Lynchburg College Digital Showcase @ Lynchburg College Graduate Dissertations and Theses 5-12-2018 A FRESHMAN BRIDGE PROGRAM: TRANSITION TO SUCCESS Amy Hale Lynchburg College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalshowcase.lynchburg.edu/etd Part of the Educational Leadership Commons Recommended Citation Hale, Amy, "A FRESHMAN BRIDGE PROGRAM: TRANSITION TO SUCCESS" (2018). Graduate Dissertations and Theses. 31. https://digitalshowcase.lynchburg.edu/etd/31 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Showcase @ Lynchburg College. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Showcase @ Lynchburg College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A FRESHMAN BRIDGE PROGRAM: TRANSITION TO SUCCESS _______________________________ A Dissertation Presented to The Faculty of Lynchburg College _________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) _________________________________ by Amy Hale, Ed.S., M.A., B.S. May 12, 2018 2 © Copyright by Amy Hale All Rights Reserved May 2018 3 4 Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................. 10 Dedication ......................................................................................................................... 12 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... 13 Chapter One: Introduction ........................................................................................... 14 Significance of the Study .............................................................................................. 16 Definitions..................................................................................................................... 17 Problem Statement ........................................................................................................ 19 Roadmap of the Dissertation ......................................................................................... 19 Chapter Two: Review of the Literature ............................................................................ 21 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 21 Historical Context of High Schools, Ninth Grade, and Graduation ............................. 21 Why the Ninth Grade Matters ....................................................................................... 23 Challenges and Positive Aspects of Ninth Grade ......................................................... 24 Development of Students. ......................................................................................... 24 Institutional Factors .................................................................................................. 25 Academic Concerns .................................................................................................. 27 Student Attitude ............................................................................................................ 28 Student Attitude Toward Math .................................................................................. 30 Student Achievement and Attendance .......................................................................... 31 5 Summer Learning Gap .................................................................................................. 32 Baltimore Beginning School Study .......................................................................... 33 Summer Learning Programs ......................................................................................... 33 Examples of Summer Learning Programs .................................................................... 35 Dekalb County’s Summer Bridge Program .............................................................. 35 Upward Bound .......................................................................................................... 35 Step Up to High School ............................................................................................ 36 Freshmen Academies .................................................................................................... 37 Talent Development Model ....................................................................................... 38 Math Strategies ............................................................................................................. 38 A Continuum of Interventions ...................................................................................... 42 Transitional Team ...................................................................................................... 43 Career Counseling and Case Management ............................................................... 44 Student Data Monitoring........................................................................................... 45 Peer Tutoring ............................................................................................................. 46 Summary ....................................................................................................................... 47 Chapter Three: Methodology ........................................................................................... 49 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 49 Problem Statement ........................................................................................................ 50 Research Questions and Hypotheses ............................................................................ 51 6 Research Design............................................................................................................ 52 Spring of 2017 Research ........................................................................................... 54 Summer of 2017 Research ........................................................................................ 55 Fall of 2017 Research ............................................................................................... 55 December of 2017 Research ..................................................................................... 56 Background of Central Virginia High School ............................................................... 58 Personal Context ........................................................................................................... 59 Freshman Bridge Program Curriculum ......................................................................... 60 Participants and Data Collection ................................................................................... 61 Description of Instrumentation and Measurement Procedures ..................................... 63 Data Analysis ................................................................................................................ 64 Justification of the Design ............................................................................................ 66 Conclusions ................................................................................................................... 68 Chapter Four: Analysis of Data........................................................................................ 71 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 71 Description of the Sample ............................................................................................. 71 Quantitative Findings .................................................................................................... 76 Conclusion of Quantitative Findings. ....................................................................... 89 Qualitative Findings ...................................................................................................... 90 Focus Group Themes ................................................................................................ 91 7 Conclusion of Focus Group Analysis ..................................................................... 102 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 103 Chapter 5: Discussion of Findings and Recommendations ........................................... 104 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................... 104 Summary of Findings .................................................................................................. 104 Implications for Practice ..............................................................................................113 Limitations ...................................................................................................................115 Future Research ...........................................................................................................118 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................119 References ....................................................................................................................... 121 Appendix A: School Attitude Assessment