Do Early Warning Systems Help High School Students Stay on Track for College? Mixed Methods Evaluation of the Ninth Grade Success Initiative

Abstract

As the transition point between middle and high school, ninth grade can either set a student up for long-term success or diminish a student’s likelihood of graduating high school altogether. The Ninth Grade Success Initiative is a dropout prevention program, piloted in five Washington State high schools in 2019–2020. We evaluated the effects on student outcomes and found that the program led to improvements in course grades, behavioral outcomes, more effective targeting of services to higher-need students, and better preparation for the COVID-19 transition to virtual learning.

Keywords:

• college readiness
• mixed methods
• ninth grade
• policy evaluation