Extending a Community of Care Beyond the Ninth Grade: A Follow-Up Study

This qualitative within-site case study (<italic>N</italic> = 10) is a follow-up study to a 2006--2007 investigation that analyzed how 1 high school created a community of care for its ninth-grade students through the implementation of a ninth-grade transition program-Freshman Focus. All participants were interviewed again 3 years later during students' senior year to investigate how Freshman Focus might have fostered a long-lasting community of care that extended throughout students' high school years. Findings suggest teacher--student and program--student relationships served as ways to foster a community of care that promoted a positive school experience for students. While findings indicate that Freshman Focus fostered a community of care that lasted throughout these students' high school years, it is unclear whether this caring community extended to the broader school community.