News

Articles and insights about the GradNation campaign

Spotlight Must-read pieces about the GradNation campaign

The Economic Upside to Increasing Grad Rates

May 29, 2018

The Economic Upside to Increasing Grad Rates
Importantly, the Alliance for Excellent Education maps the positive impacts that a 90 percent high school graduation rate would have on local economies, breaking the data down by state, metropolitan area, and demographic group so that it can be useful for local community leaders, policymakers, educators and parents.
Youth celebrating

May 21, 2018

Youth Speak Out at the Atlantic Education Summit
“I’ve always thought that we need to prepare our students for the world, but I’m learning so quickly that we need to prepare the world for our students,” said Christina Cody, a science teacher and founder of the youth health initiative FIT2gether, at the recent Atlantic Education Summit.

News Articles relevant to America's youth

2019

September 30, 2019

The Make or Break Year: Lessons Learned From Chicago Public Schools on How We Can Help Young People Graduate
From 2011 to 2018, something remarkable happened in Chicago: graduation rates skyrocketed from 56.9 percent to 78.2 percent.  This inspiring 21 percentage point increase in young people earning a dip
little girl chin on books

May 01, 2019

GradNation Community Leader Spotlight with Adelante Mujeres
Adelante Mujeres’ mission is to provide holistic education and empowerment opportunities to Latina women and their families. Part ofl this mission is to increase graduation rates of Latinos in her community.
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December 19, 2018

Youth Leader Spotlight with Leo Rodriguez
“I want to help the people in my community demonstrate that regardless of where we come from or the disadvantages we face, we are able to achieve our dreams if we just keep working hard,” he said.
grad cap

November 26, 2018

Community Leader Spotlight with Tanya Tucker from America’s Promise
Tanya’s work with America’s Promise began in 2005 directing the planning and execution of professional development events designed to encourage greater focus and collaboration within communities to see that all young people receive the Five Promises.
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Opinion Insights from thought leaders

Monika Kincheloe

Monika Kincheloe

Senior Director, GradNation Campaign
grad in red

October 01, 2019

GradNation: A Decade of Progress & Lessons Learned
Rewind a decade. America’s graduation rate lingered under 75 percent and there was a clear sense that something needed to change. That’s when the GradNation campaign was born to unify and mobilize the nation to respond to the “dropout epidemic.”
Victoria Salzman

Victoria Salzman

Chief Strategic Development Officer, Multi-Agency Alliance for Children
grads in blue

May 30, 2019

Georgia LEADS the Way With Educational Supports For Foster Youth
In 2017, in partnership with the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services, the Multi-Agency Alliance for Children (MAAC) began an educational coordination pilot called LEADS (Learn, Educate, A
Special Populations
LIZ GLASER

Liz Glaser

Manager, Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships
Kids and mentor

May 09, 2019

Relationships Shine at the Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates Career Development Day
The chatter of hundreds of high school students, teachers, mentors, and community volunteers fill the Lansing Convention Center in Lansing, Mich. with a hum of excitement.
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Press Releases Resources for media professionals

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March 23, 2021

National High School Graduation Rate Hits Record High of 85.8%; Gains Made by Historically Disadvantaged Students in Last Pre-COVID Baseline
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 23, 2021)—The U.S. Department of Education released data today showing the high school graduation rate for the class of 2019 has reached a record high of 85.8%.
Caps and Trees

October 01, 2020

GradNation Calls for ‘Meeting the Moment’ Plan to Boost High School Graduation and Postsecondary Readiness During and Beyond COVID-19
WASHINGTON, D.C – New data show that pre-COVID-19, the nation’s high school graduation rate was at an all-time high—driven by substantial gains over the past decade among low-income, Black, and Hispan
BGN 2019

June 11, 2019

New In-Depth Analysis of High School Graduation Rates Reveals Progress Is Real, But Slowing, Indicating Urgency to Double Down on Equity Gaps
The ‘Building a Grad Nation’ Report’s First-Ever Secondary School Improvement Index Shows More Than Two Thirds of States Have Increased Graduation Rates and Other Measures Of Academic Achievement, Mitigating Concerns Around Diminished Graduation Standards
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Media Mentions America's Promise Alliance & it's partner organizations in the news