When so much of the conversation about education is focused on what’s broken, it can be hard to find solutions to chart a path forward. TNTP’s webinar series, Opportunity in Action, explores groundbreaking research, innovative programs, and real-world solutions that are making a difference for students. Convening experts from organizations across the field and in other sectors, TNTP spotlights promising practices and opportunities that align with our research and catalyze student success in school and beyond.
The Center for High School Success (CHSS) focuses on ninth grade success as the single most effective means of changing outcomes for high school students. A student who finishes ninth grade on track is three times more likely than their peers to graduate high school. Schools that improve ninth grade on-track rates see reductions in chronic absenteeism, improved student behavior, boosted teacher retention, strengthened CTE (Career Technical Education) and dual-credit pathways, and rising graduation rates. CHSS’s proven approach delivers results across all student groups and in all kinds of high schools across the nation.
In the first Opportunity in Action webinar, TNTP’s Chief of Policy, Engagements, and External Affairs Leticia de la Vara sat down with the national director of CHSS and two educators who have partnered with the organization.
Watch the full recording to hear perspectives and insights from Kaaren Andrews, National Director of CHSS and former principal of five different schools; Dr. José Rivera, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning for the Grandview School District in the Lower Yakima Valley in Washington; and Jeronimo Alvarez, Assistant Principal at Montbello High School, a Title I school in Denver, Colorado, which was recently named a CHSS National Demonstration School. With support from CHSS, Montbello improved its ninth grade on-track rates from 65 percent to 82 percent.
Instead of adding another initiative, CHSS honors the systems already in place within a school or system, building smaller communities within large schools to support students’ transitions from middle to high school, and delivering consistent, replicable outcomes.
CHSS’s roadmap brings to life three critical focus areas that help students thrive in school: coherence, consistency, and belonging. “If kids aren’t seen, affirmed, or validated and uplifted, then they’re not going to want to come to school,” said Assistant Superintendent Dr. José Rivera. “I’m a firm believer that kids will always vote with their feet.”
At Montbello High School, Assistant Principal Jeronimo Alvarez invites student voice into conversations with educators to bridge the gap between adult perception and the student experience. “We have empathy interviews. We have a relational trust survey,” said Alvarez. “We look at what our students are saying about how they are navigating high school. It takes the conversation to a whole different level.”
Learn more about the power of ninth grade, the Center for High School Success, and the schools they support by watching the full conversation. Throughout this series, TNTP continues to bring together voices from innovative organizations around the country to spotlight cutting-edge insights, effective strategies, and answers to your questions.
Don’t miss the next webinar in the Opportunity in Action series, where theory and practice meet in real time. Sign up here to receive reminders about future webinars hosted by TNTP.
