The RISE Network is releasing a new study, the On-Track Coaching Evaluation Report, demonstrating the efficiency of the On-Track Coach (OTC) strategy. The report reveals that students on an OTC caseload end the year just as on-track as their peers who are not on a caseload. This is significant, in that students who showed academic and/or attendance challenges in Grade 8 are just as successful with regard to Grade 9 on-track achievement as their peers, when they have an OTC.
Read the full report or the executive summary.
Research shows Grade 9 on-track achievement (i.e., whether a student earns enough credits to be promoted on time to sophomore year) is the best predictor of whether a student will graduate from high school within four years — more so than test scores, family income, or race/ethnicity (Elaine Allensworth, What Matters for Staying On-Track, University of Chicago). Students who are off-track are at far greater risk of disengagement and disconnection from school.
According to the Young People First report from the 119K Commission, “…nearly 20% of ninth graders are off-track to graduate. Connecticut research suggests that fewer than half of off-track ninth-graders will graduate high school in four years.” This crisis affects young people living in every community in Connecticut, according to the report.
RISE’s evaluation focused on incoming Grade 9 students in RISE’s Core Network of nine schools across eight districts during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years. The report found that there is a large need for student support services, with over one-third of the students entering high school with academic and or attendance challenges from middle school. OTCs – youth development professionals who serve as champions and advocates for a targeted caseload of 60 students each – reached 60 percent of the highest-need, first-time Grade 9 students. Notably, students on an OTC caseload are almost three times as likely to demonstrate attendance and/or academic challenges in middle school compared to their peers not on a caseload.
The research on the OTC strategy shows that its impact is significant. In addition to helping students on their caseloads end the year just as on-track as their non-caseload peers (85 percent on-track rate for both groups), OTCs also narrowed the gap between students on- and off-caseload with college-ready grade point averages (GPAs) by 12 percentage points and helped narrow the gap between on-caseload and off-caseload students who are not chronically absent by 11 percentage points. Staying on-track to promote to Grade 10 on time, as well as maintaining higher GPAs and lower rates of absenteeism, are all crucial factors in supporting on-time high school graduation and postsecondary readiness.
“The data and student testimonies in this report illustrate how OTCs are profoundly changing the trajectory of students’ lives and ensuring all students have equal access to success in and beyond high school,” says Emily Pallin, Executive Director of the RISE Network. “As schools face resource constraints and increasing student needs, it is imperative that we replicate and fund evidence-based practices, including the OTC strategy.”
A critical finding of the report is that OTCs provide essential support for their students by serving as key collaborators with multiple stakeholders. OTCs work closely with educators and administrators, enhancing their understanding of student progress through collaborative practices such as grade-level improvement team meetings and classroom push-ins. They also act as a critical bridge linking school staff and caregivers, sharing vital information and building supportive relationships.
Most importantly, they engage in consistent check-ins with students, fostering trusting relationships that allow their students to access support during the ninth grade. Some of the key areas in which they support students are:
- Accountability and motivation: OTCs check in regularly with their students about their on-track status and facilitate goal-setting routines.
- Academic and social support: OTCs provide opportunities for students to hone their academic skills and support them through challenges.
- Social and emotional support: OTCs serve as caring adults and help students process and regulate their emotions in productive ways and advocate for their needs.
RISE’s report not only underscores the critical role that OTCs play in nurturing their students’ academic and personal growth, but also offers timely recommendations for leaders on how to better support high school students. For example, the report suggests that district leadership facilitate and prioritize collaboration and data sharing between middle school and high school staff, enabling proactive support for incoming students. It also recommends they invest in data tools – like the RISE Data Hub – that provide educators with ongoing, real-time visibility around students’ on-track status and progress through high school. Additionally, the report suggests investing in OTCs or a similar structure across more schools in order to be able to provide individualized support to a caseload of students with the highest needs.
If you are interested in learning more about this report and how OTCs have been instrumental in ensuring that all students are given the opportunity to succeed in the pivotal Grade 9 year, please contact Lindsey Christiani at lchristiani@ctrise.org.