Learn4Life: One Key to Solving the Dropout Crisis is by Saving the Ninth Graders

Students who repeat ninth grade are 75 percent more likely to drop out of high school

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ninth grade is hard. Being 14 or 15 years old and experiencing multiple emotional and hormonal changes is challenging. Now after two years of remote instruction, many students entering high school as freshmen must navigate a new, larger school, while finding the schoolwork more difficult, with core classes and standardized tests. Even previous straight-A students see their grades slip for the first time.

It’s no surprise that ninth graders have the lowest grade point average, the most missed classes, more failing grades and more behavioral problems than any other high-school grade level.¹ About 22 percent of students repeat ninth grade (more than any other grade), and the results can be disastrous – students face peer judgment and low self-esteem and have a 75 percent probability of dropping out of high school.²

Click to Tweet: About 22% of students repeat 9th grade (more than any other grade), and the results can be disastrous – students face peer judgment and low self-esteem and have a 75% probability of dropping out of high school. #FreshmanYear #Learn4LifeSchools

So, what is being done to save our ninth graders?

Learn4Life, a network of 80+ nonprofit public schools dedicated to personalized learning, is rescuing many of those teens who either repeated ninth grade or simply did not promote to 10^th grade. In some of its schools, this represents as much as 91 percent of the student population.

“For years educators have seen reports about how ninth grade is such a pivotal year for high school students, yet not enough is being done to provide extra help for this fragile group,” said Lindsay Reese, area superintendent. “They come to us as a last resort to catch up. Because of the pandemic-related learning loss, we are seeing a huge number of ninth graders who are more than a year behind in credits or have already dropped out.”

Reese said that thanks to Learn4Life’s model of one-on-one, personalized instruction, a low student-to-teacher ratio, and extra tutoring and counseling, 90 percent of Learn4Life students are successful by either graduating or catching up on credits and returning to their traditional school for graduation.

“Not all students do well in a traditional classroom setting,” she explained. “For more than 20 years we’ve proven that structuring the type of instruction to the way students learn is highly successful.”

She points out that April is a critical time for ninth graders as the school year winds down. “Teachers and parents need to identify students who are struggling and get them the extra help they need. Options include tutoring, online courses or summer school to catch up. Let’s save those ninth graders!”

Read about some Learn4Life students who overcame obstacles to graduate at https://learn4life.org/student-stories/.

About Learn4Life

Learn4Life is a network of nonprofit public schools that provides students personalized learning, career training and life skills. Each school is locally controlled, tuition free and gives students the flexibility and one-on-one attention they need to succeed. Serving more than 47,000 students – including full-time and intersession students – we help them prepare for a future beyond high school. For more information, please visit www.learn4life.org.

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¹ Institute of Education Sciences: The Importance of the Ninth Grade on High School Graduation Rates and Student Success, McCallumore, Kyle Megan; Sparapani, Ervin F.
² Institute of Education Sciences: The Importance of the Ninth Grade on High School Graduation Rates and Student Success, McCallumore, Kyle Megan; Sparapani, Ervin F.