Grants to help ninth-graders succeed now open to Arizona districts
Courtesy DUSD
Valley Vista High School students talk to a banking professional during the Financial Fitness in Action program in this file photo. A state program is working to make sure ninth-graders are better prepared for success in high school.
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The Issue:
Ninth grade remains one of the most pivotal years in a student’s education — a time when the transition to high school often determines whether students graduate on time or fall behind.
The Stats:
Students who complete their freshman year on track are three to four times more likely to graduate. In Chicago, similar on-track programs led to a 25-point increase in graduation rates and a 26-point drop in absenteeism.
The Solution:
Arizona’s new NinthGrade On Track Grant gives school districts the resources to implement proven strategies that help freshmen stay engaged, earn credits and build momentum toward graduation.
The Arizona Department of Education has opened grant applications for school districts to implement 9th Grade On-Track programs, an initiative designed to help high school freshmen build a strong academic foundation and graduate on time.
The approach, backed by national research from the University of Chicago, focuses on ensuring students finish freshman year with at least 25% of the required graduation credits and no more than one failed class.
Schools achieve this by identifying struggling students early, coordinating teacher communication and providing targeted support such as tutoring, mentoring and academic check-ins.
“Ninth Grade On-Track programs invest additional resources into high school freshmen to help them complete their first year of high school with at least a quarter of the credits required for graduation and having failed no more than one class,” said Jacob Sumner, marketing and communications manager for Stand for Children. “Our supporters sent 553 emails to the governor and members of the legislature to advocate for this funding to be included in the budget."
The results have been significant. Across participating schools nationwide, on-track rates have increased by nearly 20 percentage points, while absenteeism has dropped.
"As a result of our long-term partnership with CHSS, ninth-grade attendance, ninth-grade on-track rates, four-year graduation rates, CTE and dual credit enrollment and teacher retention have all gone up significantly,” said Thea Andrade, superintendent of Phoenix Union High School District.
“This program has shown great success at high schools, not just in Arizona but throughout the country,” Sumner said.
Arizona’s Camelback High School in the Phoenix Union High School District was among the first to pilot the program in 2019. Since then, the state Legislature has provided grant funding — beginning in the 2023–24 school year — to expand the effort statewide.
“Any local school district that has ninth-graders can apply for a grant to work with a third-party vendor, like the Center for High School Success,” Sumner said. “We encourage people who want more information on this program or to learn how they can advocate to continue this funding to follow us on social media.”
The goal is to make early success the norm for Arizona’s ninth-graders — helping more students earn diplomas, build confidence and prepare for college or careers.
“We're keeping far more students in school and on-track to graduate, which means millions of dollars more per year in per pupil funding and less spent on credit recovery," said Andrade. "Our transformed approach to ninth grade has made us a district of choice in a state with universal ESAs. Ninth-grade enrollment was up 20% last school year compared to the year before, which means $5.5 million more state funding, and we're holding steady this coming year. During this brutal budget climate, partnering with CHSS is literally the most strategic and effective investment a superintendent can make."
Learn more about the 9th Grade On-Track program and grant opportunities at azed.gov.
Editor’s note: A grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation made this story possible. The foundation awarded 15 newsrooms to pay for solutions-focused education reporters for two years. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
Meet Stacy Stacy Mantle is joining the team at Independent Newsmedia, Inc. as an Education Solutions journalist, thanks to a grant from the Arizona Community Collaborative. She has a long history in education that ranges from teaching junior high and middle school to developing curriculum and standards-based assessments.
Community: A longtime advocate for animal welfare, Stacy is deeply involved in rescue efforts and volunteers with several nonprofit organizations.
Random Fact: Once upon a time, she shared her home with a pet coyote and two wolf hybrids. The experiences were wild enough to become the subject of her first book!
Education: She holds a BA in English with a minor in Political Science, a Post-baccalaureate in Secondary Education, and an MBA with a emphasis on Marketing.
Hobbies: In her spare time, Stacy writes fast-paced urban fantasy novels, crafts small-batch artisan soap, and is always up for hiking or off-roading through the Arizona wilderness with her husband of 23 years.
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