The Union at Stratford Middle: Preparing Students for Success in High School

The last two years of middle school are crucial in preparing students for the greater responsibility and academic rigor of high school. If students fall behind in seventh or eight grade, they have that much more to catch up before being ready for college or career. Many never do.

The Martha O’Bryan Center’s Academic Student Union at Stratford Middle is working to fill this need and engage students before they enter high school.

In the fall of 2016, in partnership with Metro Nashville Public Schools and Stratford STEM Magnet Middle School, The Union was designed specifically for 7th and 8th grade students to help them prepare for success in high school.

The Union offers after-school programming five days a week to assist with homework, tutoring, and enrichment opportunities. In addition to this programming, The Union also has a full-time Middle School Transition Coach who provides support to 8th grade students. The Coach helps them set personal and academic goals and then continues to meet with these students throughout their first semester of 9th grade at Stratford High School.

The Scarlett Family Foundation has provided funding for The Union at Stratford Middle since it first began in 2016. This program has been successful, with 50% of 7th and 8th grade students at Stratford Middle participating in The Union in its first 3 years.

Once entering high school, students have the opportunity to connect into the O’Bryan Center’s “Top Floor,” an academic student union serving high school students— creating a seamless pathway of support from middle to high school.