Freshman OnTrack is a data point that changed adults’ focus, school practices, and student outcomes—including high school credit accumulation, grades, test scores, and graduation rates, and college enrollment and graduation rates.

Educators in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) have used Freshman OnTrack data, together with their own information and insights, to organize work and focus resources since the early 2000s.

"On track" metrics are now used in grades 3-12 in Chicago, and also used widely across the country.

This 2-page overview shares: 

  • Current and prior definitions of what makes a ninth-grader "on track"
  • Key research insights Important developments in on-track work from 1999-2024
  • Links to additional resources, including research reports, school toolkits, online data tools, book excerpts, an online documentary, and more
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