U.S. Department of Education Awards Nearly $100 Million to Improve Academic Performance and Support Dropout Prevention

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced almost $100 million in grants to support state and local efforts to reform high schools and improve the educational outcomes of students.

“These grants will help our local communities and states in working towards President Obama’s goal of once again having the highest college completion rate in the world by the end of the decade,” Secretary Duncan said. “To achieve this goal, high schools must ensure more students graduate and are prepared for success in college and careers.”

Twenty-eight high schools will receive $52.2 million under the Smaller Learning Communities program and 29 states and districts will receive $46.6 million under High School Graduation Initiative program.

The Smaller Learning Communities grants support large comprehensive high schools to create smaller, personalized learning environments with the goal of improving the academic achievement of their students and preparing them for postsecondary education. Grantees will also focus on improving teaching and learning by providing teachers with more common planning time to meet the needs of their students.

For example, the St. Louis Public Schools in Missouri will use some of their grant funding to partner with College Summit. Together, they will offer a new course for juniors on how to plan and prepare for college, create College Resource Centers for students, and carry out a school-wide initiative to equip students with the skills they need to succeed in more academically challenging courses. In the Robbinsdale Independent School District in Minnesota, the district will be aligning its curriculum with college-ready standards, establishing rigorous college-prep programs in the lower grades, and supporting teachers by providing instructional coaching and more time to collaborate during the school day.

The U.S. Department of Education’s High School Graduation Initiative supports activities such as early warning systems designed to identify students at risk of dropping out, rigorous academic programs and support services to engage students and implement dropout prevention, credit recovery programs, and targeted re-engagement programs that identify out-of-school youth and encourage them to reenter school. The Initiative targets high schools with high dropout rates or middle schools that feed into schools with high dropout rates.

The Massachusetts Department of Education will implement a statewide dropout prevention strategy that includes the creation of three Gateway to College programs. The work will enable high school dropouts and other at-risk students to complete their high school diploma at a community college while earning college credits toward an associate’s degree or certificate. Washoe County School District in Nevada will create new options for at-risk youth, establishing a network of small schools that will give dropouts, and students at risk of dropping out, the opportunity to pursue an individualized education program to earn their diploma.

The 28 Smaller Learning Communities grantees are:

The 29 High School Graduation Initiative grantees are: