A qualitative study on educational leaders' perceptions of transition programs in selected North Carolina secondary schools
Abstract
The first purpose of this study was to explore and examine educational leaders' perceptions on transition program effectiveness in selected North Carolina secondary schools. The second purpose was to identify the social and academic benefits to those students who participated in transition programs. Finally, the purpose of this study was to determine how school personnel perceived the impact transition programs had on high school's graduation rates. Data was gathered by interviewing educational leaders, guidance counselors, and social workers from two North Carolina high schools that had hosted a transition program for several consecutive years. The narrative data were interpreted to identify themes of commonality. Results found that some students who were promoted to the high school as ninth graders were often unable to adapt to the high school pace because it is so different from the middle school. The results further found that high school transition programs were effectively doing several things to empower students' progress. However, students' academic growth and social development do occur somewhat as teenagers move from middle to high school, regardless of transitional experiences. Recommendations for future studies enrich the understanding of student needs as they transition from middle school to high school. It is also recommended that future studies be expanded to similar schools from different states to see if results would be the same.
Subject Area
Educational leadership
Recommended Citation
Locklear, Paula, "A qualitative study on educational leaders' perceptions of transition programs in selected North Carolina secondary schools" (2011). ETD Collection for Fayetteville State University. AAI3577752.
https://digitalcommons.uncfsu.edu/dissertations/AAI3577752