New Evaluation Finds 9th Grade Success Initiative Improves Student Outcomes
Across Washington
Participating schools achieved higher 9th Grade On-Track Rates than comparable schools, with especially strong gains for low-income students and multilingual learners.
SEATTLE, WA — A new evaluation commissioned by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) found that Washington’s 9th Grade Success Initiative improves student outcomes, helping more students stay on-track for graduation and future success.
Released last week, the evaluation found that schools participating in the initiative achieved 9th Grade OnTrack Rates that were 6.01 percentage points higher than comparable schools. Gains were even larger for low-income students (+6.75 percentage points) and multilingual learners (+10.96 percentage
points). Finishing 9th grade on-track is one of the strongest predictors of whether a student will graduate on time. Students who pass all their 9th grade classes are up to three times more likely to graduate than their off-track peers, making 9th grade a critical opportunity to improve long-term outcomes.
The evaluation also found that the 9th Grade Success Initiative increased high school graduation rates in participating schools by 2.26 percentage points, with the impact on graduation rates expected to grow as additional years of data become available. “This evaluation confirms what educators across Washington have seen firsthand: when we strengthen educators’ routines and data practices, students receive the right support during their first year of high
school, more of them succeed,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal. “The strongest gains are among low-income students and multilingual learners, demonstrating the power of this approach to expand opportunity and improve outcomes.”
The 9th Grade Success Initiative helps schools build the systems, structures, and supports that drive major increases in 9th Grade On-Track Rates. Through data analysis, educator-staff teams, targeted interventions, and effective transition supports, schools intervene quickly with struggling students rather than after they have failed a course. The initiative also helps schools strengthen student skills and belonging, and establish consistent expectations for grading and assessment. School teams receive training and individualized coaching from the Center for High School Success (CHSS) to analyze data, identify improvement priorities, strengthen student supports, and monitor progress over time.
“Our work with the Center for High School Success has equipped us with the tools and information we need to meet the important challenge of keeping 9th graders on-track,” said Kamiak High School Principal Stephen Shurtleff. He continued, “The support we receive keeps classroom educators and administrators
aligned within our building. We are using the same data, speaking the same language, and getting good results.” Nearly 83% of Kamiak’s 9th graders finished last year on-track, up almost eight percentage points since 2020-21.
Districts such as Tacoma Public Schools have expanded the approach from one high school to the entire district. “We took Ninth Grade Success districtwide because the outcomes we want for kids shouldn’t depend on which high school they choose to walk into,” said Adam Kulaas, Chief of Schools for Tacoma Public Schools. “This work has pushed us to get sharper about how we use data, build teams, strengthen the high school experience, and design for success before students need us to intervene, shifting ninth grade from something we simply monitor to an experience we intentionally design for every student.”
First funded by the legislature in 5 school districts in 2019, the initiative has expanded to serve nearly 19,000 students statewide. In 2026, the Governor and state legislature allocated $1.5 million to sustain the program this school year, but funding for future years remains uncertain.
Stand for Children Washington has been leading the advocacy for state support for the make-or-break year since 2018. “We commend the Governor for his leadership, the Legislature for their sustained, high leverage investment of state funds, and our valued partners at OSPI for their effective management of the Initiative,” said Liz Trautman, Executive Director at Stand Washington. “But this accomplishment is especially due to the outstanding educators and administrators with whom we partner in 65 high schools across 41 districts serving 18,879 9th graders across the state.”
About the Ninth Grade Success Initiative
The Ninth Grade Success Initiative is a partnership between OSPI and the Center for High School Success that helps schools implement evidence-based practices to improve ninth-grade outcomes and increase graduation rates across Washington.
