April 2009: Dropout Prevention Summit Evaluation Report
February 2009: Articles of Interest
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, part of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, records the lowest dropout rate in the state.
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Project Dropout: Not Just an Urban Problem. Massachusetts' Education commissioner and other education leaders speak to a student thinking about dropping out of high school.
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January 2009: Articles of Interest
Florida Graduation Rate Rising; Dropouts Falling
: Fueled by continuing gains from minority students and a decline in the percentage of students dropping out, Florida's high school graduation rate is on the rise.
Los Angeles Unified School District Sends Out Report Cards Evaluating Schools. Los Angeles School District will send parents a report card that contains more accurate dropout figures.
Mentors Make a Difference in the Lives of Children:
Dara T. Munson, President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Detroit, writes an excellent editorial in observation of January, the National Mentoring month. She cites the tremendous impact mentoring has on education and graduation rates.
Congressional Youth Awards
Nominations are currently being sought for the Congressional Award, a United States Award for Young Americans. The program is open to all 14-23 year-olds. The award involves setting goals in four program areas: Volunteer Public Service, Personal Development, Physical Fitness, and Expedition/Exploration. This is not an award for past accomplishments. Instead, youth are honored for achieving their own challenging goals.
The Congressional Award has no minimum grade point average requirements. It accommodates young people with special needs or disabilities who are willing to take the challenge.
Click here for more information
Latest Installment of Wise Words
In the current episode of Wise Words, Alliance President Bob Wise’s video series on issues related to high school reform and the dropout crisis, Wise expresses optimism that 2009 could be a big year for secondary school reform given President Barack Obama's campaign promises and the strong record of reform his chosen education secretary, Arne Duncan, established in Chicago. Click here to watch.
Alliance President Coauthors Op-Ed in U.S. New and World Report
In "School Bailout: Student Dropouts Are the Next Big Failing Financial Assets, "Bob Wise, President of the Alliance for Excellent Education, and Marguerite Kondracke, President of America's Promise, outline the economic costs of our nation's high school dropout rate and explain why a greater investment in education is essential. Click here for further reading.
October 2008: Update