90% BY 2020 COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP

SUMMER 2016

IT TAKES 18 YEARS. IT TAKES ALL OF US.

While parents may not think about high school graduation until their child is in high school, the truth is they have been preparing for it since day one. Every book that was read at bedtime, every shape that was drawn, every times table memorized and every spelling list practiced laid down the foundation for their son or daughter to achieve high school graduation. Reaching graduation starts long before high school. And it’s not just the parent’s job, the school’s job, or the state’s job to make sure Anchorage’s youth get there. There is a role for everyone. Anchorage’s 90% by 2020 partnership is coordinating a community effort to achieve and sustain a 90% graduation rate or higher. With common vision, folks from every sector, diverse background and specialty are collaborating with laser focus to meet this goal. We’re excited to show you some of this year’s work, with this issue focusing on our high school on-track network. Thank you for your support!June Sobocinski VP Education Impact United Way of Anchorage

IN THIS ISSUE

EVERY STEP OF THE WAY2015 GRADUATION RATES RAISING EXPECTATIONSYOUTH LEADINGALIGNING SERVICESLEADERSHIP TEAM

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EVERY STEP OF THE WAY

Along the road to academic success, there are many benchmarks for students to reach. A child must be ready to learn when entering kindergarten. Being at grade level for reading in 3rd grade makes it possible to succeed in math in 8th grade. If a student enters high school unprepared and does not have the credits needed to stay on track, they are much more likely to drop out in their sophomore or junior year. If at any point a student is chronically absent, it is nearly impossible for them to stay on top of their school work.Meeting each of these benchmarks prepares a student to reach high school graduation. 90% by 2020 is working with the Anchorage School District, non-profits, businesses, community leaders, parents and students to find the best possible ways to help Anchorage youth succeed in each of these benchmarks.

In this issue, we will show the community efforts focused on high school students.

We have lots to celebrate with a district-wide graduation rate of 80% for 2015 that has steadily risen from 59% just a decade ago. But we still have work to do to achieve and sustain our goal of 90% by 2020, especially when we look at the disaggregated data; there are significant gaps in achievement that tell us where we must focus. To see how Alaska measures up with graduation rates across the country, take a look at Building a Grad Nation: Progress and Challenge in Raising High School Graduation Rates. This study was prepared by the Everyone Graduates Center at the School of Education at Johns Hopkins University. See the full report at gradnation.org.

Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander

Caucasian

Hispanic

Total

African American

Alaska Native/American Indian

Asian

Two or More Races

80.2%

75%

53%

84.5%

81%

86.5%

74.9%

74.9%

EDS represents Economically Disadvantaged Students, defined as a subgroup of students who are eligible for the free and reduced lunch programs as determined by income and eligibility levels set by the federal government.

2015 Graduation Rates by Ethnicity

9th grade is a critical year for keeping students on track for graduation. A recent analysis of students who dropped out prior to graduation revealed predictive factors that showed up in those students’ 9th grade year including: receiving less than 5 credits, chronic absence, GPA below 2.0 and not passing all core classes. The 90% by 2020 High School Graduation Network is working on increased supports and interventions in the 9th grade year as a key strategy to reduce drop out rates and improve graduation rates.

9TH GRADERS ON TRACK FOR GRADUATION:

2015 GRADUATION

RATES

TOTAL80.2%

Non-EDS86.5%

65.8%EDS

#2016ANCGRADSOver the past two years, we have handed out over 10,000 graduation wristbands at the 90% by 2020 Graduation Station. Volunteers staff this interactive booth at community festivals, fairs and events across the city to build awareness about the importance of graduation and to encourage children, youth and their families to set education goals. We’ve had booths at Kids Day, Trick or Treat Town, Reading Rendezvous, thread book party and the Mt. View Street Fest this past year. In addition to the wristbands, we distribute resources and materials from community partners with tips on how to get kids ready for kindergarten, stay connected and on track, and make a habit of regular attendance.

#2016ANCGRADSIn its second year, the 90% by 2020 Grad Blitz is gaining momentum! Businesses, families, educators and community members took part in this city-wide celebration for the class of 2016 by displaying posters, banners and reader boards across the city and sharing pictures online using #2016ANCGRADS.Our goal is to establish and grow community norms around the importance of education, the power of a diploma and the role of the community in helping kids to achieve better results in Anchorage.

RAISING EXPECTATIONS

YOUTH COMMISSIONMayor Ethan Berkowitz and the Anchorage Assembly have brought back the Anchorage Youth Advisory Commission: 22 youth, 15 active commissioners and 7 alternates, selected from a pool of applicants from across the city. United Way of Anchorage and the 90% by 2020 High School Graduation Network led strategic planning sessions to support and guide the commission as they launched, and helped them select initial focus areas: high school graduation rates; economic development and youth employment; and youth community engagement and volunteerism.

YOUTH LEADING

THE 90% BY 2020YOUTH TASK FORCE90% by 2020, with partners UAA TRiO and Anchorage Youth Development Coalition (AYDC), formed a youth task force comprised of students from East High School, West High School, and Bartlett High School. The students were selected for their passion to help their peers and their interest in improving graduation rates. They presented to their teachers about the importance of students feeling connected and supported at their school, and opened a dialogue about how teachers can improve those relationships. They are producing a video in the five most spoken languages in Anchorage, featuring community leaders discussing why attendance is key to graduation, and why graduation is so important.To reach their peers, they will be holding school assemblies and introducing incentive programs to encourage students to attend school every day.

BUSINESS ATTENDANCE CHAMPIONS In the fall of 2015, the 90% by 2020 partnership launched an initiative to help businesses share important messages and information with employees and customers about the importance of regular school attendance. Ten companies signed up to host during the 2015-16 year by displaying links on their websites, creating social media posts, displaying banners at their businesses and distributing handouts and fliers to spread the word - from an unusual source- about the importance of students showing up to school every day. #school everyday2015/16 Champions: Alaska Communications, Alyeska Pipeline, BP, CIRI, ConocoPhillips, First National Bank Alaska, GCI, Lithia Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Anchorage, Municipality of Anchorage, United Way of Anchorage.

AT&T ASPIRE GRANT United Way of Anchorage, in partnership with the Anchorage School District’s Child In Transition and Covenant House Alaska, has received a $750,000 grant from AT&T. This grant boosts the Back On Track initiative that provides credit recovery and intensive supports for more homeless and at-risk youth so they can graduate high school on time. The program operates in three capacities; a 12 week evening tutoring session in the fall and spring, a 4 week intensive summer session, and a daytime classroom at Covenant House’s Avail classroom. In addition to academic support, youth will receive wraparound supports like housing, transportation, family reunification, health care, mental health care, and substance abuse prevention.

ALIGNING SERVICES AND ENGAGING BUSINESSES

DRIVE FOR PERFECT ATTENDANCE In 2013, Troy Jarvis of Lithia Chrysler Jeep Dodge of South Anchorage launched the Drive for Perfect Attendance as part of the School Business Partnership (SBP) Program. His dealership donated a car for one Anchorage high school student with perfect attendance and GCI joined in by providing Alaska Airline miles for the runner-ups.Attendance across the district spiked after the first year of the program. Since then, additional School Business Partners have stepped up to invest each year. In the 2015 – 2016 school year, eight businesses donated goods and services, trips and miles, to help motivate more of our kids to get to school every day.Business partners include: Alaska Airlines, Alaska Railroad, For Fun Alaska, GCI, IBEW, Lithia Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Anchorage, Saltchuk, and Subway.

GRADNATION SUMMIT AT&T ASPIRE GRANT

Over 140 youth, business leaders and community members gathered for the Anchorage GradNation Community Summit in April 2016 to share their experiences and ideas and learn more about the barriers to graduation and how we can help our teens stay in school. Support from America’s Promise, Alaska Children’s Trust, Subway, and the Chariot Group made the event possible.

The 90% by 2020 partnership will use the comments gathered throughout the day to help shape strategies and guide community action plans to ensure more of our youth graduate.

Anchorage’s GradNation Community Summit is part of a series of 100 summits held around the country through 2016 as part of America’s Promise’s GradNation Campaign, a large and growing movement of dedicated individuals and organizations working together to raise the national high school graduation rate to 90% by 2020.

90% BY 2020 LEADERSHIP TEAM TAM AGOSTI-GISLER • Anchorage School District Board TOM BARRETT • Alyeska Pipeline Services CompanyETHAN BERKOWITZ • Mayor of Anchorage STEPHANIE BERGLUND • threadDAMIAN BILBAO • BP MICHELE BROWN • United Way of AnchorageBRUCE BUSTAMANTE • Anchorage Chamber of CommerceCASEY CAMPBELL • Wells FargoJASMINE CARTER • ASD Student Advisory BoardHEATHER CAVANAUGH • Alaska Communications JEROD CLARK • ConocoPhillips AlaskaJUDITH CROTTY • Wells FargoCHERYL FRASCA • Education MattersCHERI GILLIAN • First National Bank AlaskaMIKE GRAHAM • Anchorage School DistrictANDREW HALCRO • Anchorage Community Development AuthorityABBE HENSLEY • Best Beginnings

CELESTE HODGE GROWDEN • Shiloh Community Development, Inc. (SCDI)ALANA HUMPHREY • Boys & Girls Clubs AlaskaJEFF JESSEE • Alaska Mental Health Trust AuthorityLACY KARPILO • University of Alaska Anchorage DAVE KUIPER • Christian Health AssociatesGEORGE MARTINEZ • Municipality of AnchorageLISA MORENO • ARISE, Cook Inlet Tribal CouncilHILARY MORGAN • YWCAGLORIA O’NEILL • Cook Inlet Tribal CouncilDEENA PARAMO • Anchorage School DistrictBILL POPP • Anchorage Economic Development CorporationCORY QUARLES • ExxonMobilGREG RAZO • Cook Inlet Region, Inc.DANA ROGERS • Wells Fargo JAYSON SMART • Rasmuson FoundationTREVOR STORRS • Alaska Children’s TrustANAND VADAPALLI • Alaska CommunicationsNATASHA VON IMHOF • Rasmuson Foundation BoardDAN WHITE • University of Alaska

United Way of Anchorage provides backbone staff support for the 90% by 2020 Community Partnership. Backbone functions include: support community leadership to set goals, develop and maintain course on a shared agenda; gather and analyze national research, local data, and community input; organize and facilitate work groups in a results-focused process to build, implement, measure, and continuously improve collaborative action plans to meet the goal; develop shared measurement systems across service provider institutions; build community will; engage volunteers; mobilize financial support.

90% by 2020 is a nationally recognized member of the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network. This network of 65 community partnerships in 32 states and Washington D.C. is working to improve education success for every child by bringing together cross-sector partners around a common vision. Together, the Network impacts over 8.2 million students nationwide.

90BY2020@AK.ORG 701 W. 8TH AVE, SUITE 230 | ANCHORAGE 99501

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