FOR NJOSH ONLY

28 E DUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP / A PRIL 2011 Kelsey Augst Felton and Patrick Akos A t the beginning of each school year, elementary schools are filled with students excited about using that new backpack, getting their favorite teacher, or seeing their friends again. Most students look forward to starting the school year fresh, and they confidently expect to do well.

New 3rd grade students, however, tend to have a different attitude. Over and over we hear, “I can’t believe I’ll have to take the end-of-grade tests this year!” Siblings, older students, and even teachers have been telling these students for many years about the realities of 3rd grade and the pressure of standardized testing. Although most students express excitement about beginning 3rd grade, they are also acutely aware that they will face greater challenges. Meanwhile, their parents typically see this as just another school year. Even education research says little about the central shift that happens between 2nd and 3rd grade.

Our experience in elementary school counseling tells us that the transition into 3rd grade provides a window of opportunity during which schools need to take both responsive and proactive measures to keep students on track for success. Developmental and Ecological Changes Developmentally, most 3rd grade stu- dents look forward to enjoying more independence, acting and feeling more grown up, and making more friends. Their brain development has advanced to the point where they can begin to learn the formal rules of reading, writing, and math. Yet these 7- and 8-year-olds still tend to feel anxiety when separated from familiar people, surroundings, and routines. Although they eagerly take on tasks where they can be successful, they are sensitive to criticism and shy away from risks (Arm- strong, 2007; Santrock, 2008).

Concurrently, the school context in 3rd grade shifts. At a time when stu- dents’ competence and confidence are just emerging, the academic and social demands increase exponentially. The curriculum moves away from basic reading instruction; students are now expected to read independently to learn core content in the subject areas.

Students are also expected to write in a formalized format, develop strategies to solve multistep problems, and take standardized tests. These are all dra- matic changes in the career of a student.

Most important, these tasks are inter- related; the abilities to read indepen- dently and solve multistep problems are important for success in standardized testing. In addition, teachers expect stu- The Ups and Downs of 3rd Grade A collaborative web of support can help students thrive as they meet the new challenges of 3rd grade. ) H O W R Q L Q G G $ 0 A S C D / w w w .A S C D .o r g 29 dents to demonstrate social skills, such as helping, cooperating, and talking through interpersonal pro\flems inde- pendently (\borth Carolina Department of Pu\flic Instruction, 2007). Here are some typical comments we have heard from students: We used to get up a lot, \fut in 3rd grade, we sit down more. We don’t do as many centers as we used to do.

In 3rd grade, we have to pay attention so we can learn a lot of stuff for EOGs [end- of-grade exams]. In 2nd grade, we really didn’t have tests.

In 3rd grade, you have to write a\fout a lot more things, and you have to write in a lot more su\fjects. In 2nd grade, you get to write what you want.

Because of the increased academic demands, students who are already struggling in reading and math often fall further \fehind in 3rd grade (Kainz & Vernon-Feagans, 2007). At this age, when students are developmentally sen- sitive to criticism and reluctant to take risks, they are more likely to give up when tasks \fecome difficult for them.

These students need multiple levels of intervention, often from multiple sources \foth inside and outside the classroom.

Recommendations for Schools A variety of strategies and practices can help schools support students and \foost achievement through the 3rd grade transition. Our experience has shown that when school staff mem\fers col- la\forate, reach out to targeted students, promote student strengths, and evaluate school practices, students thrive.

The following recommendations are therefore organized under a framework we call COPE—Colla\forate, Outreach, Promote, and Evaluate.

Collaborate Colla\foration is essential in helping students make a successful transition into 3rd grade. Second and 3rd grade teachers as well as teachers in the lower grades, administrators, and support staff (counselors, instructional resource teachers, Title I teachers, cross- c ategorical resource teachers, and so on) are all important participants in the col- la\foration process. Many of our examples are taken from Hil\furn Drive Elementary School and other schools throughout the Wake County Pu\flic Schools in \borth Carolina. At Hil\furn, educators work together in teams to create a watch list of students who are not meeting reading or math \fenchmarks at the end of 2nd grade. This list descri\fes individual student strengths, areas of difficulty, and successful interventions. When 3rd grade \fegins, the watch list is given to an intervention specialist—a support staff mem\fer who helps teachers create, implement, and monitor the progress of interventions. The intervention spe- cialist shares the watch list with 3rd grade teachers within the first few weeks of school and then meets with grade- level teams weekly to touch \fase a\fout students’ progress and intervention needs.

For example, Sean had difficulty with num\fer and letter reversals in 2nd grade, which affected his writing and math. His 2nd grade teacher created an intervention in which she told him the num\fer of reversals he had made each time he turned in a writing or math assignment, and he was then respon- si\fle for using a highlighter to identify and fix the mistakes. As Sean showed improvement in reducing his reversals, his grades improved and his self- c onfidence started to \fuild. Because this intervention was descri\fed on the watch list, Sean’s 3rd grade teacher was aware of it and quickly initiated the same process when 3rd grade \fegan, pro- viding the proud student with another highlighter. Sean continued to make Although they eagerly take on tasks where they can be successful\f 3rd graders are sensiti\be to criticism and shy away from risks. photo by kevin Davis Felton.indd 29 2/25/11 11:00 AM 30 E d u c a t i o n a l lE a d Er s h i p / a p r i l 2 0 1 1 great strides in his writing and math.

Direct collaboration between \fnd and 3rd grade teachers can be espe- ciall\b helpful in reducing the stress of the transition. In most schools, teachers meet frequentl\b within their grade level but less commonl\b outside their grade level. At Hilburn, \fnd and 3rd grade teachers have vertical cur- riculum planning meetings a couple of times throughout the school \bear.

These meetings enable teachers at the two grade levels to share their essential learning outcomes—the pieces of the curriculum that all students should master. Third grade teachers discuss what the\b expect students to have mastered, enabling \fnd grade teachers to ensure that the\b teach those areas explicitl\b. Second grade teachers share their classroom practices so that 3rd grade teachers can provide some conti- nuit\b in teaching st\bles. In addition, a no-cost experience that we have found ver\b helpful is asking \fnd grade teachers to substitute for 3rd grade teachers and vice versa in the spring. This practice helps them get further insights into grade-level expecta- tions and curriculums so that the\b can better align academic vocabular\b and expectations.

Outreach All members of a school communit\b can proactivel\b reach out to students who are at risk of experiencing difficult\b with the transition into 3rd grade. For example, at Hilburn we emplo\b tutoring and mentoring programs involving both adults and older students as mentors and tutors. One successful peer tutoring program is called Math Masters Cross-Age Tutoring. Fifth grade students who are nominated b\b their teachers as math leaders provide nine weeks of tutoring to \fnd grade students who are performing below benchmarks in math. Tutoring sessions, which take place before school, include whole- group meetings, weekl\b progress monitoring with one-minute addition and subtraction tests, a word problem of the da\b, and math games that focus on specific math objectives. Tutors receive training in which the\b learn strategies for helping students solve math problems, giving compliments, and handling student frustration. At the beginning and end of the program, tutors write personal letters to those the\b tutored that focus on encour- agement, support, and motivation. The school counselor coordinates, super- vises, and evaluates the program with support from the K–\f intervention teacher.

Jasmine entered the first tutoring session timidl\b, sitting in the back of the room and rarel\b looking up. When she was paired with her tutor, she nervousl\b looked around the room. Her tutor rec- ognized her apprehension and immedi- atel\b began with enthusiasm and praise.

She would sa\b, “Wow! You’ve improved so much. You’re probabl\b going to be beating me at these math games soon!” As the sessions progressed, Jasmine began to smile and show more indepen- dence when solving math problems. Her tutor acknowledged her successes. B\b the end of the program, she had begun to share her mathematical thinking with the group. She developed confidence in herself and feelings of self-efficac\b in math. She met math benchmarks both at the end of \fnd grade and throughout 3rd grade.

This kind of peer support can give a boost to \fnd and 3rd grade students who lack confidence in their math a bilities and are reluctant to take mathematics risks. In the past two \bears of implementation, approximatel\b 70 percent of participating \fnd grade students have shown improvement in at least one math objective. Twent\b-five percent of students who participated in the program met or exceeded bench- marks on their third-quarter report card in \fnd grade, and 33 percent met or exceeded benchmarks on their first- quarter report card in 3rd grade.

Promote Third grade commonl\b brings students’ first experience with high-stakes stan- dardized tests. When asked for their feelings about the end-of-grade tests the\b would take in the spring, a group of new 3rd grade students unanimousl\b gave a thumbs-down. “We have so man\b more tests now,” complained one student. Most 3rd grade students are un f amiliar with the format and expecta- tions of such tests (filling in bubbles, not talking, following explicit instruc- tions, and so on). Research has shown that students benefit from instruction in testing strategies and techniques (Spatig, 1996). Teachers at Hilburn have indi- cated that, in particular, 3rd grade students need further instruction on test-taking vocabular\b, test format, and anxiet\b reduction. Strengths-based classroom lessons can help prepare 3rd grade students to succeed in these tests. At Hilburn, the school counselor collaborates with teachers to provide such lessons starting three weeks before standardized testing begins. After encouraging students to identif\b their academic successes and discuss which accomplishments Third grade commonly brings students\f first experience \bith high-stakes standardized tests. Felton.indd 30 2/25/11 11:00 AM A S C D / w w w .A S C D .o r g 31 they are most proud of, the counselor conveys that end\fof\fgrade tests provide an opportunity for students to “sho\b off” everything they have learned and accomplished so far.During these lessons, it is helpful to familiarize students \bith test\ftaking vocabulary, such as compare, sum- marize, and solve . (In fact, schools can proactively help students develop such vocabulary if classroom \bord \balls in the primary grades include common testing \bords and their definitions.) Further lessons address testing formats, giving students practice filling in bubble sheets or aligning numbers on the ans\ber sheet. Last, students learn strat\f egies for keeping cool and confident during tests, such as deep breathing, positive thoughts, restorative breaks, and visualization. In an informal survey before classroom test\ftaking instruction at Hilburn, 85 percent of 3rd grade students indicated nervousness related to testing. After the instruction, only 25 percent indicated nervousness. Providing students \bith an a\bareness of the testing process and strategies they can use to do their best often helps increase confidence. Students \bho still exhibit signs of anxiety could receive additional support in small\fgroup ses\f sions \bith the school counselor.

Evaluate Any intervention, strategy, or program should be evaluated to assess its overall effectiveness, its effects on indi\f vidual students, and potential areas of improvement. At Hilburn, \be have used many data sources to evaluate the supports \be have put in place.

Sources include process data (the number of students \bho are affected by the intervention); perception data (gathered through surveys measuring ho\b student perceptions, thoughts, or feelings change as a result of the inter\f vention); and results data (end\fof\fgrade test scores, quarterly report card grades, and school attendance and discipline records documenting ho\b student behavior changes) (American School Counselor Association, 2005). A Continuum of Supports Successful transitions require communi\f cation, partnerships, and a continuum of research\fbased supports. When schools support students as they make the crucial transition into 3rd grade, students, parents, and schools all benefit. “Third grade has descended upon our family, and it is a challenge,” noted one parent. “Education is a journey, and \be are really just at the beginning of a long, exciting road filled \bith responsibilities, challenges, and hopefully, a lot of fun” (Linden Fee, 2008). EL References American School Counselor Association.

(2005). The A\fCA national mo\bel: A framework for school counseling programs (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Author.

Armstrong, T. (2007). The curriculum superhigh\bay. E\bucational Lea\bership, 64 (8), 16–20. Kainz, K., & Vernon\fFeagans, L. (2007).

The ecology of early reading development for children in poverty. Elementary \fchool Journal, 107 (5), 407–427.

Linden Fee, L. (2008, September 30). How to survive the transition into thir\b gra\be. Retrieved from Examiner.com at \b\b\b .

examiner.com/dc\fin\f\bashington\fdc/ho\b\f to\fsurvive\fthe\ftransition\fto\fthird\fgrade North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. (2007). Transition planning for 21st century schools. Raleigh, NC: Author.

Retrieved from \b\b\b.ncpublicschools .

org/docs/curriculum\finstruction/home/ t ransitions.pdf Santrock, J. W. (2008). Life-span \bevel- opment. Ne\b York: McGra\b Hill.

Spatig, L. (1996, November). Developmen- talism meets stan\bar\bize\b testing: Low income stu\bents lose. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Edu\f cational Studies Association, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Kelsey Augst \felton\g is a school counselor at Hilbu\mrn Drive Elementar\f\m School in Wake \bount\m\f, North \barolina; \m [email protected]. Patric\b A\bos is an associate professo\mr and coordinator \mof the school counsel\ming program at the \m Universit\f of North\m \barolina at \bhapel\m Hill; [email protected]. pHoto by Jo H N Matt H EWS Felton.indd 31 2/25/11 11:00 AM Copyright of Educational Leadership is the property of Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.