Is your transition program up to speed?

Nearly every school in the country does some sort of orientation for their incoming students. But in many schools it consists primarily of a tour of the building, counselors discussing course options, and administrators "lecturing" the incoming freshmen on the rules and regulations of the school.

Does this really address the questions and concerns coming from the students and their parents? If they are more concerned about getting stuffed in a locker or lost on the way to class, they are not likely to be listening intently to the discussion of core classes and the number of math credits necessary to graduate. New students want to know what high school is REALLY like and they want to hear from upper class students, not a parade of "talking heads."

Schools throughout the country have begun to address these issues by initiating a comprehensive transition and mentoring program that combines the use of:

• Professional mentor training for all of your mentors
• Upper-class student mentors for EVERY new student
• An interactive orientation day right before the start of school
• Year-long mentoring connections between mentors and new students

And the results have been overwhelmingly positive! The data is clear that schools throughout the country using comprehensive transition programs have been able to reduce drop-out rates, decrease discipline referrals, and improve grades. Now you can join the successes of these schools.