The Ninth Grade Initiative Community

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$99 - Individual

$249 - School (Unlimited)

$499 - District (Unlimited)

Every Second Friday of the month

from 9:00 am - 10:00 am Central Time

Dates for 2025-2026

September 12th

October 10th

November 14th

February 13th

March 13th

April 10th

What happens each meeting:

What you’ll have the opportunity to learn in a year

  • How to Engage with Purpose

    Learn how to move beyond delivering content by teaching to the "why"—helping students connect their learning to personal meaning and long-term goals.

  • Building Student Motivation from Within

    Discover strategies to foster intrinsic motivation by linking classroom experiences to real-life outcomes that matter to freshmen.

  • Using Assessment as a Tool for Growth

    Gain assessment literacy that empowers teachers to use formative assessments to guide learning, not just evaluate it.

  • Designing Formative Practices that Drive Learning

    Explore practical tools and structures that help students thrive while they’re learning, rather than only measuring outcomes at the end.

  • Structuring Powerful Teacher Teams

    Learn how to create collaborative teams that use data, shared strategies, and consistent communication to support freshman needs holistically.

  • Breaking Down Silos in Instructional Practice

    Apply frameworks that foster cross-disciplinary collaboration and build unified support systems for 9th-grade students.

  • Mapping the Freshman Year with Strategic Checkpoints

    Unpack the eight key phases of the freshman experience, each with clear markers, goals, and intervention plans.

  • Proactively Managing Transitions

    Learn how to anticipate and prepare for predictable freshman challenges—from academic habits to social-emotional shifts—and build proactive systems of support.

  • Walking Away with Actionable Plans

    Leave with a practical roadmap and implementation tools to bring The Ninth Grade Initiative back to your campus or district with confidence.

  • How to Identify What Matters Most in Freshman Year

    Learn how to prioritize high-impact habits, mindsets, and milestones that set the tone for a successful high school journey.

  • Creating a 9th Grade Culture of Belonging

    Explore how to build classroom and campus environments where students feel safe, seen, and supported in the critical transition year. goes here

  • Translating Data into Daily Practice

    Learn to turn assessment and behavioral data into real-time instructional adjustments and team interventions.

  • Strengthening Advisory and Mentorship Models

    Discover how to align advisory periods, mentoring, and check-ins with the broader goals of freshman success and retention.

  • Designing Interventions That Actually Work

    Walk through targeted intervention strategies tailored to each phase of freshman development—academic, social, and emotional.

  • Shifting School Systems for Ninth Grade Focus

    See how successful schools re-engineer schedules, teams, and decision-making structures to keep freshmen front and center.

Meet your instructors

Todd Novak

With over 50 years of experience working with freshmen and the teams that lead them.

Scott Habeeb

Choose Your Subscription Level

Individual Subscription

$99

One person access to each Zoom meeting. It includes full access to the community behind the paywall, as well as all recordings of the meetings. Subscription is for one year.

District Subscription

$499

Any staff members in the district are welcome to attend the Zoom meetings. Community access can be granted to as many as desire it. All content may be used in building or district in-services or professional development. Subscription is for one year.

School Subscription

$249

All staff members in the building can access the monthly Zoom meetings. It includes full access to the community behind the paywall. Recordings of the Zoom content can be used for professional development within the building. Subscription is for one year.

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