I would like to welcome the Southside High School Class of 2028! Freshman year is a important step toward graduation and we are here to help all of our students successfully complete their Freshman year. In reference to the importance of having a successful Freshman year, here are some statistics:
On average, students earning a 2.0 GPA or lower during their freshman year exhibit much lower graduation rates than students earning just a half point higher (on a 4-point scale).
Students who do not earn enough credits to be promoted to 10th grade are off track to graduate on time and have a higher risk for dropout.
In the Consortium’s 2007 report What Matters for Staying On-Track and Graduating in Chicago Public Schools, it was demonstrated that one “F” in a year-long course in the ninth grade decreases the probability of eventually graduating by 30 percentage points, even if a student has strong test scores.
Two “Fs” in ninth grade decrease the probability of graduating by over 50 percentage points (from 85 percent to 33 percent).
Our focus this year will be to ensure that all of our students in the Freshman Academy acquire the skills necessary to be successful at Southside High School. This includes providing the foundation for academic and behavioral success–and this begins at the Academy! In addition, we offer academic programs such as IB and AVID, an outstanding military program in our AFJROTC, and numerous opportunities to participate and excel as an athlete on one of our sports teams or in one of our student clubs and organizations. Our administration, faculty and staff are excited to have you on campus and to welcome you to Southside High School. Go Tigers!
Mr. Fisher
9th Grade Assistant Principal
Mr. Means
Freshman Academy Coordinator
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