Social Tutor for Supporting the Transition from Elementary to Middle School

A growing body of research underscores the need to prepare students socially—as well as academically—to ensure successful transition to middle school and foster subsequent academic success. This project team is developing a prototype of a series of web-based interactive games to help students practice and learn needed social skills to successfully transition from grade school to middle school. The games will include a formative assessment software engine to adapt to students' levels of social skills. The games will supplement fifth grade classroom learning. Pilot research in Phase I will seek to demonstrate that the software prototype functions as planned and teachers and students are engaged by the prototype.