Moving from middle school to high school can be challenging and exciting, but students with special needs may need to begin preparing for the move earlier than other students. As with other major changes in a child's life, the move to high school will go more smoothly if parents gather information and do some planning. A good time to begin…

This article describes a summer orientation program used by a liberal arts college in New York. This orientation program utilized the systems approach as most appropriate for the development of a personalized humanistic orientation for newly admitted students. (Author)

An adjunct facility of Texas A&M University is described which enables students to make a smooth transition from high school to college and persist there. Faculty live close by and are available in class as well as out, giving students feeling of personal relationship. (CT)

The author discusses the advantages of student self-government and describes the work of student committees at Belper High School, Derbyshire, in setting up a student coffee shop, planning school sports, and orienting new students. (SJL)

Describes the characteristics of today's college student population, noting ways in which they differ from the students of the past and exploring what the characteristics of these students means for the design and conduct of orientation programs. (SLD)

This study examined perceived kinship support and parenting practices for 158 African American adolescents in the 9th and 10th grades. Kinship support showed direct associations with teen outcomes that, for work orientation and school orientation, were partially mediated by parenting practices. With a few exceptions, kinship support was positively…

Many students with disabilities entering the 9th grade express concern about getting lost in the larger high school environment, being picked on by older students, and having more challenging academic classes. The transition from middle-to-high school process for students with disabilities at Westminster High School in suburban Los Angeles is a…

During the summer, thousands of soon-to-be college students will read books as part of campus-wide "shared reading" programs (also referred as to common reader programs, one book programs, etc.). Such programs are designed to provide incoming students with a common experience and invite exploration of particular themes (e.g., diversity, etc.),…

Themes of security and opportunity are readily apparent in descriptions of programs designed to assist new students with their college transition; yet it seems that anxiety and, to some extent, fear are even more prevalent in the messages communicated to new students as they embark on their collegiate career. All college and university students…

Since 1985, freshman entering the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, have embarked on a 3-day outdoor adventure program as part of their orientation experience prior to their first semester. Most of the 700-800 freshmen entering the university participate in the program titled "Passages." While half of the group is on…

A compulsory freshman orientation program at Tarrant County Junior College (Texas) required 18 hours of class contact. During the first two weeks of the program, freshmen were presented with general information about the college and introduced to college administrators. During the last six weeks, the students scheduled 10 hours (in any…

The basic purpose of the present study was to study the effectiveness of using trained peers to lead small process groups in freshman orientation. A sample of 253 freshman students from East Central State College in Ada, Oklahoma, were used for the experiment. The instrument used to determine whether perceptions of the college campus climate…

The orientation course, described in this article, was intended to provide some help and guidance for students as they approach adolescence and enter a new educational environment. (Author/RK)

This article reports a simulation at Sangamon State University, "Orientation SSU Style," used for the orientation of new students. (HB)

A school orientation program was developed to: (1) create a positive base for home-school communication; (2) provide parents with some information related to school entry skills; and (3) provide an initial positive school experience for beginning students. (Author)