All students should graduate from high school ready for college, careers, and citizenship.
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This brief analyzing states’ use of indicators of whether students in 9th grade are on track to graduate in their state accountability plans under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The brief finds that although research clearly demonstrates the importance of 9th grade for student success, less than one-third of states have defined a statewide on-track indicator, and just 11 states are including an on-track measure in their high school accountability systems as submitted under ESSA. The brief also presents a set of recommendations and action steps for states to define and use on-track indicators to identify and support at-risk students, focusing on efforts to support local districts.