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Program

Freshman Transition: The Role of the Principal

Pricing   Register   Agenda   To contract for a similar workshop in your district or region, contact Dr. Rebecca Dedmond.       Participants learn:   How to create an 8th or 9th grade Freshman Transition course based on the Standards   How to get buy-in for your Freshman Transition course – that first critical step   How to articulate to all stakeholders at your school:     How a course based on the Course Standards for Freshman Transition Classes is very different from any other     The difference between a Freshman Transition course and a freshman orientation program     What a comprehensive guidance course is and its importance for the early adolescent     Why students’ 10-year plans are the key to dropout prevention   How to recruit, train and retain the best instructors for your course   The importance of the Lead Teacher and how to train and motivate   How the average 13- or 14-year-old can develop a meaningful 10-year plan   How to use students’ 10-year plans as an affective advisory tool   Strategies for assessment You’ll come away with:     PowerPoint presentations to help you get buy-in for the course from all stakeholders   A copy of the Course Standards for Freshman Transition Classes   A rubric for evaluating curriculum   A set of textbooks that meets the Course Standards*   Assessment rubrics   Sample parent letters   A course to successfully launch students into high school is not a new idea. Schools across the country have implemented a variety of special classes to try and address the issue, with varying degrees of success. Unfortunately, without clearly defined benchmarks, far too many fail to achieve the desired outcomes. These struggles are the impetus for the founding of the Freshman Transition Initiative and the development of the Standards. The Course Standards for Freshman Transition Classes were developed to raise both student and educator expectations by providing a vision and a clear roadmap for what it takes to make a significant difference at this critical point in the lives of students. The result is a rigorous, research-based course from which ALL 8th or 9th grade students can develop an educational and career-inclusive 10-year plan — whether they are entering the workforce following high school graduation or have their sights set on college, a graduate degree, or some other form of post-secondary education.         These particular workshops are sponsored by Academic Innovations. Each participant will receive a set of the award-winning Career Choices curriculum. This series of five interdisciplinary textbooks provides an example of a standards-based curriculum. ($88 value)