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800 Schools. 18 States. One Major Call to Action.

October 29, 2018

About one in 10 high schools in America graduates 67 percent or less. In more than 800 of these schools, graduating is a 50-50 proposition for students. And on average, nearly three of every four students in these schools are students of color.

Type: Opinion

TAG: Grad Rate Data

promises: Effective Education

campaigns & initiatives: GradNation Campaign

What’s Working: Two Key Levers for Improving College Grad Rates

June 27, 2018

This public charter school in Chicago encourages students to do two things to increase their odds of graduating from college: Raise their GPAs and attend colleges with 50 percent or higher graduation rates for underrepresented minorities.

Type: Opinion

TAG: Grad Rate Data

promises: Effective Education

campaigns & initiatives: GradNation Campaign

What’s Working: Four Factors Fueling the Rise of Graduation Rates

March 22, 2018

In September 2017, the GradNation campaign released the Acceleration Grant opportunity to fund state- and community-level proposals poised to graduate students who are currently less likely to graduate from high school. Out of 106 applications, we were encouraged to see that communities and states are using these four factors to inform their work.

Type: Opinion

TAG: Family Engagement, Using Data, Grad Rate Data

promises: Caring Adults, Effective Education

campaigns & initiatives: GradNation Campaign, GradNation Acceleration Initiative

A Year of AmeriCorps: Change is Possible

January 23, 2017

Eliminating poverty and raising the high school graduation rate to 90 percent — these two goals are daunting. However, they’re the goals of the GradMinnesota initiative, as well as goals I am committed to working toward over the next seven months.

Type: Opinion

TAG: Grad Rate Data

promises: Caring Adults

campaigns & initiatives: GradNation State Activation, GradNation Campaign

An Uncomfortable Truth: Too Many Young People Experience Fear Every Day In America

December 06, 2016

While the recent campaign and election moved fear to the forefront in a great many households, the uncomfortable truth is that for far too many young people in America fear for personal safety is an everyday occurrence.

Type: Opinion

TAG: Career Pathways, Grad Rate Data, Funding Opportunities

promises: A Healthy Start, Safe Places, Caring Adults, Effective Education

campaigns & initiatives: Center for Promise, GradNation Campaign

Youth Voice: None of My Teachers Knew I was Homeless. They Should Have.

September 22, 2016

As a homeless student, icebreakers were always tough for me. If my classmates asked about my family or tried to organize sleepovers, I couldn’t tell them that me and my younger sister didn’t have a place to live. I was afraid that if they knew, they would take her away from me.

Type: Opinion

TAG: Grad Rate Data, Special Populations, Youth Voice, Homeless Youth

promises: Caring Adults, Effective Education, Safe Places

campaigns & initiatives: GradNation Campaign

Five Reasons I’m Optimistic About the Class of 2020

September 08, 2016

I don’t have teenage kids any more, but I do have a special interest in the nearly 4 million kids who are just starting high school right now. Back in 2010, the GradNation campaign set a goal of 90 percent high school graduation by 2020, and we’ve made great progress since then, reaching an all-time high graduation rate of 82.3 percent. 

Type: Opinion

TAG: Grad Rate Data, Using Data

promises: A Healthy Start, Caring Adults, Effective Education, Opportunities to Help Others, Safe Places

campaigns & initiatives: GradNation Campaign, GradNation Community Summits, GradNation State Activation, Center for Promise

Closing the Gaps for English-Language Learners and Homeless Students

June 01, 2016

The campaign’s focus is on narrowing graduation gaps for all subgroups. This summer, we’re starting by focusing on two groups of students with a long way to go to reach 90 -- English-language learners and homeless students. And we need your help.

Type: Opinion

TAG: Grad Rate Data, Special Populations

promises: Effective Education

campaigns & initiatives: GradNation Campaign

Making Sense of High School Graduation Rates

February 25, 2016

High school graduation rates have been the source of a lot of news coverage – and conflicting emotions – in the past few weeks. President Obama and more than a dozen governors hailed increasing graduation rates in their annual addresses. At the same time, leading journalists and policy wonks have raised questions about those very gains and about the value of a high school diploma.

Type: Opinion

TAG: Grad Rate Data, Using Data

promises: Effective Education

campaigns & initiatives: GradNation Campaign

Do Comprehensive Community Initiatives Work?

January 25, 2016

What’s the best way for communities, especially economically disadvantaged ones, to create a comprehensive continuum of education programs and family supports that help each child thrive academically, socially, emotionally and vocationally?

Type: Opinion

TAG: Grad Rate Data, Youth Involvement, Using Data

promises: Effective Education

campaigns & initiatives: GradNation Campaign