America’s Promise Alliance and DeVry announce multi-year partnership to increase graduation rates
7/30/2010
By Colleen Wilber
America’s Promise Alliance (the Alliance) and DeVry Inc. have announced a major, multi-year partnership to help increase high school and college graduation rates across the country. The partnership will be a featured component of the Alliance’s Grad Nation campaign, a 10-year effort to mobilize all Americans to take action in their communities to end the high school dropout crisis and ultimately prepare young people for postsecondary education and the 21st century workforce.
In support of the partnership, DeVry will donate $1.5 million to the Alliance, to be distributed over three years, and provide additional in-kind donations of up to $750,000 per year in each of 10 cities to support a key goal of both organizations – to see more young people earn a postsecondary or college degree.
In-kind contributions by DeVry will include cost-sharing agreements with public school systems to establish new dual-enrollment, high-school-to-college programs, providing its Advanced Academics online high school curriculum to high school students who need to make up credits required for graduation, and college and career workshops to motivate young people to pursue higher education degrees.
A key focus of the partnership will be expanding the DeVry University Advantage Academy dual-enrollment model in 10 cities across the country. Advantage Academy provides high school and college-level courses during a student’s final two years of high school, and students graduate with both a high school diploma and an associate degree. DeVry and the Alliance are currently determining the 10 cities for expansion. The criteria for selection will be based on some important considerations such as student and community need and the infrastructure to support the Advantage Academy.
Launched at DeVry University’s Chicago campus when U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan was chief executive officer of the Chicago Public Schools, Advantage Academy has achieved outstanding high school graduation and college enrollment rates. DeVry has begun a similar program in Columbus, Ohio in partnership with the Columbus City Schools. The schools have a combined high school graduation rate of 93 percent, and an associate degree completion rate of 83 percent.
The Alliance will leverage its resources in cities where it has a strong presence to help local school districts support their share of Advantage Academy tuition under cost-sharing arrangements with DeVry. The Alliance and DeVry have an initial goal of at least 50 students in each Advantage Academy.
In consideration of the commitment DeVry is making to the Grad Nation campaign, DeVry will be designated as a national sponsor of the campaign and President and CEO Daniel Hamburger will be named to the Powell Leadership Circle as well as the Alliance’s Board of Directors.
“The entire DeVry community is thrilled to enter into what we know will be a productive and meaningful relationship with America’s Promise Alliance. We are fully committed to its success and, most importantly, to the success of the students whose lives we hope will be positively affected by it,” said Hamburger.
DeVry's purpose is to empower its students to achieve their educational and career goals. DeVry (NYSE: DV, member S&P 500 Index) is a global provider of educational services and the parent organization of Advanced Academics, Becker Professional Education, the Carrington Colleges, Chamberlain College of Nursing, DeVry Brasil, DeVry University, and Ross University Schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. These institutions offer a wide array of programs in business, healthcare and technology and serve students in secondary through postsecondary education as well as accounting and finance professionals. For more information, visit http://www.devryinc.com.
“Grad Nation is about encouraging and moving Americans and communities to action to increase graduation rates in this country and prepare young people for future success,” said Marguerite Kondracke, president and CEO, America’s Promise Alliance. “In order to do so, we must lift up and expand those programs that are working and DeVry’s Advantage Academy is one of the best examples. Through these dual-enrollment programs we are not only keeping youth in school, but helping bridge the gap between classroom and career. We want to make sure more students have the opportunity to succeed through programs like this.”