Report Shows Ninth Graders Do Better with Scheduling & Other Changes

From Jonah Edelman, CEO Stand for Children

Stand for Children’s Center for High School Success (CHSS) is systematically supporting 155 high schools across six states to implement proven practices for helping as many ninth graders as possible finish their “make or break year” on track.

Through that extensive work with high schools, which span the gamut from small rural to large urban, our sixteen Ninth Grade Success Coaches witnessed firsthand the triumphs and challenges schools experienced as they attempted to educate students during the global pandemic.

From that unique, wide ranging collective perspective, the CHSS team identified seven stand-out high school practices every school district can and should adopt now to foster greater student success next school year and beyond.

Their powerful, actionable three-page brief can be found here: “Stand Stronger – Stand-Out High School Practices Every District Can Adopt”

A compelling op-ed in Hechinger Report by CHSS leaders Kaaren Andrews and Habib Bangura about their first recommendation, implementing 4x4 Scheduling, is being picked up and distributed widely based on our surprising findings about 4x4 scheduling’s major impact on Ninth-Grade-on-Track rates. Please check it out and share it widely.

There has never been a more opportune or important time to adjust practices. Going back to the “old normal” cannot be the goal. A better and more just “new normal” must be.