FRESHMAN WOES OR GOES
Increasingly, the ninth grade is seen as the make-it or break-it critical year in the American educational system. "Ninth grade in America's public schools has become an increasingly severe hurdle to student progress," said Walter Haney, a Boston College education professor who has done much research on why more ninth-graders are being held back and eventually dropping out. Expect to see educators pouring lots more energy into the freshman class.