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Connections summer program for incoming freshmen cites improved early outcomes
Summary
Connections, a two-week, credit-bearing orientation for incoming ninth graders, gives students a head start on high school logistics and shows modestly better academic outcomes in the district's cited data (about 97% of Connections students on pace vs. about 93% for nonparticipants).
Wade Kipling described Connections, a two-week program for incoming freshmen that combines building orientation, social cohorting and a short academic component.
Kipling said Connections gives students a "two-week head start" and noted it is a credit-bearing option (a half-credit) that includes morning academic sessions ("high school 101") and afternoons oriented to building familiarity. The program pairs students with peer and staff mentors and helps them learn schedules, locker routines and where to find resources.
The forum presented district data showing Connections participants (about one-quarter of a typical freshman class) had a higher rate of being on pace to become sophomores (about 97%) compared with nonparticipants (about 93%) in the cited sample. Kipling said the program reduces first-day anxiety and improves students' confidence in navigating high school.
Families are asked to sign up through middle school counseling offices or Infinite Campus; counselors and school offices can provide forms and additional information.
