Arkansas’s 9th Grade Course Failures and Building Configurations

Authors

Sarah C. McKenzie, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Josh B. McGee, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Sarah R. Morris, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Document Type

Brief

Publication Date

2-1-2023

Keywords

9th grade; make-or-break year; high school; academic success

Series Title

Office for Education Policy

Series Number

Volume 20, Issue 1

Abstract

In this brief, we examine the relationship between course failures among Arkansas’s 9th grade students and the grade levels served in their school. We find that in schools that terminate at 9th grade, 9th graders are less likely to fail one or more course during the year compared to failure rates in schools that terminate at 12th grade. We suggest an increase in awareness and examination of how we assess 9th graders in Arkansas.

Citation

McKenzie, S. C., McGee, J. B., & Morris, S. R. (2023). Arkansas’s 9th Grade Course Failures and Building Configurations. Policy Briefs. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/oepbrief/165