SUPPORTING STUDENTS ON THEIR JOURNEY
Staying On-Track in Grade 9 The journey toward graduation begins in Grade 9, and with this foundation, we support all students in continuing their forward momentum to stay on-track in Grades 10 through 12. One tried-and-true strategy for doing so is through quarterly on-track student conferences. During these conferences, students meet with a caring adult — which may be a teacher, administrator, or another staff member — to discuss their goals, strengths, and growth areas. Conversations are guided by questions and a summary of student data, including behavior, attendance, and grades, in each student’s RISE on-track report. Though concrete figures like grades and number of absences are reviewed during conferences, they also serve as an opportunity for adults to check in on students’ social and emotional well-being. “On-track conferences allow us to do a light touch wellness check on the students,” says Jamie Meurer, RISE Senior On-Track Coach for Hartford Public H.S. “Information gathered from certain students may lead to follow-up with their educators on a deeper level.”
COMPONENTS OF ON-TRACK CONFERENCES
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DISCUSS CONNECTIONS TO SCHOOL
REVIEW ON-TR ACK DATA
SET GOALS FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR
Conferences serve as a checkpoint during each marking period, giving students a voice and helping them generate a plan of action. Following conferences, Grade 9 teams allocate time to review student responses to identify themes and make plans for the marking period ahead. On-track conferences began as a Grade 9 strategy, but the momentum quickly brought this structure to Grades 10 through 12 and to additional schools such as Weaver H.S., Bulkeley H.S., and Kinsella Magnet School in Hartford. Weaver’s Grade 9 team has incorporated conference questions soliciting student feedback, then developed a protocol to review student responses, identify themes, and consider implications based on these insights, such as finding more ways to recognize and celebrate students in the classroom.
12 • 2023 ANNUAL REPORT
12 • 2023 ANNUAL REPORT
