A new report released today by America’s Promise Alliance offers new insights – from the perspectives of young people themselves – into how support from adults and peers can help to close the remaining gap between those who graduate from high school on time and those who don’t.

Washington, D.C.

The Center for Promise, America’s Promise Alliance’s research institute dedicated to understanding what young people need to thrive and how to create the conditions of success for all young people, is now housed at the Boston University School of Education. With a shared commitment to using research to find solutions that will improve outcomes for young people, this joint effort marks the first partnership between BU and America’s Promise.

“We are thrilled to have Kate join our team of leaders committed to making children and youth a top national priority,” said Mrs. Alma J. Powell, board chair.

America's Promise Alliance has elected Stephanie Watkins-Cruz, 21, to its Board of Directors and Zartashia Javid, 20, to its Alliance Trustees.

The new GradNation State Activation initiative will encourage statewide collaboration to increase graduation rates for all students, share and replicate what works within and across states, and develop successful models all states can implement.

America's Promise Alliance, the nation’s largest partnership organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth, announced today that Rasheed Merritt, a leader on the State Farm Human Resources team, has been elected to its board of directors.

America’s Promise Alliance named two new vice presidents to its senior leadership team as the organization moves into the final quarter of its GradNation campaign, a national movement to reach a 90 percent high school graduation rate by 2020. Both have expertise in their fields – communications and development – and in public education.

For the third year in a row, the country remains on pace to achieve the national goal of a 90 percent on-time high school graduation rate by 2020, according to the 2015 Building a Grad Nation report released today by America’s Promise Alliance, Civic Enterprises, Everyone Graduates Center, and the Alliance for Excellent Education.

The GradNation campaign’s sixth annual report on the progress of America’s graduation rates will be released on May 12 by America’s Promise Alliance, Civic Enterprises, Everyone Graduates Center, and the Alliance for Excellent Education. To learn more, join us for two free, live webcasts that day.