Abstract
This Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice concentrated on the persistent problem of freshman course failure at a large, diverse, Title I high school serving a military-connected community in Central Texas. Although intervention programs existed, an increasing number of ninth-grade students were consistently failing one or more courses during their first year of high school, which revealed several gaps in the campus’s system of support. The Improvement Science framework and two Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles were used to examine the factors contributing to freshman course failure and to assess the interventions implemented to improve academic success as students transitioned into high school. The study was grounded in Self-Determination Theory, which served as the theoretical framework for identifying how student motivation (autonomy), connectedness (relatedness), and engagement (competence) shaped freshman success. This mixed-methods study used both quantitative and qualitative findings to determine the strongest predictors of freshman success: student connectedness and attendance. Students who were connected to the school through extracurricular activities, after-school clubs, or organizations were significantly less likely to fail courses, whereas attendance became the strongest predictor of academic success. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews reinforced the importance of building positive relationships with trusted adults, early identification of struggling students, targeted interventions, and an aligned system of support that addressed academic and social-emotional needs. Upon reviewing these findings, the campus shifted its approach from solely an eligibility-based intervention model to a needs-based one centered on mentoring, individualized academic support, including targeted tutorials, and attendance interventions. This study suggests that sustainable improvement in freshman success requires moving beyond the collection of disconnected intervention programs and creating whole-student systems of support because academic, social, and emotional factors do not exist in isolation. Improvement occurred when the campus used the three pillars of Self-Determination Theory as the driving elements of its support system, helping students feel connected to and invested in their own learning.
Date of publication
Summer 8-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Language
english
Persistent identifier
http://hdl.handle.net/10950/5135
Committee members
Dr. Jennifer Watters, Dr. Forrest Kaiser, Dr. Gary Miller
Degree
Doctor of Education in School Improvement
Recommended Citation
Espada, Angela, "At Risk Students: Ensuring a Successful Transition Into High School" (2026). Education Theses and Dissertations. Paper 49.
http://hdl.handle.net/10950/5135
Included in
Educational Methods Commons, Educational Psychology Commons, Secondary Education Commons