Twin Cities schools target 9th grade to boost graduation rates

In ninth grade, students may be more focused on fitting into their new high schools than graduating on time. But experts say success in ninth grade can be critical to whether a student finishes high school on time. A new effort in Minneapolis and St. Paul schools aims to keep a closer eye on students during that pivotal year.

Minneapolis started a push last year to predict a student's likelihood of finishing ninth grade with enough credits to move on to 10th grade, and without failing any core classes...