Joint Statement from the Alliance for Excellent Education, the Center for American Progress, Jobs for the Future and the National Council of La Raza on the Introduction of the Graduation Promise Act
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, four national organizations committed to improving educational outcomes for
In
“We know what can and should be done to end the dropout crisis in this country,” said Gov.
For minority and low-income students, the situation is especially dire. High school students living in low-income families drop out of school at six times the rate of their peers from high-income families, and only about 55 percent of Black students and 52 percent of Hispanic students graduate on time from high school with a regular diploma, compared to 78 percent of White students.
“Forty years ago, the
“It’s unacceptable that slightly more than half of Latino and African American students graduate from high school,” said
The Graduation Promise Act GPA authorizes $2.5 billion in new funding to:
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Create a federal-state-local secondary school reform partnership focused on transforming the nation’s lowest performing high schools;
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Build capacity for high school improvement and provide resources to ensure high school educators and students facing the highest challenges receive the support they need to succeed;
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Strengthen state systems to identify, differentiate among, and target the level of reform and resources necessary to improve low performing high schools and ensure transparency and accountability for that process;
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Advance the research and development needed to ensure a robust supply of highly effective secondary school models for those most at risk of being left behind, and identify the most effective reforms;
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Support states to align their policies and systems to meet the goal of college and career-ready graduation for all students.
The Graduation Promise Act GPA will be highlighted during a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on high school reform on Tuesday, April 24, at 10 a.m.
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