Preparing Eighth Grade Students for Upper School Utilizing Grade Level Peer Support Programming

Abstract

This one-group pretest-posttest action research study of 2017–2018 eighth-grade students at a Pre-K through 12th grade independent school in Houston, Texas, will present information related to student anxiety during the transition into upper school. This study will seek to demonstrate lower student anxiety among eighth-grade students participating in a grade level peer-mentoring program. The research results present quantitative findings related to anxiety, utilizing the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), within a one-group pretest-posttest design. I will seek to identify supplemental programming to the current transition program at the school, which lowers anxiety among eighth-grade students transitioning into ninth grade. Data were analyzed using a paired samples t-test to determine the results for this treatment. These results will inform the administration about how the transition program affects student anxiety among currently enrolled eighth grade students.