Success in the 9th grade will improve graduation rates.
In 2011, Rhode Island's high-school graduation rate was 77.1%, just below the national average. The national graduation rate was 78%, also in 2011, the most recent year of comparable data among the states.
The other 5 New England states' rates were all higher, at least 83%.
Research shows that only 15% of those who repeat 9th grade go on to graduate and 36% of all students who drop out do so in the vulnerable 9th-grade year.
Given the importance of 9th-grade, efforts to improve graduation rates must begin before students enter high school.
So this story focuses on Rhode Island students who were first-time 6th graders in SY2007-2008. We examine their middle-school experiences to explore what aspects of grades 6, 7 and 8 predict success in high school.
