Sitting in the breezeway of Lincoln High School in Tacoma, I asked outgoing senior Celina Le about her advice for next year’s incoming ninth grade students. She shared her thoughts without hesitation: “You’re only a freshman once. Make it count. Freshman year is the foundation of your next four years.”
Celina’s assertion is backed up by data that the first year of high school is a critical transition in every student’s academic career. After decades of research with Chicago Public Schools, the University of Chicago’s Consortium on School Research found that staying On-Track during ninth grade means a student is four times more likely to graduate high school, regardless of their race, income or background. Now, in partnership with The Network for College Success (NCS), the University of Chicago is leading the way in student success strategies by sharing their findings with educators across the country...