face. The internal, egocentric tendency and identity development alone is a huge source of noise to the communication process. This will all need to be addressed when looking at this identified transition issue at Braham. A common aim of communication is to persuade. Some of the most thoughtful communication is done in 30-second commercials. The purposes of advertising are to inform, persuade, and/or remind. I often recognize various school initiatives as adhering to these common aims. In relationship to the transitioning students issue, it will be a challenge to make all constituencies aware and supportive of the school efforts toward

successful transitioning to 7th grade. The challenge after that will be implementing the plans to achieve desired outcomes with the transitioning students. Promoting positive, professional relations among teachers sets the example and the expectation for the students. All teachers must support the transitional needs of students, which require communication and collaboration among staff. This should be a unified effort in order to increase success of outcome aims. Currently, it seems as if teachers have varying opinions on the issue and levels of commitment to school practices to help ease this transition. For example, some teachers use planners while others do not, and some enforce tardy policy while others are more relaxed. Getting all teachers on the same page will help send clear messages while promoting a safe and orderly learning environment. Encouraging suggestions is an important component to build involvement and generate solutions. Braham schools do a great job encouraging suggestions, but the proposed solutions must go further than discussion. Creating a team of constituencies and an action plan to promote successful transitions will transforms plans into actions. Successful transitions for 7th grade students happen both inside and beyond the classroom. Therefore, school faculty must help promote positive student relations outside the classroom. The behavior of students in the hallway during passing time and at lunch has been a source of negativity and disorder in the past. School staff will need to address the behavior of students outside the classroom because while students were accustomed to escorts to and from any destination in the 6th grade, 7th grade allows for much more freedom. The issue of student conduct outside the classroom must be addressed to ensure a safe an orderly school environment, which contributes to successful transitions. PHASE II: Through a survey created using Google Forms, I was able to generate feedback from the schools Site Administrative Manager (Dean), 6th grade teachers, 7th grade teachers, and special education teachers. These constituencies rated how well Braham students transition from 6th-7th grade on a scale from 1 (low) to 5 (high). The respondents rated the current situation at just over 2, which reaffirms the identified issue. The next question asked how teachers could improve the transition for students from 6th to 7th grade. There were a great number and range of ideas returned through the survey, and common themes emerged. The feedback identified focus areas surrounding around helping students stay organized, increasing parental involvement, communicating clear and consistent expectation with follow through, building the 7th grade community, exercising early invention (early, positive contact with parents), and promoting a safe and orderly environment.

PHASE III Braham Area Schools, District 314's students, parents, administrators, and other school faculty recognize a need to improve student transitions from 6th to 7th grade. Through this process a number of manageable solutions have been proposed. First, assign each teacher seven to fifteen 7th grade students to monitor progress/performance. This could be done in a homeroom format, or simply as an additional responsibility. This will be especially important during the first weeks and quarter of the schoolyear. The next solution involves 7th grade faculty meeting with sixth grade teachers to identify at-risk students. Early intervention with these students will be a key to their success. Too often, students blunder as a result of the increased responsibility that comes with the freedoms of seventh grade. Increasing support for first week transition will set a positive, productive tone for the schoolyear. All school staff should support the plan to clearly communicate, demonstrate, and ensure understanding of procedures and expectations. A coordinated handbook expectations review during first week will provide another means to promote a safe and orderly learning environment. Also, a mock schedule walk-through will be beneficial during the open house night. Passbooks or planners can serve as a mean to help students stay organized and prevent students from abusing hallway passes. The sixth grade team feels they are instrumental in helping students stay organized. Seventh grade has no way of currently helping students through passbook or planners. Along the same lines, teachers could fill out an assignment Google Doc on a daily basis, so teachers know what assignments are due for seventh grade students for that day. Increase parent involvement and communication with seventh grade students. This is especially important to build early on in the schoolyear. Promoting positive school to parent relationships encourages a positive experience for the students. This involvement can be done through volunteering for school functions, discussing their childs performance, and providing information for parents about adolescent issues. Finally, increasing a sense of 7th grade community through team building activities, dances, assemblies, speakers, and talent shows help promote a positive 7th grade community. Recognizing birthdays is a simple yet effective way of creating a sense of belonging. Currently, there are no events that only involve the seventh grade because they simply get clumped in with the high school events. Instead, we must help the seventh grade class develop their own identity. Community building is a great way to build social and emotional safety within the school setting.

Who needs to give you feedback to what it is you propose? The Assistant Principal has already provided some feedback and support for this initiative. This support and involvement will be necessary as an action plan committee is formed to carry out 6th-7th grade transition goals. 7th grade staff will absolutely need to be onboard to help keep students accountable to their school performance. Their opinions and recommendations have already been sought out through this activity. Many have expressed further interest in becoming part of an action plan committee. Parents and students must also be part of the solution. Their feedback and support should be called on during the open house orientation night.. How will you contact them and run it by them (Communication Event)? I was able to get feedback from various stakeholders through a Google Forms survey. Also, the night of 7th grade orientation is an effective venue to communicate successful transition efforts and elicit support for this initiative. Finally, a transitions action plan team will provide a venue for seeing plans through and advancing the transitions efforts. FINAL PHASE: Gallagher reminds me that change will not come the same for all constituencies. Yes, I think this issue of transitioning students is critical to the success of our school. However, not everyone will approach this issue with such passion or willingness. This became apparent when I received fewer than a 50% response rate on the surveys. However, Gallagher focuses on the importance of relationship building and seeking understanding. People are much more likely to support a leaders motivations if they feel comfortable with that person. Another concept that is important to recognize is the influence past experiences have on willingness to accept change. Laggards are often skeptical of change because of how it has gone in the past. Sometimes, we need those skeptics support in order to maximize success. Why are parents reluctant to partner with the school? Why is Mr. Smith against every new idea ever presented? It is ever important to continue the communication dialogue and identify their objections. Once the objections have been identified, the change agent then knows what they must overcome. The current plan for increasing the success of 6th to 7th grade transitions seems a good starting point. Identifying the problem, generating solutions, and creating an action plan is only the beginning. The action plan must be carried out. This is no easy task, and will call on the energy of all constituencies. A multi-faceted approach to the 7th grade transition challenge will promote success. A great action plan does not guarantee success, but positive actions toward set goals will, most often, lead to achievement.