Grade 9 Symposium Overview
Building the Foundation for High School and Postsecondary Success
Join the RISE Network and school teams from around the region for a 2-day symposium to invest in Grade 9 on-track achievement as a key lever to improve high school graduation rates and postsecondary success! Together, we will transform high school experiences and student outcomes through replicable and impactful strategies!
About the Grade 9 Symposium
- What: A two-day learning experience for schools looking to invest in Grade 9 as a lever to promote high school and postsecondary success.
- When: June 25-26, 2025, from 9 A.M. – 4 P.M. each day.
- Where: The Delamar Hotel, located at 1 Memorial Road in West Hartford, CT.
- Who: The Symposium is designed for high school teams leading Grade 9 success work; we encourage schools to send teams of 4 to 6 people, including the principal and Grade 9 administrator, a district leader, and a teacher and/or counselor involved in Grade 9 work.
- Cost: For teams of four or more attendees, the cost is $1,200 per person. Individual admission costs $1,500. (Registrants from schools participating in the Grade 9 Focus Network are eligible for a 20% discount).
- Questions? Please contact pd@ctrise.org
Grade 9 Symposium Overview
Grade 9 on-track achievement – meaning whether or not a student earns enough credits during the ninth-grade year to advance on-time to sophomore year – is the single best predictor of on-time graduation. A strong Grade 9 experience lays the foundation for high school and postsecondary success. However, for far too many students, the middle-to-high school transition is marked by challenges that produce decreased engagement. The good news is that through practical strategies and new ways of collaborating, school teams can build a culture of Grade 9 success and improve Grade 9 outcomes, while also increasing graduation rates and preparing students for eventual postsecondary success.
Join the RISE Network for the Grade 9 Symposium, a 2-day professional learning experience designed to support school teams in building and refining strategies and school structures to promote Grade 9 success. Participants will:
- Understand the importance of Grade 9 by exploring local and national research;
- Reflect on current school structures, practices, and outcomes affecting Grade 9 success;
- Establish a clear vision and actionable plan to improve student outcomes and close opportunity gaps; and
- Form an energetic community of educators committed to reflection and improvement.
In feedback surveys after the 2022, 2023, and 2024 Grade 9 Symposiums, 100% of attendees indicated they “would recommend the Symposium to other educators, schools, and districts interested in advancing Grade 9 success.” We look forward to another impactful Symposium and hope to see you and your colleagues there!
About the RISE Network
The RISE Network’s mission is to ensure all RISE high school students graduate with a plan and the skills and confidence to achieve college and career success. Founded in 2015, RISE partners with Connecticut public high schools to lead statewide networks where school communities work together to use data to learn and improve. Through its core and most comprehensive network, RISE partners with nine high schools and eight public school districts, serving over 13,000 students; the majority of RISE students identify as Black, Latine, and/or low-income. RISE high schools work together to ensure all students experience success as they transition to, through, and beyond high school by using data to pinpoint needs, form hypotheses, and pursue ideas to advance student achievement.
RISE has built our team’s capacity to use data to inform decisions and expand our efforts to ensure students are on-track for graduation.
Over the past eight years, RISE high schools have achieved double-digit gains improving Grade 9 on-track achievement, four-year high school graduation rates, and student identification of postsecondary plans, while also decreasing subgroup gaps across all indicators. In 2021, the RISE Network was honored to receive the Carnegie Foundation’s annual Spotlight on Quality in Continuous Improvement recognition. Increasingly, RISE is pursuing opportunities to scale its impact through consulting partnerships with public school districts, state agencies, and non-profit organizations.