Grad Nation Indicators
America’s Promise Alliance has adopted 10 nationally tracked indicators to gauge progress toward our Grad Nation goals of attaining a 90 percent graduation rate by 2020 and regaining America’s standing as first in the world in college completion. Together they reflect our commitment, based on extensive evidence, to providing the fundamental resources that children and youth need to thrive throughout the full continuum of their development. This approach to setting young people up for success comes through clearly in the Five Promises: Caring Adults, Safe Places, A Healthy Start, Effective Education, and Opportunities to Make a Difference.
Indicators
-
Preschool enrollment: Disadvantaged children can arrive in kindergarten 18 months behind. Quality preschool cuts the number of students in special education by 50 percent and increases high school graduation rates by 31 percent.
-
Fourth-grade reading scores: Strong reading skills are crucial for learning, especially independently. Reading scores correlate closely with high levels of school engagement and success in other subjects such as social studies and science. Children who do not read well by the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school than proficient readers.
-
Eighth-grade math and science scores: Math and science skills are important not only for preparing students for an increasingly technological workplace – they also develop their ability to solve problems and make decisions. These scores are associated with both higher probabilities of graduation and greater future earnings.
-
Youth service participation: Students involved in service tend to perform better in school, attain higher levels of education, and stay involved in community life as adults. Young people want more of these opportunities, which connect them to their community and develop their skills.
-
Out-of-school time participation: Structured activities beyond the standard school day can improve academic performance, provide enrichment such as the arts, improve health and wellness, and strengthen social skills. Participants typically have higher grades and are more likely to graduate and to enroll in post-secondary education.
-
Health care access: When students receive quality care, they’re out sick less often. Research has documented the correlation between attendance and academic progress.
-
Adoption of the Common Core State Standards: Developed by governors and state school chiefs from across the country, the Standards have one crucial goal: preparing students for success in college and career. Now being implemented in 46 states and the District of Columbia, the Standards set consistent, high expectations but leave decisions on curriculum and methods to local schools.
-
Promotion from 9th to 10th grade: Many students fall behind when making the major transition from middle to high school: 9th is the grade in secondary school most likely to be repeated. Readiness for 10th grade gives an early view of potential for high school success.
-
High school graduation rates: A high school degree is an important step to preparing young people to live independent, secure and happy lives and to contribute to America’s economic competitiveness as part of an educated, innovative workforce.
-
Minimum two-year post-secondary education: Virtually all jobs in the future will require some post-secondary education. Enrollment in and especially completion of a degree or certificate program leads to a greater chance of employment, higher incomes and decreased reliance of government programs.
Communities can benefit from measuring other factors. For instance, tracking local school attendance, behavior indicators and grades in math and English can offer valuable early warning signs, even though reliable, nationally consistent sources of data do not yet exist.