Risk to Readiness: Reimagining the Ninth-Grade Transition in Guilford County Schools

The transition to ninth grade is a pivotal moment that has the ability to set the tone for a student’s entire high school experience. National research consistently shows that if a student struggles during freshman year, it can be a make-or-break factor in graduating on time. Students who are on track with credit earning and grades at the end of ninth grade are 3.5 times more likely than their peers to graduate from high school. For many students, ninth grade brings an increase in academic rigor, new school environments to navigate, and the challenge of building new social support networks.  

In Guilford County Schools (GCS), the third largest school district in North Carolina, school leaders recognized a need to reimagine how they support rising freshmen.  GCS, a returning partner with SDP, hired Cohort 15 SDP Fellow Erin Philip to work within the team to address this need after their data revealed that ninth graders historically had the highest rates of course failures and behavioral referrals among all high schoolers in the district. In the 2023-2024 school year alone, about 25% of ninth graders failed at least one course or received a suspension, raising urgent questions about how to better bridge the gap between middle and high school.  

What’s Really Challenging for Freshmen? 

To start tackling this problem, Erin launched a quasi-experimental study, layering in with mixed-methods analysis, blending insights from a large-scale student survey with the lived experiences of both students and staff.  

Through student focus groups, surveys, and administrator interviews, Erin and the GCS research team learned that both students and staff agreed that adjusting to higher academic expectations, along with the importance of earning credits, is one of the hardest transitions. Many freshmen who are used to automatic promotion in middle school are surprised to learn that failing a course means they will not earn a credit, which may mean falling behind for graduation. Students and staff also cited the challenge of newfound independence. Rising ninth graders often struggled to manage their time and freedom, needing more support with socioemotional skills like organization and conflict resolution. 

A highlight for Erin was being able to help lead the student focus groups and understand the challenges from their point of view. “Being able to elevate student voices and hear from them in their own words what is needed at that level is invaluable,” said Erin. The students' unique perspectives, along with the administrators' perspectives, shaped the district’s next steps. 

Interventions and Practices: The Freshman Academy Model 

Looking back, Erin cites the freshman academy model as one standout intervention. In this approach, ninth graders are organized into a smaller, self-contained learning community within the larger high school. These academies have their own leaders, dedicated faculty, and tailored programs, aiming to make the high school experience more personal and supportive. 

GCS has had longstanding freshman academies at Dudley and Southwest High Schools and, in 2023, administrators decided to implement freshman academies at Eastern and Page High Schools. To understand the impact and effectiveness of the freshman academy model, Erin conducted site visits, staff interviews, and a difference-in-differences analysis comparing outcomes for students in freshman academy schools versus similar schools without freshman academies.  

The results of Erin’s analysis concluded that while there were no significant changes in GPA and attendance, the impact on discipline was notable. Freshman academy students saw a drop in behavioral referrals and suspensions - a testament, administrators said, to strong teacher-student relationships and targeted supports. On average, freshman academy students received approximately 0.4 fewer referrals compared to non-freshman academy students. 

Other effective transition supports observed included student panels, peer mentoring programs, teacher selection, and dedicated advisory sessions.  “The freshman academy model can’t be done in every school, whether due to staffing shortages or not having enough space. But there are interventions that can be enacted in schools where freshman academy isn’t possible,” reflected Erin. Encouragingly, administrators across the district expressed a strong interest in learning from each other’s successes and challenges, and how to implement effective ninth grade transition practices at their schools. 

Transition Plan: Lessons and Innovation 

Building on these findings, GCS is taking a cross-functional, research-driven approach to scale up effective, cohesive practices district-wide. “No matter which school ninth grade students are going to, we want to make sure they are getting a consistent set of supports,” said Erin. The district is putting new strategies into play based on Erin’s research, such as parent and student transition to high school webinars (with over 1,000 attendees), community resource fairs, and comprehensive orientation planning guides for school staff. These efforts are designed not just to introduce freshmen to high school, but to support them through the entire first year and beyond. 

The district is also prioritizing collaboration between schools and central office to ensure every ninth grader, regardless of their campus, benefits from these proven supports. Administrators are learning more about leveraging data, sharing what works, and customizing implementation to meet their schools’ unique needs. 

Looking Ahead 

The transition to ninth grade is a precarious moment for students, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Strategies to support staff, students, and families must be grounded in both research and the specific realities of each school community. The ninth-grade transition is not a single event or day, but a process that spans the full year and requires ongoing investment and adaptation. 

By listening to students, investing in staff, and fostering cross-school collaboration, Erin and Guilford County Schools are lighting the path toward a smoother, more successful start to high school for all students.