A Case Study Analysis of Ninth Grade Academy Attendance and of Other Ninth Graders from a Selected Cohort: Implications for Academic Success in Selected Title I High School Settings
Abstract
The purpose of this quantitative case study was to investigate the impact a Ninth Grade Academy in a Local Educational Agency (LEA) had on the academic performance of students from a ninth-grade cohort at the end of the tenth-grade academic year. Ninth Grade Academies were designed to smooth the transition of rising ninth graders academically. The ninth-grade year has been a focus for educators as it is a critical year when a student will drop out or continue in school. Research has noted that the ninth grade is a crucial point on the path to high school and continued success (American Institutes for Research [AIR], 2019). The transition from eighth to ninth grade can pose a very challenging period marked by socio-emotional changes, friendship changes, and academic challenges (Benner, 2017). During this transition, a student’s adaptive motivation and achievement goals can also be put to the test (YoonJung & Kim, 2019), with students reporting they have more expectations placed upon them. The research began with the review of data collected from PowerSchool. The researcher transported the database to an excel spreadsheet to separate the students attending a ninth-grade academy and those who did not. The researcher separated the data and tested for any statistically significant differences between the group means of students’ final grades who attended the ninth-grade academy (treatment group) and the students’ final grades who did not attend the academy (the control group) to determine if there were any statistically significant relationships. The researcher compared tenth-grade students’ final grades in the core courses (i.e., English, Math, Biology, and History). The researcher conducted a sample t-test to determine if there were any statistically significant relationships. Based on the results, the limitations of the statistical findings did not account for the factors and variables that may be considered in a mixed methods study. District leaders may benefit from longitudinal data regarding the potential benefits of a Ninth-grade academy in order to determine whether the investment in reorganization, professional development, and faculty and staff time devoted to planning, implementing, and maintaining a Ninth-grade academy will result in positive academic and social outcomes.
Subject Area
Educational leadership|Educational psychology|Education
Recommended Citation
Avery, Tol, "A Case Study Analysis of Ninth Grade Academy Attendance and of Other Ninth Graders from a Selected Cohort: Implications for Academic Success in Selected Title I High School Settings" (2023). ETD Collection for Fayetteville State University. AAI30487977.
https://digitalcommons.uncfsu.edu/dissertations/AAI30487977