Evolve Student Survey Comparison School Sample
In Spring 2025, SRI researchers surveyed students at three comparison high schools—two comprehensive high schools and one composite alternative school. SRI selected comparison schools guided by student demographics such as student gender, race, English learner, and IEP/504 status composition. SRI dropped 9th grade respondents from comparison schools to align with the Evolve student population.
SRI weighted the sample of comparison students in each comprehensive high school to more closely match the student composition of Evolve on five student dimensions: gender (female v. other), English learner status, special education status, grade level (12th grade v. other), and whether the student reported failing one or more courses in high school.
We grouped the small number of respondents from each of three comparison alternative schools into a single composite alternative school in order to create an adequate sample size. We subset the students in this alternative school composite to match the Evolve population (i.e., only including students in 10th–12th grade) and create a synthetic alternative comparison school. Because sample sizes for these schools were small and many of the respondents did not complete the demographic items, responses from these schools were not weighted.
The following table summarizes select information about the comparison schools selected for Evolve, including school type, enrollment, percent English learner, percent receiving special education services, and subset of students used. The data in this table are based off the full school sample, not respondents to the student survey.
| School | School type | Enrollment (2024-25)1 | Percent English learner2 | Percent special education2 | Grade level and age subset3 |
| Evolve comparison A* | Comprehensive | 952 | 15% | 25% | 10th–12th graders |
| Evolve comparison B* | Comprehensive | 599 | 20% | 16% | |
| Evolve comparison C | Composite alternative | NA | NA | NA |
1Enrollment provided by schools.
2Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2024-25 enrollment data; Rhode Island Department of Education, 2024-25 enrollment data.
3This category represents the subset of students used at each comparison school for the survey report.
* Catalyze New Models school.
For more details on the equivalence of the Evolve and weighted comparison student respondent sample, see the student characteristics section of the student survey report.