For Many Students, Ninth Grade Determines Success or Failure in Life By Jamie Loyd, Vice President of Economic Development at Columbus Technical College
S
tarting ninth grade marks a significant transition point in a young person’s academic journey. Besides the obvious changes related to school setting and instructional content, processes and outcome standards, the transition to ninth grade is accompanied by significant changes in role, status and interpersonal relationships. Research indicates that ninthgrade retention rates and failure rates are higher than any other grade (Smith, 2006). In fact, a ninth-grader is three to five times more likely to fail a class than students in any other grade (SREB, 2002).
with at least a B average have a 50 percent chance of earning a four-year college degree (Bowen, Chingos & McPherson, 2009). Students miss almost three times as many days of school in ninth grade as in eighth grade, and this increase is primarily driven by a significant increase in unexcused absences. Freshmen also report putting in less effort than they had in seventh and eighth grade (Rosenkranz, Torre, Stevens & Allensworth, 2014). The cumulative effect puts students at a disadvantage for high school graduation and for college and career readiness. COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS
ACT defines college readiness as having acquired the knowledge and skills needed to enroll and succeed in credit-bearing, first-year courses at a post-secondary institution. Simply stated, it means not needing to take remedial courses in college. According to Bottoms & Timberlake (2007), many middle school students don’t know what courses they need to graduate from high school, much less how to prepare for college. College and career readiness programs help communicate expectations about what college prep courses students Between eighth and ninth grade, avershould take and they provide support age grades drop by more than half a letter mechanisms to help students develop a grade (0.6 points on a 4-point scale). This decline happens across all performance lev- four‐year course plan to prepare for college. College readiness also means career els. Grades decline largely because students’ readiness. While not all high school graduattendance and study habits plummet ates attend college, the majority of the fastacross the transition to high school — not est growing jobs that pay a salary above the necessarily because the work is harder. poverty line and provide career-advanceDrops in GPA are especially worrisome ment opportunities require knowledge because course performance is extremely and skills comparable to those expected of important for future outcomes. Ninthgrade GPA is an incredibly strong predictor the first-year college student (ACT, 2006). Without strategies for promoting effort and of high school graduation, and high school addressing declines, students are free to fail GPA is the strongest predictor of college just as they start their high school career. graduation — only students who graduate According to ACT (2008), increasing students’ academic achievement and helping them get on target A ninth-grade student is three to for college and career readifive times more likely to fail a class ness has a larger impact on than students in any other grade. college readiness than any single academic enhance-
Ninth-grade GPA is an incredibly strong predictor of high school graduation, and high school GPA is the strongest predictor of college graduation.
20 PAGE ONE
ment, whether it be taking a minimum core curriculum, maintaining a B average or taking additional standard or advanced/ honors courses. Collaborations between high schools and colleges reduce the gap between high school graduation requirements and college expectations. Such collaborations have also been shown to increase student engagement by creating structures, instructional experiences, relationships and supports that make it difficult for students to disengage from schooling, thus increasing the number of students staying in school (Edmunds, Willse & Dallas, 2012). Programs that monitor student attendance and engagement, as well as strategies that respond to student withdrawal, can help reverse the decline in grades in the transition to high school (Rosenkranz, et al., 2014). More jobs than ever require education beyond high school. If changes are not made, America in 2018 is expected to have
Collaborations between high schools and colleges create structures, instructional experiences, relationships and supports that make it difficult for students to disengage. more available jobs requiring a college degree than qualified people to fill them (Carnevale, Smith & Strohl, 2010).
n
Author Jamie Loyd is a certified economic developer and the vice president of economic development at Columbus Technical College. October/November 2015
