Why Am I Bothering with Freshman Orientation?
One week from today is Freshman Orientation at my school. As I’m gearing up for this event, I am revisiting the “why.”
We use LINK CREW curriculum. I’ve used it for more than ten years. It’s amazing, (www.boomerangproject.com))
However, my question is deeper. I’m seeing this event from the outside. Why does a freshman need to come to this event? Why the hype? Why the effort? What about all the expenses? Without a compelling reason, freshmen will skip this event and brace for the first day of school by not thinking about it until it arrives.
At our summer teacher training a few weeks ago, we did an exercise called “What is the recipe?” We had an amazing year, by the numbers the best I’ve had in 14 years. I asked teachers to write out the recipe that went into our numbers. What was mixed together to achieve this outcome? I like this exercise because it stresses that there are no magic bullets. What we do truly is a recipe. So why does Freshman Orientation matter in this recipe?
At Freshman Orientation there is an emphasis on relationships. True. There is an emphasis on community. True as well. But ultimately we are doing something here that operates at the individual level and the community level. We are preparing for something. The goal isn’t to feel all warm and fuzzy about my high school. The goal is to climb into a giant goal, demonstrate that each freshman is a part of that goal, and get ready to go. Maybe Freshman Orientation is an introduction to the idea of high school at the starting gate.
The individual and the community consequences for not graduating from high school are real and well-documented:
Number of High School Dropouts: The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reported that in 2022, approximately 2.1 million individuals aged 16 to 24 had not completed high school.
Age Distribution: Specific data on the age distribution of high school dropouts, particularly the percentage aged between 40 and 70, is not readily available in the provided sources.
Lifetime Earnings: While the American Council on Education's specific findings are not detailed here, it's noted that high school dropouts earn about $10,000 less annually than those with diplomas, leading to significant lifetime earnings losses.
Cost to Taxpayers: A study from Northeastern University found that each high school dropout costs taxpayers approximately $292,000 over their lifetime due to factors like lower tax contributions and higher reliance on public assistance programs.
Public Assistance: High school dropouts contribute to over $8 billion annually in costs associated with public assistance programs such as food stamps.
Incarceration Rates: Data indicates that a significant portion of the incarcerated population lacks a high school diploma, with estimates suggesting that high school dropouts make up about 68% of the nation's prison population.
These statistics highlight the profound economic and social impacts associated with high school non-completion.
Those are the negative statistics, but what about today? What do I communicate to my leaders, my freshmen, and their parents to motivate them to attend the five-hour Freshmen Orientation on a Friday that feels shockingly optional?
Here are four things I plan to tell freshman parents this year about why they should bring their child to Freshman Orientation:
Freshman Orientation isn’t a recruitment fair. It is a welcoming party to the school they will associate with for the rest of their lives. We want to start well . . . together. And we don’t want your freshman to miss it!
Freshman Orientation values their graduation class and each freshman. The day is divided into two parts. Part 1: Gather together in the main gym for activities that are a blast for groups of up to 500. Part 2: Gather in small groups for activities that are a blast for groups of up to 10.
Freshman Orientation is run by highly trained upperclassmen. These 80 students are selected for their demonstrated success in high school. They go through 10 hours of training before they ever see a freshman. They are ready to reveal the tone of Jefferson High School. Every freshman should experience this.
Freshman Orientation is a time to connect with Jefferson High School, a place to reconnect with friends, and an opportunity to make new friends.
That’s the why. I hope they come.