Succeeding in School

Resource for Grades 5-12

| Citation

Media Type:
Video

Running Time: 5m 02s
Size: 18.8 MB

Source: FRONTLINE: "Middle School Moment"

This media asset was adapted from FRONTLINE: "Middle School Moment."

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Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Major funding for FRONTLINE is provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and by Reva and David Logan. Additional funding is provided by the Park Foundation and by the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund.

The story of Omarina Cabrera, a young student who was helped by her school’s dropout intervention program, is featured in this video segment adapted from FRONTLINE: "Middle School Moment." When Omarina and her mother got evicted from their home, Omarina felt ashamed and began to frequently arrive late at school, causing her schoolwork to suffer. Luckily, her pattern of tardiness was flagged by her school’s team of counselors and teachers, who collect and review attendance statistics every week. Once the team knew about Omarina’s problems at home, they were able to develop the practical support she needed to complete middle school and prepare for a successful high school experience.

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Teaching Tips

Here are suggested ways to engage students with this video and with activities related to this topic.

Viewing the video: Use the following suggestions to guide students' viewing of the video.
- Before: Discuss the factors that contribute to success in school. You may want to ask: What factors encourage success? What factors inhibit success? Which factors can students control? Which factors are out of students’ control?
- During: Ask about the external and internal factors in Omarina's life that made it hard for her to succeed, for example, having a long commute and feeling too "alone" or "ashamed" to ask for help. Then, ask students to describe the interventions that the school made to try to help Omarina.
- After: Ask students what they think life will be like for Omarina at Brooks. What might be easier? What might be harder?
Doing a classroom activity: Invite a school guidance counselor or other staff member or administrator to speak to your class about your school’s and/or district’s policy for helping students in danger of dropping out. Have students prepare questions ahead of time—using class time to help shape and revise the questions—then lead a discussion in which students get to ask their questions. At the end of the discussion, leave time for students to give their suggestions about ways to help classmates who may be in danger of dropping out.