Ninth Grade Academies

Ninth Grade Academies (NGAs) are self-contained learning communities for ninth-graders that operate as schools within schools. NGAs have four core structural components: (1) a designated separate space within the high school, (2) a ninth-grade administrator who oversees the academy, (3) a faculty assigned to teach only ninth-grade students, and (4) teachers organized into interdisciplinary teams that have both students and a planning period in common. The theory of action behind NGAs is that when these components are employed together, they interact to create a more personalized learning environment where ninth-grade students feel less anonymous and more individually supported. NGAs often incorporate curricular and instructional support for ninth-grade students, including a curriculum for closing grade gaps, career planning curriculum, opportunities to catch up during the school day, college awareness curriculum, and study/social skills curriculum. Student support services can include extracurricular help in core subjects and recognition of positive behavior and achievement. The study examined 27 NGAs created in Florida school districts between 2001-2002 and 2006-2007.