In 2007, Boston Public Schools launched Graduation for All, an initiative to ensure that every student graduates from high school with the skills and knowledge to succeed in college or other post-secondary education. The initiative includes an unprecedented collection and analysis of student drop-out and graduation data in order to devise a citywide plan to ensure a 100% graduation rate.
In partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Jobs for the Future, the school district commissioned The Parthenon Group to conduct an extensive study about Boston's off-track youth. The results of the 10-month study would be used to develop strategies for dropout prevention, intervention and recovery.
The study revealed, among other findings, that there are four key risks factors that allow nearly three-quarters of likely dropouts to be identified no later than the end of the first year of high school:
Together, these populations represented nearly 75% of students from the Class of 2004 who eventually dropped out of school.
Superintendent's Report to the School Committee (September 25, 2007)
Summary of the Parthenon Report
In the fall and winter of the 2007-2008 school year, Superintendent Carol R. Johnson and the Boston School Committee hosted a citywide series of community forums to present the findings of the report and engage educators and families in discussions about how best to ensure "Graduation for All."
Media Coverage: Boston Globe, Bulletin Newspapers
BPS-TV Video: Citywide Youth Forum, November 27, 2007
Community Forum Series Publicity Flier
Superintendent Johnson's Acceleration Agenda, presented to the Boston School Committee in January 2008, outlines a variety of strategies to support the goal of ensuring every BPS student earns a high school diploma, including:
National Dropout Prevention Centers
Youth Transitions Project (Boston Private Industry Council)