Center for Promise researchers at Boston University release first-of-its-kind youth-led assessment of obstacles to wellness

Today the White House and U.S. Department of Education announced that the nation’s high school graduation rate now stands at a record high, up from 82.3 percent in 2014 to 83.2 percent for 2015.

The more adults in a community, the more young people stay on a path toward academic success, regardless of other factors that influence a young person’s educational trajectory, according to new research released today by the Center for Promise, the research institute of America’s Promise Alliance.

America’s Promise Alliance, the nation’s largest network dedicated to improving the lives of youth and children, announced today that Malcolm Davis and Julie Pham have been elected to its Board of Directors and Sanah Jivani has been appointed an Alliance Trustee. They will each serve a two-year term.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - America’s Promise Alliance, the nation’s largest network dedicated to improving the lives of young people, announced today that the Former First Lady of Kentucky, Jane Beshear, has been elected to its board of directors. Beshear has dedicated her life to the service of others in her many roles as a businesswoman, educator, and community leader.

Additional $3 million investment to support a new cohort of 12 organizations focused on innovative, scalable approaches to help connect low-income youth to career opportunities

The Citi Foundation and America’s Promise Alliance today announced that 12 nonprofit organizations have been selected as recipients of the Youth Opportunity Fund, a $3 million initiative to support city-level, innovative and scalable programs connecting more than 3,500 youth to opportunities that increase their employability and prepare them for lifelong success. 

Nationwide survey of homeless students and school liaisons highlights challenges and opportunities, just as ESSA requires districts and states – for the first time – to report high school graduation rates for homeless students.

Even as the nation reaches an all-time record graduation rate of 82.3 percent, low-graduation-rate high schools – a key focus of the recently passed Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) – pose a significant roadblock to the national goal of a 90 percent graduation rate for all students. While the number of low-graduation-rate high schools has declined considerably over the past decade, in some states they still predominate.

Blended learning programs, which combine in-person and online or virtual instruction and support, have emerged as a promising way to meet the needs of young adults looking for an alternative on-ramp to a high school diploma, according to a report released today by the Center for Promise, the Boston University-based research institute for America’s Promise Alliance.