BURLINGTON — For many students, ninth grade is the key to success — or failure.

In ninth grade, students make friendships and form bonds.

In ninth grade, they learn the lay of the land, the location of their classes and their locker combinations.

But so many students fall behind as freshmen — and drop out as a result — that many high schools across the nation have stepped up to give these students a helping hand.

Throughout much of August, about 60 students at Burlington-Edison High School are attending Tiger Success Academy. The three-week program combines academics, mentoring and counseling to help incoming freshmen learn what it takes to be successful in high school.

The academy is required attendance for students who failed or almost failed eighth grade, though any student can attend.

Vice Principal Mike Curl said many students have been able to sail through school on social promotion alone, but “high school is where the rubber meets the road.

“The highest dropout rate is from the students entering ninth grade,” he said.

One of the main reasons students drop out early is because they fall too far behind their classmates, said Arcella Hall, director of secondary reinvention with the state’s Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

“They’re not academically prepared for the rigors of high school,” she said. “They get into school, and they just don’t keep up, and they start feeling like high school is not a place where they’re successful.”

Other students may drop out due to family obligations, Hall said.

Hall said research has shown that transition programs are important, but each school must determine what type will fit their students best.

Several area school districts have different programs, though most run for a day or two.

Sedro-Woolley High School has a three-day program starting this week called Freshman Academy. Jeff Ingram, assistant principal, said the program helps incoming freshmen understand the importance of grades and credits and what they mean for a student’s future.

Ingram said he’s seen a dramatic improvement.

“Kids that were apathetic in middle school turned things around and became successful,” he said. “Probably 30 to 60 percent of the kids were doing better.”

At Tiger Success Academy, students take math, English and attitude classes. On Thursdays, they head outside to work on team-building exercises with 12 upperclassmen.

Briana Ishikawa, 14, said her favorite two classes are English and the attitude class. She said the attitudes class teaches students how to make good choices.

Her black hair shined in the sun as she talked about softball, school and friendships.

“I think a lot of people are here because they want to be here with their friends and to get prepared,” she said. “It’s not because they have to.”

Angie Desler, a math teacher at Burlington-Edison High, said students who go through Tiger Success Academy seem more confident on the first day.

“They have an edge,” she said. “They come in organized and ready to go. It’s a big transition from a K-8 environment to high school.”

Not all students respond to Burlington-Edison’s program.

“But sometimes the change is absolutely drastic,” said Steve Zeiser, an intervention specialist. “A lot of it has to do with the mentors.”

Upperclassmen, like Corey Kleppe, mentor the incoming freshmen. This is Kleppe’s first year as a lead mentor. Thursday afternoon, he led freshmen on blindfolded trust exercises in the outfield. He said he thinks Tiger Success Academy makes a real difference in a struggling student’s life.

“I know I don’t touch everyone, but I know I helped a few,” he said. “That’s awesome.”

• Kate Martin can be reached at 360-416-2145 or at .