Like so many other schools, Indio High School struggled with helping 9th graders succeed; they were failing classes at too high a rate, having attendance problems and discipline issues, and just not being as academic as needed.
In 2008, Principal Rudy Ramirez and team decided to make freshmen a priority at Indio High School. In fall 2009, implementation of a freshman seminar course called Success 101 began with the award-winning Career Choices curriculum, providing 9th graders with the aptitudes, attitudes, and skills to be successful in school and in life.
In the ensuing years, attendance improved, discipline problems decreased, and failure rates declined. In addition, AP participation numbers went up, the graduation rate improved, and fewer students dropped out.