Date of Award
2026
Degree Type
Doctoral Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Education
Committee Chair
David G. Title, Ed.D.
2nd Reader
Kathleen Wallace, Ed.D.
3rd Reader
Elaina Brachman, Ed.D.
Abstract
Many adolescents experience difficulties during the transition to high school, which increases the risk of lower academic achievement, higher absenteeism, and behavioral challenges. This mixed-methods Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice examined how educators at the HSI, a Grade 6–12 magnet school in the Northeastern United States, addressed adult practices that hinder students’ transition to ninth grade. Nine educators participated in an eight-week student-centered meeting protocol designed to strengthen collaboration and support ninth-grade students at risk of falling off track toward on-time graduation. Quantitative data included partial-interval observations of participant engagement, pre- and post-test results from the adapted Teacher Collaboration Assessment, student course performance, and attendance.
Qualitative data included semi-structured interviews and field notes from meetings. The study found that levels of collaboration among educators increased over the course of the intervention. In addition, student course performance and attendance data showed marked improvement against a comparison group. Participants reported stronger teamwork, clearer accountability for next steps, and deeper relational understanding of at-risk students. Participants also identified barriers to collaboration, including limited meeting time, role ambiguity when the team discussed a student they did not teach, and teachers’ absence from meetings due to scheduling conflicts.
This study’s implications highlight the value of structured, student-centered collaboration as a practical lever for improving ninth-grade outcomes. Continued implementation of the protocol, with targeted refinements, offers school leaders a low-cost, flexible strategy for strengthening adult collaboration, promoting equity, and supporting students during a critical transition year. This approach holds promise for schools seeking scalable methods to improve ninth-grade student outcomes.
Recommended Citation
Skitromo, J.A. (2026). Mission critical: A mixed-methods study on strengthening the ninthgrade Trajectory for at-risk students [Doctoral dissertation, Sacred Heart University]. https://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/edd/83/
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Comments
A dissertation in the Isabelle Farrington College of Education and Human Development presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education.