Keeping Ninth Grade Students “On Track” to Graduation and College Readiness

Identifying early indicators of high school drop-out provides focus for intensive intervention and brings attention to whether schools are effectively addressing the needs of students entering ninth grade. This study examines ninth grade academic performance and engagement measures that serve as strong early indicators that students are at risk of not graduating high school. These indicators can help researchers to identify schools that keep or get students back on track to graduation, and in turn, have higher graduation rates.
This study is funded with Research Alliance general support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Robertson Foundation.

Key Staff

James Kemple, Nickisha Stephenson

Publications

Presentation at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, New Orleans (April, 2011)

Working paper in progress.