Middle Grades Transition Programs around the Globe

Transitions into and out of the middle grades can be challenging for many reasons. Students need to acclimate to new policies, practices, and buildings; teachers require accurate data about their new students’ capacities; and families must navigate relationships with new personnel. All school transitions present different and, at times, puzzling terrain to traverse. Some students find the move between schools so difficult that they “unlearn” skills and content, beginning a potential spiral toward being retained or even dropping out. Galton, Gray, and Ruddock (1999) estimated that seven percent of 11-yearolds unlearn reading, mathematics, and language skills during their first year of secondary school. However, others have noted that secondary school dropout rates are significantly lower in school districts that have clear