AMERICAN SECONDARY EoUcATION 34(2)SrRING 2006 BUILDING FOR FRESHMAN SUCCESS: HIGH SCHOOLS WORKING AS PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES AuTHoRS. JUUE McINrostt is Assistant Professor at The University of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio. SANDRA H. Wut is Director of Secondary Curriculum, Findlay High School, Findlay, Ohio. AistRAct_ A pivotal point for idents is the transition from middle school to high ‘school, Students wil lecide during the frst few weeks jon year, programs and practices that have been the impact the “freshman wing” concept has had on a large, comprehensive high schoo! in Findlay, Ohio. ct ScHooL Witte No Crit Is Lert BEHIND we perfect school environment that ensures academic, social, and emotional success for every student is foremost in every adminis heart. This was true even before No Child Left Behind the land. But how does one do this, especially at jh'school successful was a qu that plagued Findlay High School (FHS) administrators for years. School data reflected that a maj reshmen were making a AMERICAN SECONDARY EDUCATION 34(2) SPRING 2006 Melnrost, Ware [Hic ScHOOKS AS PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES re during the freshman year sets the tone for a high school experience. The converse is also true. If student have a good experience that freshman year, the decision to drop out of high school is either consciously or subconsciously made EXAMPLES OF TRANSITION PROGRAMS Research has provided educators with many iplementation. Some disadvantages to an create divisive rival ries or fracture existing relationships. The divisiveness comes from sepa- rating teachers into teams. Conflicts can develop from-the commitment a teacher feels toward the school versus the smaller unt that can lead to rivalries (DeWees, 1999). Teachers begin to worry about how they can ‘move from one school to another or that they will not gain autonomy (Gewertz, 2001), ‘The mechanics of how a team operates is critical to the implementa tion of learning communities, clusters or academies. Hertzog and Morgan use" that can assist students high school. (They also found th grade population, and teaming of student success, Development of schools in Georgia and were in place. A control grou ‘was compared to schools that had three or more transiiAMERICAN SECONDARY EDUCATION 34(2) SPRING 2006 Hic ScHoois As ProressioNAL Lexan Communities researchers found that schools with two or fewer transition practices had higher attrition and drop out rates than those-with three or more transition practices, ‘The Findlay City School explore other high school ict reviewed the research and began to ded higher academic standards, more assessment and accountability, increased professional development, broad parenv/family/community part nership, and a 21st century infrastructure for technology and facility 1 2000). Canton City School District, Canton, Ohio, created a Freshman Academy in 1995 to help students’ transition to high schoo! improve passage rates on the state proficiency test, and reduce dis problems. A separate Academy Building was built to support project- based learning. Staff developmes teachers to develop re ye atmosphere created ‘was caring, responsive, and supportive forthe student body (Macala, 2002) (CREATING THE FRESHMAN WING AT FiNDLAY— ‘Tu PATH TO FResiMAN SUCCESS Furekall We may not have found the answer, but we have found the path to the answer. Creating a Freshman Wing combined with providing staff development to support a professional learning community set us in the right direction, ‘Through research and staff development activities, concepts were developed that became the foundation of the Freshman Wing: These concepts were implemented during the 2000-2001 school year. The four dation for the Freshman Wing concept became: 1. Core teacher classrooms, freshman lockers, principal, and counselor located reshman Wing. 2. A formation of teams of ninth grade core teachers (science, math, history and English) who share the same platoon of students. 3. A.common preparation period for each core team to facilitate devel- ‘oping intervention strategies for at-risk students, planning student 3, and developing professional learning communities act Melrose, Ware AnicaN SeconDary EDUCATION 34(2) Serine: 2006 ‘Malvrosy, Wane ONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES idle school counselors hman courses, 4, 6. Special freshmart lunchtime acti rooms). 8. Student council representation from each freshman homeroom. man teacher retreat to bond, plan, and energize 18 common practices. 10. A freshman principal, counselor, and intervention specialist work with a new freshman class every school year (instead of moving with that class to the next grade level) 11. Increased and improved transition activities during eighth grade year 12. A three-hour freshman orientation in August. ‘A CARING ENVIRONMENT “These foundation pieces were put in place to create a “school home" care, connection, and accounta- learning, academic success, home” message High School, bu ‘The Freshman Wing added sixteen cl offices for the 2000-2001 school year. The wit is displayed in the halls and the district virtues a Recognition programs such as KUDOS, where students receive a recognition from the principal during class for an act of kindness, and Spotlight on Freshman that displays work a student has done outside of the school day were institute. ADDITIONAL INTERVENTION ted. A collaborative effort Drug Addiction and Mental ‘Achieve. An intervention spec of resources. The intervention specialist works with at-risk students and their a__AMERICAN SécoNDARY EDUCATION 34(2) Spain 2006. He ScH001 4s Prorssionat Leatnne Consuntes ‘Melnrosn, Wane families before the students enter high school. This ids a positive relation- ship and connection with the school and gives th necessary paperwork to acquire needed and supports more than half of our freshman students. An aide was also hired to staf our Project Achieve room. Students who are struggling are placed in the Project Achieve room during their study hall time where they receive extra academic assistance and are involved in personal goal setting. Students can be recommended for the project by their middle school teacher, ninth grade teacher, parent, and counselor or even by self-referral. TRANSITION MEETINGS id in January with patents at each middle school. An open ind an “Ate you interested in Advanced Placement or Honors tare held at the high school for eighth graders and their parents prior to class registration. Other transition activites in the spring of the eighth grade year are Visits to all middle schools by the freshman principal, counsel tion special and upper class students, tour the building, review the FHS student hand- book, find their lockers, and get their schedules of classes. During orienta- tion, freshmen are involved in a scavenger hunt, drawing for FHS tshirts and other items, and a visit to the snow cone stand in the courtyard Fientation also provides an opportunity for freshman parents to Auteican SeconDany EDucatioN $4(2) SPawnc 2006 ‘Melnrosn, Wiare Hic ScHoots As PROFESSIONAL LEARNING ConmaurariEs ‘ACADEMIC SuRVIVAL SKILLS Transition activities continue into the school year. Freshman teachers ing students with study skills, time management, tracking grades, and other helpful survival ski WFINAVKXA provides the students students are assigned a career and appreciation for what basic necessities cost and the challenges their parents face daily. Freshmen also attend the program “Making High School Cour ided through Making it Count School Presentations (Monster Making It Count, 2002). Another , which began during the 2003-2004 school year, was Academic Study Halls. Students are referred to Academic Study Hall ifthey have a D or F in any class. Teachers work one-on-one with the idents to help them get back on track in each of their courses. To help is initiative, The University of Findlay teacher candidates in the ‘Adolescent/Young Adult Program utilize content reading strategies to help have also been ing. Freshmen 20 minutes to eat lunch, A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY jeachers to have meaningful discus isolation in the teaching profession. Time, during the school year, is set aside for teacher meetings and retreat ing is also implemented to support collaboration. Pett upon our Curent moment, we have embraced the profes sional learning community framework (Dufour, 2001). Following Out istics of professional leaming commun