Student alertness and attention span play major roles is student success.
Students who enter the ninth grade generally begin school with a high level of uncertainty due to unfamiliarity with the new school's environment. This transition has the potential to either make or break the student's academic experience. Unfortunately, there are some common factors that affect students' transition from eighth grade to ninth grade. If these factors are addressed, the student has an opportunity to transition better and begin a track of academic success.
High School Social Environment
Social interaction is an important component of the life of a graduating middle school student. Students leave middle school severing strong bonds with teachers and their peers. Upon entering the ninth grade, these students have to begin renegotiating new relationships oftentimes based on different standards from those in middle school.
New ninth grade students may experience anxiety, stress and uncertainty trying to interact with such a diverse student body in terms of ages and maturity. High school socially acceptable behaviors and practices may differ from those ninth graders are accustomed to in middle school.
High School Organization and Structure
Middle school schedules and organization are drastically different from that of high school. Ninth graders may find it overwhelming because of the structure and schedule of high school classes. In general, middle school students are accustomed to having small classroom settings, nurturing relationships with teachers and more fun-infused learning. However, high school educational structures require students to move expeditiously from class to class, adjust to six or seven different teachers' requirements and syllabuses, and the overwhelming pressure to perform academically in expectation of graduating on time.
Additional concerns include the manner in which schools staff ninth-grade courses. Oftentimes those subjects are staffed with inexperienced new teachers who may not understand all of the intricate details of the issues ninth grade students experience with a new transition to high school.
Time Management
Time management is essential for the success of new ninth grade students. Most ninth grade students are not accustomed to managing academics, social and extracurricular activities all at the same time. Ninth grade students have to learn skills about prioritization and scheduling in order for them to be successful. Oftentimes, when students become overwhelmed with all of their responsibilities, they become disengaged with their academic studies and homework first. This practice is detrimental to the student's completion of her academic courses.
Student Academic Deficiencies
Academic deficiencies result from students not mastering middle school core subject matter. Some students are able to move through elementary and middle school by just getting by academically. However, in the ninth grade, the student becomes responsible for his own learning and academic achievement. This new-found responsibility, coupled with gaps in math and reading, often places ninth grade students at risk of academic failure.
The lack of preparation may be attributed to common misconceptions middle school students have about high school. Some students perceive only the social environment of high school and ignore the importance of academics. In addition, teachers have less time and resources to assist students lagging behind academically because of the number of students under their care.
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