The effect of freshman teams on ninth graders' academic success in high school

Abstract

"Education reform and the passage of No Child Left Behind legislation are responsible for many innovative educational programs. The purpose of this study was to determine whether grouping ninth graders who share core teachers, known as freshman teams, affects students' academic success in high school. The study population consisted of 301 incoming freshmen at West Valley High School in Fairbanks, AK during the 2009-2010 school year. Student grades in both English and science were examined. Results of a school-sponsored, Likert-style survey were used to supplement the conclusions. A t-Test for Independent Groups was used to determine whether freshman teams affect ninth graders' academic success in high school. The results were inconclusive with respect to grades. Further, team membership had an effect in only one category: knowing classmates' names. Other factors associated with long-term academic success such as graduation rates should also be examined before widespread school reforms are implemented"--Leaf iii.