Sunshine Elementary: Transition to Middle School by Marjorie Bazin

1. Sunshine Elementary

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School Name: Sunshine Elementary

Location: 123 School Lane, Miami, Florida

School Size: K-5th Grade: 500 students, 60 Staff members

School Population: Title 1, English Language Learners

Staff Population: (15%) African American, (50%)Hispanic, (15% Asian), (10%) Multicultural, (10%) Caucasian

Student Population: (30%) African American,( 40%) Hispanic, (4%) Asian, (5%) Caucasian, (20%) Multiracial, (1%) American Indian

School Culture (vision Statement): Sunshine Elementary fosters an equitable and inclusive community where ALL are accountable for creating a safe space to feel heard, valued, accepted, and respected.

Identified Group: 5th graders who will be transitioning to middle school next year and are experiencing anxiety and nervousness about the transition.

Literature Review: The literature suggested that transitioning from elementary to middle school can be difficult, especially if students face many challenges. Within our school, we have students who face complex challenges. Some of our students come from low-income households, have incarcerated parents, and language barriers. Our students also need help with change. Their first time in a physical school building was in second grade. They started their elementary career virtually, and getting them to transition into the physical space was very difficult. So we noticed that change is difficult for our students, and now they are leaving elementary school and transitioning to middle school. The middle school environment can cause increased stress for students. Middle schools can be larger, more bureaucratic, and impersonal, causing challenges for students adjusting to their new environments. Students may need help with teachers as elementary teachers are replaced by multiple middle school teachers who may be stricter, less available, and more inclined to emphasize academic performance (Lovette-Wilson et al., 2020).

2. Needs Assessment

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Megginson & Maddox (2018) state that a needs assessment is “a survey completed by students, parents, teachers and/or administrators that offers a data-informed direction for a comprehensive school counseling program.” In our particular group, the needs assessment will be a self-assessment for 5th graders entering middle school. To track the needs assessment and easily pull data, a Google form will be sent to students to fill out at the beginning/middle of the third quarter (assume the school has four quarters in the year). Providing the survey at the beginning/middle of the third quarter will allow time to review the data and receive teacher input on students as needed. The blog post from Counselor Keri Powers, MA EdD, MEd, NCC (2013), broke up the needs assessment into four categories: academic, emotional, self-management, and social skills. Under each sub-section, the student could rate them from most concern to least concern. Other examples of questions came from SCARED Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Disorders.

Emotional Skills

___ Recognizing and expressing emotions

___Expressing needs

___ Taking breaks when needed to regulate emotions

Self-Management Skills

___ Handling strong emotions

__Social filtering (think it or say it)

__ using effective calming strategies

Academic Skills

__ Listening and following directions

__setting and measuring goals

__managing time

__Keeping materials organized

___ ignoring distractions

Social Skills

__ making/maintaining friendships

__collaborating in groups

__resolving conflicts

__responding to incidences of teasing/bullying

Along with these reflections, questions to also ask will include

1. On a scale of 1-5 (1 being least concerned to 5 being most concerned), How concerned are you with being prepared to enter middle school?

2. On a scale of 1-5, Having more than one teacher confuses me.

3. T or F- I am afraid of having an anxiety (or panic) attack.

4. T or F- People tell me I worry too much

5. T or F- I worry about things working out for me.

By providing the assessment in a Google sheet, the data can quickly be sorted into need-based criteria, including listing students who rated high concern for being prepared for middle school and having more than one teacher. It can also group students who mostly picked true for the later questions. Based on the results, students who scored higher for having anxiety going into middle school will be placed in groups of 5-10 students.

3. Group Rationale

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Mental health concerns must be paramount when serving this age group. Biological development in early adolescence is dramatic as children enter puberty. As children develop at vastly different rates, physical changes can act as an impetus for psychological distress; children who develop at noticeably faster or slower rates than their peers may experience a higher incidence of depressive episodes and social distress. Professionals dealing with this population must be cognizant that self-esteem concerns peak in early adolescence; as such, the transition from elementary to middle school may be particularly stressful, causing depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorders (Wigfield et al., 2005).

As social beings, students transitioning to middle school must be well-prepared for the challenges ahead. Early adolescence offers crucial opportunities for a child's development of self-identity. Key to this process is the successful navigation of social relationships and a healthy increase of independence from the family unit. As peer relationships take center stage, students must receive structured support to ensure healthy development.

Cognitively, this developmental stage also holds enormous change. During early adolescence, brain synapses connect, building pathways for abstract and higher-level thinking. Because of these changes, middle school years must be recognized as a critical stage of academic growth in a student's life. Success in this developmental stage sets the child up for optimal participation in high school and preparing for college and career paths.

Throughout late elementary and middle school, parental influence diminishes, and children may be more prone to building strong bonds with teachers and counselors. Because of this natural shift from family to school as the center of influence, professional educators must be proactive in helping students navigate the ever-changing waters of adolescence. From increased academic rigor and responsibility to mental and social development trials, this age group must be prepared to endure incredible changes within a short period. With this in mind, designing a program that helps at-risk students make a healthy transition between elementary and middle school better ensures that these changes are met positively and lead to optimized success (Wigfield et al., 2005).

4a. Goals & Objectives

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Emotional Support: Providing a safe and supportive environment for students to express their feelings, fears, and anxieties about the transition to middle school.
Social Skill Development: Helping students develop the social skills necessary to navigate new peer relationships and social dynamics in a larger school setting.
Resilience Building: Equipping students with coping strategies and resilience-building techniques to manage stress and adapt to change effectively.
Academic Preparation: Offering resources and guidance to help students understand and prepare for the academic challenges they may encounter in middle school, such as increased workload and higher academic expectations.
Self-Awareness: Facilitating self-assessment and reflection activities to help students identify their strengths, challenges, and areas for growth as they transition to middle school.
Resource Awareness: Introducing students to various resources and support services available in their new middle school environment, such as counseling services, academic support programs, and extracurricular activities.
Community Building: Fostering a sense of belonging and community among transitioning students, encouraging peer support and collaboration as they navigate the transition together.

4b. ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors

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These goals align with Mindset Standard M-1 & M-5: Belief in the development of the whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional, and physical well-being. This mindset emphasizes students' belief in their ability to succeed academically, which is essential for their well-being (ASCA, 2021).

Learning strategies: Aligns with Behavior Standard B-LS1: Demonstrate critical-thinking skills to make informed decisions. This standard emphasizes developing skills necessary for effective learning, including critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making.

Academic goal setting: Aligns with Behavior Standard B-LS7: Demonstrate effective coping skills when faced with a problem. Setting academic goals requires students to identify challenges and develop strategies for overcoming them, demonstrating effective coping skills.

Perseverance: Aligns with Behavior Standard B-SMS10: Demonstrate ability to manage transitions and adapt to changing situations and responsibilities. This standard emphasizes students' ability to persevere and adapt in the face of challenges and transitions, such as the transition to middle school.

Responsible decision-making: Aligns with Behavior Standard B-SMS9: Demonstrate social maturity and behaviors appropriate to the situation and environment. Responsible decision-making involves considering the consequences of one's actions and making choices that align with personal values and goals, which align with this behavior standard.

Social awareness: Aligns with Behavior Standard B-SS2: Create positive and supportive relationships with other students. Social awareness involves understanding and empathizing with others' perspectives and feelings, which is essential for creating positive peer relationships.

(ASCA, 2021)

5. Group Parameters

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Our small groups will have 5-10 students from the 5th-grade class, depending on how many students express high levels of anxiety and nervousness about transitioning into middle school. A group of this size is big enough to provide opportunities for interactions and small enough for everyone to be involved (Corey et al., 2018).
This will be a closed group, as students will be given the needs assessment at the beginning/middle of their third quarter to assess their feelings about transitioning into middle school. Only the students who express high levels of anxiety and nervousness will be a part of these small groups. Within closed groups, members are expected to remain in the group until it ends, and new members are not added (Corey et al., 2018). Having a closed group ensures that the selected students are engaging in all the necessary groups to assist in their transition to middle school and not just coming to one or two and not returning.
The groups will be conducted during the last nine weeks of school (April-May). They will be conducted each week on Wednesday during advisory time for 40 minutes. The advantages of time-limited groups are that the time allows for cohesion and productive work and that members can continue practicing their newly acquired interpersonal skills (Corey et al., 2018).
The groups will be conducted within the classrooms where students are comfortable, and the counselor can arrange for participants to sit in a circle, allowing all to see one another and giving them freedom of movement (Corey et al., 2018).

6. Meeting Logistics

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When: The last nine weeks of school ( from April to May)

Where: In the classroom. Each professional school counselor will be assigned a classroom.

Schedule: The group will take place each week on Wednesday during advisory for 40 minutes.

7. Communication

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According to the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors (American School Counselor Association, 2022), "school counselors inform parents and guardians of student participation of small group" (Section A. 7.b.) Because this is happening in the school setting at the beginning of the year, a blank consent form will be sent out to parents at the beginning of the year to prevent any delays in starting the group when scheduled. Any questions the parent or guardian might have about what groups their child could choose or what is offered will rely on the parent/guardian contacting the school (Schimmel & Jacobs, 2022).

The weekly counselor newsletter can also communicate the group's logistics with the administration, parents, and teachers. This newsletter is sent weekly to keep all stakeholders updated on upcoming events and activities. This will also allow parents and guardians to express interest in groups they may want their child to attend. An additional email should be sent to the administration and teachers with the times, locations, and names of students participating in the group.

8. Target Population

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We are proposing work with a small group of students considered at-risk for a successful transition to middle school. We recognize that the shift from elementary to middle school is rife with stress and anxiety for many students and that optimal development during these years is critical for academic and social success. As such, we want to provide proactive support to prepare students for the rigor and responsibility of learning and set them up for success with social and mental health development. Before the last quarter of school, all fifth graders will be asked to complete a survey gauging their readiness to deal with the imminent changes. This self-assessment will focus on discovering students’ emotional, academic, and social security levels, and their abilities to self-manage the changes before them. Students who emerge as most at-risk will be selected for the small group experience.

9. Selection Criteria

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To create assessment criteria for selecting participants for the group experience, we must define a set of factors aligning with our program's goals and objectives. These criteria should cover how anxious students are, their social and emotional needs, their academic readiness, and their willingness to participate actively in the group. Once we have our criteria, we will use assessment tools like surveys or questionnaires to gather information from all potential participants. We will then evaluate each participant's responses based on these criteria, assigning scores accordingly (Community Tool, 2024). For example, higher scores might go to students who express more intense feelings of anxiety or show strong interpersonal communication skills. After tallying the scores, we will rank the participants from highest to lowest. When making our final selections, we will also consider additional factors like attendance, diversity, parental support, and behavior. Our goal is to create a diverse and cohesive group that will benefit the most from the experience.

10. Member Selection and Identification

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A crucial step when creating a group is identifying members whose needs are compatible with the group's goals (Corey et al., 2018). For this specific group, the goals are to ensure that 5th-grade students feel academically, socially, and emotionally ready to transition into middle school. To screen the 5th-grade students properly, they will each complete a self-administered needs assessment. This assessment will be given at the beginning/middle of the third quarter and will let staff know which students are experiencing high levels of anxiety and nervousness due to their impending transition to middle school. The questions on the self-assessment will determine how students view their academic, emotional, and social skills. The assessment will be a Likert scale where students will circle how strongly they agree or disagree with a statement between 1 and 5.

11. Theoretical Orientation

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The type of theoretical orientation that will be used in this process will be cognitive behavioral therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy has been effective for a range of problems, including anxiety, which will work for our population. CBT is structured and goal-oriented. It also helps with managing anxiety and stress. Which correlates with our students as they transition to middle school.

12. Ethical Considerations

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Proving a safe place for students to discuss their fears, worries, and victories is key to running this small group. In one of the first sessions, a clear sign of the group rules should be discussed and posted for all to see. A group contract should also be signed by all the group members attending to ensure an understanding of each member's expectations. Clear guidelines will also be discussed if those rules are broken, including calling home or being removed from the group.

13. Measure of Efficacy

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According to the ASCA, school counselors should provide sound group counseling experiences for targeted students and use data to inform their practice. As such, students should be selected by measurable means, and growth should be determined through data collection. Group outcomes should be continuously reflected upon so that necessary adjustments are made for the current group and future interventions (ASCA, 2020). Baseline information on the students’ self-assessments will be maintained and referred to throughout the small group experience. At the four-week mark, approximately halfway through the nine weeks, students will be asked to complete the self-assessment again to gauge progress and make necessary adjustments. After the nine weeks, students will once again complete the assessment, comparing preparedness from the beginning to the end of the experience. The counselors will also maintain an awareness of the students’ grades, attendance, and discipline data to ensure they fully understand the participants’ well-being. Optimally, the counselors may also communicate with middle school staff regarding these targeted students in the upcoming school year to gain information about how successful their transition was; this information may be used further to adjust the small group program for incoming students.

14. Student Feedback

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Survey: A set of questions that are clear & concise language that students can answer after the to the lesson on their thoughts and ways we can improve.

Additional Options:
Group Discussions: Small group discussions or meetings where they can share their feedback
Digital Feedback Platforms: Utilize digital feedback platforms or apps specifically designed for children to gather feedback in a fun and interactive way.
Classroom Feedback Box: Set up a feedback box in the classroom where students can anonymously submit written feedback or suggestions, allowing them to express their thoughts privately and encourage honesty.
Pre-test & Post-test: Have questions students can answer before and after the lesson. Have them take the same questions to gauge how they feel overall.

marjoriebazin8 — 2024-03-12 00:16:53 UTC

30 post-event survey questions to gather feedback. Heritage Center. (2022). https://heritagecenter.mn/post-event-survey-questions/

American School Counselor Association (ASCA). https://www.schoolcounselor.org/newsletters/october-2018/upgrading-your-needs-assessment#:~:text=A%20needs%20assessment%20is%20a

American School Counselor Association. (2021). ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/7428a787-a452-4abb-afec-d78ec77870cd/Mindsets-Behaviors.pdf

American School Counselor Association. (2022). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/44f30280-ffe8-4b41-9ad8-f15909c3d164/EthicalStandards.pdf

Chang-Caffaro, S., & Caffaro, J. (2018). Differences that make a difference: Diversity and the process group leader. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 68(4), 483–497. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207284.2018.1469958

Community Tool Box. (2024). Conducting Needs Assessment Surveys. Assessing Community Needs and Resources. Conducting Needs Assessment Surveys. https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/assessing-community-needs-and-resources/conducting-needs-assessment-surveys/main

Corey, M. S., Corey, G., & Corey, C. (2018). Groups: Process and Practice (10th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Kids Health. (2016). Teacher’s guide: Stress (grades 3 to 5). https://classroom.kidshealth.org/classroom/3to5/problems/emotions/stress.pdf

Lovette-Wilson, C., Orange, A., & Corrales, A. (2020). Factors influencing student transition from elementary to Middle School. Educational Studies, 48(3), 424–441. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2020.1767039

Megginson, A. J., & Maddox, R. P. (2018). Upgrading Your Needs Assessment. Upgrading Your Needs Assessment -

OHSU. (2019). Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED). https://www.ohsu.edu/sites/default/files/2019-06/SCARED-form-Parent-and-Child-version.pdf

Powell, L. (n.d.). Small Group Counseling. School Counseling for Third Culture Kids. https://counselingthirdculturekids.wordpress.com/small-group-counseling/

Powers, K. (2013). School Counseling Needs Assessment. Counselor Keri. https://www.counselorkeri.com/2018/07/08/school-counseling-needs-assessment/

Rashid, S. (2023). 9 ways to collect effective feedback in teaching from students - upeducators - helping teachers, educators, tutors, tuitions, and parents in online teaching with technology. upEducators. https://www.upeducators.com/blog/9-ways-to-collect-effective-feedback-in-teaching-from-students/

Schimmel, C. J. & Jacobs, E. (2022) Uniquely School Counseling: Overcoming Challenges to Group Work. In S.I. Springer, L.J. Moss & C.J. Schimmel, A School Counselor's Guide to Small Groups: Coordination, Leadership and Assessment (2nd ed. pp.54-59).

Wigfield, A., Lutz, S. L., & Wagner, A. L. (2005). Early adolescents’ development across the middle school years: Implications for school counselors. Professional School Counseling, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759x0500900206

Getting Ready for Middle School Part 1: Fears & Faves

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Getting Ready for Middle School Part 2: The School Day

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Getting Ready for Middle School Part 3: Friends & Activities

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