When school buildings shuttered in March of last year and districts were scrambling to connect with students virtually, administrators in the Guilford County Schools in North Carolina started looking for tutors. 

Key Findings

• In 2019, high school graduation rates were similar across community areas; in most community areas the rates were between 70 and 90 percent. However, the rates for the same students by high school ranged from 49 percent to 99 percent.

• In almost every community area in Chicago, more than 50 percent of 2019 high school graduates enrolled in a two-year or four-year college immediately after graduating from high school.

Kavitya is a student Research Analyst who is currently studying Chicago Public Schools students’ experiences with early college programs. He is also a third-year student at the University of Chicago majoring in economics with a specialization in data science and minoring in Italian. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, cycling, and exploring the bakeries of Chicago. 

Key Findings

• The Freshman OnTrack initiative reframed the problem of school dropout from an outcome that is outside the control of educators to one that can be managed through effective school-based strategies.
• Ninth grade is a pivotal year that provides a unique intervention point to prevent school dropout.
• The Freshman OnTrack initiative in Chicago provides an important case study of the potential use of data to build the capacity of high school educators to manage complex problems and create systems of continuous improvement.