This brief highlights the success of the Santa Fe Indian School (SFIS) under Superintendent Christie Abeyta in achieving high graduation rates while emphasizing a culturally responsive and community-driven approach to education. Located in Santa Fe, NM, the school serves approximately 700 students from various Indigenous tribes. It has focused on…

The Guam Department of Education (GDOE, Department) is a semi-autonomous agency within the Government of Guam(GovGuam) and is primarily funded through the GovGuam General Fund. The GDOE is a single unified school district that serves just under 25,000 students (from Kindergarten to Grade12). There are 26 elementary schools, 8 middle schools, 6…

This article highlights the College Level Examination Program -- or CLEP -- from the College Board, as another pathway for students to earn college credits toward degree completion. The renewal of interest in alternative pathways to degree attainment has come about in response to yet another round of national studies reporting declining rates of…

The purpose of Diploma On! is to re-engage students who have dropped out of school within member districts and ultimately increase the graduation rate in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Program staff obtain student contact information from identified referral sources within each district, normally after a 15-day drop. Next, they contact the student…

The Kansas Graduate and Dropout Handbook provides a comprehensive overview of how the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) calculates and reports the Adjusted Cohort Graduation and Annual Dropout Rates. Sections include: (1) Introduction; (2) Terminology; (3) Data Sources; (4) Graduation Calculations; (5) Dropout Calculation; and (6)…

Acting on data about both part-time and full-time students is essential to moving the needle on college completion. It also is an equity issue. Part-time student attainment rates severely lag behind those of their full-time counterparts, regardless of sector or timeframe. And part-time students are disproportionately BILPOC (Black, Indigenous,…

The Barr Foundation's Engage New England (ENE) initiative was an effort to catalyze high school innovation by developing exemplary schools that support the success of students who are off track to graduate. Grounded in the tenets of positive youth development, the ENE initiative provided grants and technical assistance to support new or redesigned…

Many community college students majoring in education plan to transfer to four-year institutions, but they are hampered when course credits do not transfer. This disproportionately impacts low-income students, contributing to low graduation rates. A New York State community college professor and a four-year college professor collaborated to…

As of 2024-25, Roswell Independent School District has four community schools, including Sierra Middle School--entering its fifth year of implementation--and University High School--an alternative school entering its third year of implementation. Sierra and University High have each created a nourishing school climate and culture by providing…

In November 2024, the New York State Board of Regents issued the "Vision to Transform New York State Graduation Requirements," a plan for high school education reform. To understand the context for this reform, this issue brief discusses New York's levels of student performance and state education spending, as well as a brief history of…

The Student Success Center Network (SSCN) is dedicated to advancing racial justice and economic mobility by dramatically and equitably increasing the number of students earning postsecondary credentials with labor market value. Managed by Jobs for the Future, the SSCN has worked since 2012 to develop, implement, and scale student success…

In Chicago, despite an increase in high school graduates and college enrollment, only one in four community college students graduate within three years. COVID-19 exacerbated longstanding barriers to college success faced by students from low-income backgrounds, as well as for Black, Latino, and Indigenous students. Without proactive interventions…

The Pell Grant is targeted to students with the greatest financial need, and many policymakers find the Pell Grant a useful policy lever for promoting access and success for students from lower- and moderate-income backgrounds. There are several examples where policymakers use Pell eligibility to allocate resources and hold colleges accountable…

The last several years have been unpredictable for students, families, teachers and schools. During this time, Ohio's education community has responded by working diligently to identify and address the unique needs of their communities while ensuring their students continue to receive a quality education. Data on the 2021-2022 Ohio School Report…

This technical assistance paper provides policy and guidance to individuals with test administration responsibilities in adult education programs. The Florida assessment policies and guidelines presented in this technical assessment paper are appropriate for state and federal reporting. Therefore, guidance and procedures regarding the selection…