When we first engaged in the fight to end the dropout epidemic—more than a decade ago—we often struggled to find school districts that had an active anti-dropout program. Everybody said they worked to prevent dropouts. And, in most cases, it was true. They were working hard to keep students from leaving. But here’s the thing:
Hundreds of job seekers participated in a construction trades job fair in West Virginia recently. Over in Michigan, more than 4,000 people swarmed a similar event. And in Ohio, one employer lamented than despite heavy interest from interested applicants “we’re dying for workers.” There’s a construction boom happening. Employers across the country are trying to
More than 80 years after she left school to help her mother raise her siblings, a Michigan woman has been awarded her high school diploma. That’s the sort of feel-good story everybody loves. When 98-year-old Ruth Frezza finally received her diploma, after all, it was in a symbolic ceremony in a nursing home. And what
Shortly after the beginning of this school year, we were at an education conference in Southern California, where an administrator from a mid-sized school district was sharing a common lament. “We don’t have any choice but to base what we offer this year on what we needed last year,” she said. “But we ended up
“So when do I get my username and password?” That’s a common question for new students in Graduation Alliance programs. And it’s an important one. In the world of digital education, usernames and passwords are the keys that unlock the school building. And while keys are unquestionably important, they don’t matter much if there’s nothing
Graduation Alliance wants to say “thanks”! From border to border and coast to coast, Graduation Alliance has worked in partnership with hundreds of school districts to help students develop social-emotional learning skills, re-engage after dropping out, make college and career plans, and obtain workforce certifications. And if there’s one thing we’ve noticed in nearly every
Graduation Alliance started and thrives with the passion for having students reach their full potential. It all started with a simple premise: Give individuals who could not or would not return to high school the opportunity to take classes online, supported by expert teachers, professional tutors and academic coaches. The American Academy, one of the
Earn industry credentials that can help lead to careers. We love it when our students complete the audacious journey from high school dropout to college graduate, as so many have. However, for other students in our dropout recovery programs they just aren’t in a position to attend a four-year university. For these young men and
These tests and tools for predicting at-risk students may put us out of the dropout recovery business. Thank goodness. For nearly a decade, Graduation Alliance has worked with school districts across the nation to re-engage dropped out students and support those who are still enrolled but acutely at risk of leaving school. Last year, we
When the state funded timeline ran out, Graduation Alliance didn’t want students left behind. Shauna had been out of school for more than a decade when she learned about a program to help adult learners graduate from high school. The free program offers Ohioans who are 22 years of age or older the opportunity to