The Transition To High School For Academically Promising, Urban, Low-Income African American Youth - Statistical Data Included

Adolescence, Spring, 2000 by Barbara M. Newman, Mary C. Myers, Philip R. Newman, Brenda J. Lohman, Victoria L. Smith

RESULTS

Characteristics of the Transition to Ninth Grade

Table 1 shows the students' perceptions of the transition from eighth to ninth grade. Negative comments about teachers were most common (77%): 62% of HPs and 100% of LPs mentioned something negative about their ninth-grade teachers. However, 55% also had positive comments regarding teachers. Low performers (67%) were somewhat more likely to mention positive teacher characteristics than were high performers (46%). Fifty-five percent found ninth grade more difficult than eighth grade. Forty-one percent mentioned some aspect of adjusting to a new school.

Only LPs suggested that ninth grade was easier than eighth grade (easy class work, less homework, and less responsibility). LPs, on average, reported more characteristics of the transition than did HPs (3.1 versus 1.77 per student, respectively).

What Helped Students Do Well

Table 2 shows the students' perceptions of what helped them do well in their classes. High performers and low performers generally disagreed; of the 23 factors named by the students, only 6 (26%) were mentioned by both high and low performers. Low performers gave fewer responses to this question than to any of the other questions used in this study. Within groups, there was little consensus about what helped students do well. The factor mentioned most often was working hard, but only 1 LP (11%) mentioned this, compared with 5 HPs (38%). Only HPs mentioned such factors as good study habits, seeking help from teachers, determination, and focusing. Only LPs mentioned doing the work and easier work. Items reflecting peer support included both positive peer influences, such as having friends in class and hanging out with the right people, and negative influences, such as limiting peer activities.

Why Students Did Not Do Well

Table 3 presents students' explanations of why they did not do well in their classes. The two most common explanations, particularly for HPs, were the need to study more (36%) and problems with teachers (32%). Other themes mentioned by the HPs were that they did not like their classes, lacked motivation, were bored, and had difficulty staying awake. These responses suggest that some HPs were not being challenged. The LPs seemed to have three different views of why they did not do well: those who said they did not understand the material or the class was hard seemed to be struggling with course content and needed to study harder; those who said they did not go to class or did not do the work; and those who said they acted up in class, talked constantly, did not pay attention, or were influenced by friends. Four LPs but no HPs mentioned that they did not understand the work. Four LPs and only 1 HP said they did not go to class.

Who Is Supportive of Academics

The students were asked to name the people who are supportive of their academic work. The average number was the same for both high and low performers (4 supportive people per student). Overall, mothers were most frequently mentioned (68%); however, HPs were more likely to mention their mothers as supportive (12 of 13, 92%) as compared with LPs (3 of 9, 33%). Four students named only one supportive person. In each case, the student named his or her mother (3 HPs, 1 LP). Even though 3 HPs were not living with their mothers, 2 of them mentioned their mothers as supportive of academics.