Freshman year has been identified as a very important year in high school. It has been shown more than any other year to determine whether a student will complete high school or drop out. Schools who examine grade-level data on a regular basis often find that freshmen students receive the most office discipline referrals and most failing grades, and also struggle with attendance. This chapter will discuss three key areas within the PBIS framework that, when amplified for 9th graders, provide the additional support needed during this transition year: increased teaching of school wide expectations, increased use of acknowledgement systems, and increased consistency of classroom systems. The implementation of additional practices are also described, including: developing freshmen-specific leadership and data based decision making systems, identifying and teaching a specific set of needed knowledge and skills for 9th graders, and utilizing upperclassmen for universal supports. [This paper was published in: K. B. Flannery, P. Hershfeldt, & J. Freeman (Eds.), "Lessons learned on implementation of PBIS in high schools: Current trends and future directions."]