A key indicator for a successful middle school experience is a positive transition from elementary school. The middle to high school transition is equally important. Research shows that 9th grade is the “make or break” year. More students fail 9th grade than any other grade in high school, and a disproportionate number of students who are held back in 9th grade subsequently drop out of school.
The quality of students’ transitions to middle and high school set the course from their educational future. Through partnerships with Norwalk Public Schools and community based programs, we are working to ensure that all students have the necessary skills to successfully transition from 5th to 6th grade and from 8th to 9th grade.
The following graphs show the Smarter Balanced (SBAC) testing results for grades 6 and 8 over 3 years.
In order for a student to be considered “on track” for high school graduation, they should accrue 25% of their required credits in freshman year. Those that do not accrue these credits are at a significantly increased risk of not graduating in 4 years. The graphic below shows the demographic breakdown of those earning enough credits to be considered “on track.”
