As you and your team start or continue more intentional efforts related to 9th Grade On-Track, it can be helpful to understand the vision for a high-performing ninth grade team and to self-assess your current practices. Engaging in an honest self-assessment will help illuminate areas of strength as well as identify areas for greater focus.

Philadelphia Academies Inc. (PAI) has codified best practices of high-functioning ninth grade teams into 12 Key Practices:

1. 9th Grade On-Track Goal: 9th Grade Team has strong, attainable goals for 9GOT and Firmly On-Track. The goals are known by all team members, monitored regularly, and achievements are celebrated by leadership.

2. Weekly Team Meetings: 9th Grade Team meets weekly to review On-track data (attendance, course grades, etc.) and plan interventions.

3. Effective Meeting Structure and Practices: The team practices effective meeting strategies, utilizing action-oriented meeting agendas, established staff roles, and group norms. Team creates and is guided by a common purpose/mission statement.

4. Data Utilization: Team and leadership uses data regularly to identify students in need of different interventions, dissect student issues, and progress monitor.

5. Written Intervention Strategy: The team has a documented school-specific resource guide for intervention strategies which is utilized to implement diverse strategies according to student needs.

6. Interventions Implemented: 9th Grade Team is implementing Tier 1 and 2 interventions regularly.

7. Collaborative Team: All team members take responsibility for student success and participate in the development and implementation of student interventions.

8. Tracking Interventions: 9th Grade Team has a clear tracking system for interventions (Tier 1 and 2) for Off-Track students that is easy to review, understand, and kept up-to-date.

9. Intervention Follow-Up and Evaluation: ​​9th Grade Team consistently follows up on interventions to monitor implementation and effectiveness.

10. Employing 9th Grade Knowledge: 9th Grade Team members are experts on the high school transition and 9th grade development stage and use this information to inform their practice.

11. Students Engaged: ​​Students are aware of their progress and encouraged to be On-Track. Adults meaningfully support students through goal setting and improvement planning, and convey confidence in students' ability to achieve.

12. Parents and Families Included as Partners: Parents and families are informed of the importance of 9th Grade On-Track, kept abreast of their child’s performance, and included as partners in the intervention process as appropriate.

Using the Self-Assessment Tool: Key Practices for 9th Grade Teams your team can reflect on and rate the status of each key practice. It is encouraged that you rate your ninth grade team’s current practices using this tool with at least one other colleague, set specific goals for practice improvement, and then check back in on your performance and rubric ratings on either a quarterly or biannual basis.

Below in Explore Further is a list of additional resources to assist with practice improvement once you’ve assessed the current stage of the key practices and determined goals for your team. These 12 themes are also featured in the resources throughout this guide, including in the following section Getting Started with 9th Grade Teams.