Educators focus attention on ninth-graders' transition to high school
by Seema Mehta
As Jessica McClain, 14, stood in line to get her student ID picture taken on her first official day as a Muir High School student in California, she was a churning mix of anticipation and anxiety. In recent years, taking a cue from universities, high schools have tried various strategies for first-year students, including assigning them mentors, creating summer programs to ease their transitions and giving them extra time to acclimate to life on campus. But now, educators are going further, giving the newcomers their own learning environments.
The Los Angeles Times, 9/15/2008