National Competition Will Back U.S. School Districts Committed to Boosting 9th Grade On-Track Rates

The nonprofit Center for High School Success will select up to 10 school districts to participate in a grant-funded cohort designed to translate groundbreaking research into practice; superintendent expressions of interest are due by October 30, 2026

PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for High School Success (CHSS), a national nonprofit focused on improving on-time high school completion rates, today announced that it has begun accepting applications for its inaugural 9th Grade Success Accelerator cohort. Set to launch in January 2027, the Accelerator aims to strengthen school district systems, structures, and strategies to help students stay on track to graduate and secure their futures.

Two decades of research have established ninth grade as the make-or-break year for on-time high school graduation. Landmark studies by the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research found that whether a student finishes freshman year "on-track" (earning enough credits to be promoted, with no more than one failed core course) predicts graduation more accurately than test scores, race, or family income combined.

"Unlike graduation rates, which reveal problems four years too late, on-track data gives district leaders a real-time way to see which students need support while there's still time to act," said Kaaren Andrews, executive director of CHSS. "We're hopeful this Accelerator will give more districts the support they need to stop managing with lagging indicators and start acting on leading ones."

The discovery that freshman year course performance predicts graduation transformed practice in Chicago, where educators' systematic attention to ninth graders' grades, attendance, and credits helped drive the district's four-year graduation rate from 57% in 2006 to 83% in 2025. Major districts such as Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. have since adopted the metric, and states including Oregon, Colorado, and Indiana now track, report, or fund ninth grade on-track efforts statewide.

"It's hard to be a ninth grader. New school, more rigorous classes, and greater expectations of independence than ever before, and for some students, it can feel like the rug has been pulled out from under them," Tara DeBois, deputy director of CHSS. "This is about building a cohort of districts willing to commit to the sort of durable strategies that help students navigate this challenging year and set them up for long-term academic and career success."

Since 2018, CHSS has partnered with more than 300 high schools across over 100 districts to implement its Roadmap to 9th Grade Success, which has consistently enabled partner high schools to boost 9th Grade On-Track Rates and attendance. Partner schools have seen greater CTE enrollment and completion, increased dual credit attainment, boosted teacher retention and morale, and higher graduation rates.

Up to 10 school districts committed to achieving breakthrough ninth grade success gains  will be selected for the first Accelerator cohort. Over 18 months, participating districts will receive training, side-by-side coaching, data analysis support, peer learning opportunities, and a host of resources and tools to significantly improve outcomes and help high schools build impactful, sustainable ninth grade success practices. CHSS' 9th Grade Success Accelerator is fully funded through the generous philanthropic support of MacKenzie Scott for 18 months; partial subsidies are available for years 2 and 3 to enable districts to build on and sustain year 1 gains.

School districts must express their interest in participating by October 30. Districts that are selected for the cohort will be announced on December 15. For more information and to begin the path-to-partnership process, please visit https://highschoolsuccess.org/accelerator.

About the Center for High School Success
The Center for High School Success (CHSS), through its CHSS Roadmap for 9th Grade Success, provides training, coaching, data analysis, peer learning opportunities, and tools and resources to support high schools in effectively implementing a 9th Grade Success Approach to substantially increase 9th Grade On-Track Rates.

SOURCE Center for High School Success