This section lays the groundwork for Understanding the Research on 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.

There is also a 9th Grade On-Track 101 training session available on Cornerstone that provides a high-level overview of the research, tools, and work in action.