A comparison of the influences of advisory programs, community size, gender, and interdisciplinary teaming on the ranking of transitional concerns relating to entering high school by eighth-grade students during their last semester in selected Nebraska middle level schools

The purpose of this study was to compare the influence of middle level advisory programs, community size, gender, and middle level interdisciplinary teaming to the ranking of perceived concerns of eighth-grade students who were in their last semester in a middle level school. Students from 12 selected middle level schools in the state of Nebraska were given a survey to rank their concerns about their transition from a sending middle level school to a receiving high school. Comparisons were made between the independent variables (gender, advisory programs, community size, and interdisciplinary teaming) and the dependent variables (physical, intellectual, emotional, and social concerns). Analysis of the data revealed the following findings: (1) There was no statistically significant difference between male and female students in the ranking of items of transitional concerns about entering high school, with the exception of physical concerns. (2) There was no statistically significant difference between students from rural and urban schools in the ranking of items of transitional concerns about entering high school. (3) There was no statistically significant difference between students in schools with advisory programs and interdisciplinary teaming and schools without advisory programs and interdisciplinary teaming in the ranking of items of transitional concerns about entering high school. (4) Six survey items were listed by over 25 percent of the participants of the selected schools studied to be of high concern