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The Overall Participation in RCI Programs Was Low and Inconsistent

• In total, 4,357 students participated in four RCI programs. The number of participants increased from 165 in year 1 to 2,063 in the final two years.
• The number of participants each year was less than 10 percent of the overall enrolled students in grades 7–12 in the first four years of program implementation.
• Most participants (86 percent) participated in RCI for only one year, and more than 90 percent of participants took courses through only one RCI program.

Although RCI Met Most of Its Objective Measures, It Failed to Meet the Majority of Its Performance Measures

• The RCI achieved eight out of 21 measures.
• Five of the eight achieved measures were objective measures. The three achieved performance measures were about the dropout rate of participating students and the number of courses in the core curriculum created by content-area faculty teams.
• None of the performance measures that required a certain percentage of participating students earning a passing grade in courses enrolled through RCI programs was met.

Data Available for Impact Analysis Were Limited; No Relationship Was Detected Between Participation and Student Engagement and Achievement Outcomes

• Participating districts were unable to provide all the data required for analysis. Insufficient data limited the statistical power of the analyses and therefore the ability to identify program effects.
• The analysis based on available data did not find any discernible relationship between participation in RCI programs and student achievement and engagement outcomes at the school or district level.

Multiple Factors Contributed to the Low Level of Participation in the RCI

• These factors include lack of quantifiable indicators for eligible students; school stakeholders' concerns about the potential impact of the program on students, staff, and the school; lack of compatible schedules across schools; students' unwillingness to attend courses using virtual-learning technologies; and logistical constraints for students to physically transfer among schools to take courses.

Stakeholders Viewed the Impact of the RCI on Participating Districts and Students Positively, and Districts Decided to Sustain Most RCI Programs in the Future

• Stakeholders reported that the RCI and its programs provided important opportunities to students.
• Stakeholders reported that the RCI and the work of its administrators improved communication and collaboration between districts and transformed the climate and culture of the county.