RISE by 5 Strategies

When we first launched the RISE Network, we were clear about our student outcome goals, desire to be data-driven, and commitments to equity and collaboration. Initially, we were less precise about which strategies we would pursue to achieve our goals. Instead, we embraced a networked improvement model whereby school communities reviewed their data, identified high-leverage opportunities, piloted new ideas, iterated, and scaled promising practices. In the beginning, each school pursued different innovations, and we learned about what worked under specific conditions. This led RISE partners to formally adopt five network-wide focus areas — or the RISE by 5 framework — to increase on-track achievement in and beyond high school. These focus areas with aligned strategies are informed by national research, local data, student voice, and educator expertise. 

The RISE by 5 focus areas support innovation and improvement at the network, school, educator team, individual educator, and student levels. Importantly, each RISE high school pursues the RISE by 5 framework in unique ways to reflect local context and priorities, and variation across schools supports continued learning as a network community. 

RISE high schools work across five focus areas to promote high school and postsecondary success:

On-Track & Postsecondary Culture

School communities share a singular focus on results. Educators, students, and families work together to keep freshman success, on-track achievement, and college and career readiness at the forefront.

Strategies to promote and incorporate on-track and postsecondary culture into our schools include on-track coaches, on-track conferences, on-track celebrations with families and students, and senior signing days.

Targeted Transition Supports

Students benefit from targeted transition supports in Grade 9 and in preparation for postsecondary pathways. These supports invest in critical moments, key staff, and focused student subgroups, and equitable practice.

Such critical transition supports for students include Grade 9 summer bridge programs for incoming 9th-graders, after-school and Saturday sessions, summer college and career readiness academies for incoming 12th-graders, college application and FAFSA completion campaigns, and summer melt texting for graduated seniors. 

Data-Driven Educator Collaboration

Teams engage in student-centered team meetings, leveraging data tools, protocols, and educator expertise to take a holistic approach to meet the individual needs of all students.

Strategies include Grade 9 and postsecondary data teams, dashboard tools and workflow apps to support on-track efforts and postsecondary planning, strategic data calendars, and data-informed reflection and planning.

Equitable Educator Practice

Educators receive coaching, resources, and support to invest in educators as professionals, pursuing evidence-based ideas to create more rigorous, engaging, and inclusive classroom and school environments. 

Teachers, counselors, and administrators engage in ongoing and personalized coaching with RISE’s Freshman Success and Postsecondary Success Coaches.

Cross-School Learning

Network partners come together across schools to learn, grow, and improve. Teachers, counselors, and administrators share successes, challenges, and ideas to advance our shared goals and collective impact.

Implementation among schools includes “role-alike” collaboratives and “goal-alike” convenings centered around Grade 9 and college and career readiness, as well as the cross-school research agenda.