The content of this guide is organized into three major topic areas intended to provide a thorough record of the information, tools, and supports related to 9th Grade On-Track within SDP. The three essential components are: 

1. 9th Grade On-Track Overview & Getting Started

This section lays the research groundwork for 9th Grade On-Track and summarizes initiatives that are active in SDP to support 9th Grade On-Track. Many of these initiatives are covered in greater detail later on in this guide.

This section also includes guidance on a Self-Assessment, developed by PAI,  to help school leaders and teams identify their strengths in supporting 9th Grade On-Track work and where they may need to seek out additional support, guidance, tools, and resources. Consider the Self-Assessment a formative tool that users can revisit over time to see how they are progressing in building practices that can improve 9th Grade On-Track.

Finally, Getting Started with 9th Grade Teams is foundational to all of the work that follows in these materials. Building team membership, structure, norms, and trust blend technical and adaptive skills that will develop as you move forward with 9th Grade On-Track efforts. 

It is recommended that all new 9th grade assistant principals, principals, and 9th grade teacher leaders start with this section.

2. Using Data Tools to Support the Work 

9th Grade On-Track has become an important measure in the School District of Philadelphia’s menu of indicators of student success, given its strong correlation with four-year high school graduation rates. 9th Grade On-Track rates are currently shared on public-facing School Profiles,  a cornerstone of QlikBAM dashboards, and an anchoring theme of District-provided data tools and professional learning. 

The second section of this guide outlines the robust set of data tools used within SDP to support 9th Grade On-Track efforts, each with their own users, purposes, and timelines. These include: Qlik Grades & Credits, The Grades Monitoring Tool (GMT), Check & Reflect (C&R), Student Wellness Tools, 8th-9th Transition Report, and the Grade Impact Report. 

After reviewing this section, staff will have an understanding of each of these tools and will be able to identify the tools most relevant to their role and needs.

3. Improvement Interventions 

The third portion of this guide reviews a range of improvement interventions that have been identified for improving 9th Grade On-Track rates. They include recommendations for planning intervention strategies, building 9th Grade On-Track culture, and relationship building; as well as specific interventions for attendance, course-failures, and specific student groups (e.g. Special Ed, ELL, etc.).  

As this work is ongoing, this portion will continue to evolve and grow as interventions are tested and monitored for efficacy. Staff can submit interventions for inclusion in this guide here. 

This knowledge guide was created to document 9th Grade On-Track initiatives within SDP in a structured format for ongoing reference and maintenance. The first portion of each section provides the baseline content, covering the essential information on the topic, defining key concepts, and suggesting next steps. Additionally, two useful subsections appear throughout the guide:

The work in action! highlights examples of how the concept is being applied within SDP to illustrate successful use cases of the tools and strategies discussed. 

Explore Further lists additional resources for furthering your knowledge of the section topic and tools for advancing the practices at your school. These resources are organized in three levels: 

1. Emerging is intended for staff that are new to the 9th Grade On-Track work, and/or schools that are just starting to implement the 9th Grade On-Track tools and initiatives. 

2. Progressing is intended for staff/schools who have basic knowledge of the materials and have implemented core components of the model but want to further the implementation.

3. Accelerating is for schools that have successfully implemented many of the 9th Grade On-Track tools and initiatives and are looking for ways to advance the work even further.

It is recommended that staff new to this work review this guide in sequence. However, this guide is also intended to be a growing resource for ongoing reference, and staff are encouraged to revisit the guide to go deeper into any given section as you progress in your efforts. 

The guide is built for use by a variety of audiences among both new and seasoned SDP staff. Example uses might include:

• New District or school staff can use the guide to understand the concept of 9th Grade On-Track in SDP’s context, familiarize themselves with data tools available to them, or identify potential intervention strategies used by others in their role.

• New 9th Grade Assistant Principals might use the guide to identify best practices for leading 9th grade teams or using SDP’s available tools for data-informed goal-setting. 

• Experienced Teacher Leaders and Principals can build on their existing approaches by discovering new intervention strategies being implemented with the District and using SDP’s data tools to monitor intervention efficacy and inform future initiatives.

• Central Office staff can stay current on available data tools to monitor performance trends across networks and identify where additional resources are needed.