Understanding Students’ Transition to High School: Demographic Variation and the Role of Supportive Relationships

Abstract

The transition to high school is disruptive for many adolescents, yet little is known about the supportive relational processes that might attenuate the challenges students face as they move from middle to high school, particularly for students from more diverse backgrounds. Identifying potential buffers that protect youth across this critical educational transition is important for informing more effective support services for youth. In this study, we investigated how personal characteristics (gender, nativity, parent education level) and changes in support from family, friends, and school influenced changes in socioemotional adjustment and academic outcomes across the transition from middle to high school. The data were drawn from 252 students (50% females, 85% Latina/o). The results revealed declines in students’ grades and increases in depressive symptoms and feelings of loneliness across the high school transition, with key variation by student nativity and gender. Additionally, stable/increasing friend support and school belonging were both linked to less socioemotional disruptions as students moved from middle to high school as compared to experiencing decreases in these sources of support. Increasing/stable school belonging was also linked to increases in school engagement across the high school transition. These findings suggest that when high school transitions disrupt supportive relationships with important others in adolescents’ lives, adolescents’ socioemotional well-being and, to a lesser extent, their academic engagement are also compromised. Thus, in designing transition support activities, particularly for schools serving more low-income and race/ethnic minority youth, such efforts should strive to acclimate new high school students by providing inclusive, caring environments and positive connections with educators and peers.

Systematic literature review of primary‒secondary transitions: International research

“… Grades declined (Burchinal et al , ; Rosenblatt & Elias, ; Benner & Graham, ; West et al , ; Schwerdt & West, ; Riglin et al , ; Serbin et al , ; Vasquez‐Salgado & Chavira, ; Benner et al , ), although not at the same rate (Ding, , n = 433, transition affected 36% for maths and 46% for English) Absences increased (Benner & Graham, ; Schwerdt & West, ) Dropping out (Schwerdt & West, ) Decline in academic engagement (Benner et al , ) Decline in motivation (Deieso & Fraser, ; Madjar et al , ) Deterioration in attitudes to subjects, such as mathematics (Deieso & Fraser, ) Lower number of completion in national level exams (West et al , ) Declines in perceived teacher support (Martinez et al , ) Increase in self‐reported school problems (Martinez et al , ) Emergence of support needs related to academic skills and problem behaviour …”

“…Ten studies found a reduction in grades in at least one subject (Burchinal et al , ; Rosenblatt & Elias, ; Benner & Graham, ; West et al , ; Schwerdt & West, ; Riglin, Frederickson, Shelton, & Rice, ; Serbin, Stack, & Kingdon, ; Vasquez‐Salgado & Chavira, ; Benner, Boyle, & Bakhtiari, ), with eight studies using examination results to measure academic outcomes (see Table ). Three studies collected data longitudinally and had a bigger sample than others (Benner & Graham, , n = 1979 children, eight time points over four years; Schwerdt & West, , sample taken from state‐wide data over eight years; West et al , , n = 2586 children in the last year of primary school and n = 2371 in the second year of secondary school).…”

Teen Dating Violence Perpetration: Protective Factor Trajectories from Middle to High School among Adolescents

“…First, it is hypothesized that male perpetrators of TDV in high school would have consistently lower protective factor scores across middle and high school compared to male nonperpetrators (Hypothesis 1a), and, similarly, that female perpetrators would have lower protective factor scores compared to female nonperpetrators (Hypothesis 1b). Second, given the documented gender differences for the protective factors (empathy, Van der Graaff et al, ; social support, Heerde & Hemphill, ; parental monitoring, Lavoie et al, ; and school belonging, Benner, Boyle, & Bakhtiari, ), we also expected that gender differences would likely emerge between male and female perpetrators across the TDV subtypes, though this examination is exploratory (Hypothesis 2).…”

A coping‐oriented group intervention for students waiting to undergo secondary school transition: Effects on coping strategies, self‐esteem, and social anxiety symptoms

“…Α range of studies indicate that the transition from elementary to secondary education is one of the most stressful events in a young person's life and can have a negative impact on both psychological well‐being and academic achievement (for a review see Evans, Borriello, & Field, ). For example, children moving to middle school report additional concerns during this time, including, loneliness, lower self‐concept, fear of bullies, peer relationship worries and anxiety over coping with an increased workload (Benner, Boyle, & Bakhtiari, ; Coelho & Romao, ; Onetti, Fernández‐García, & Castillo‐Rodríguez, ; Zeedyk et al, ). Furthermore, there is a reported interruption of students’ academic growth (Benner et al, ; Goldstein, Boxer, & Rudolph, ), with around two in five children failing to reach their expected progress following the transition to secondary education (Galton, Gray, & Ruddock, ).…”

“…For example, children moving to middle school report additional concerns during this time, including, loneliness, lower self‐concept, fear of bullies, peer relationship worries and anxiety over coping with an increased workload (Benner, Boyle, & Bakhtiari, ; Coelho & Romao, ; Onetti, Fernández‐García, & Castillo‐Rodríguez, ; Zeedyk et al, ). Furthermore, there is a reported interruption of students’ academic growth (Benner et al, ; Goldstein, Boxer, & Rudolph, ), with around two in five children failing to reach their expected progress following the transition to secondary education (Galton, Gray, & Ruddock, ). In contrast, young people experiencing a successful transition had expanded their friendships and boosted their self‐esteem and confidence (Gibbons & Telhaj, ; Smyth, ).…”