Transforming America's High Schools

HIGH SCHOOL

GRADUATION

RATES

ARE AS LOW

AS 35%.

ISA CHANGES

THAT.

Nationally, fewer than 75% of high school students graduate – and graduation rates sink to 50% or below for African-American and Hispanic students. In some large, failing high schools, graduation rates are as low as 35%. This comes at a cost, not only to these children, their families, and their futures, but also to our society at large.    ISA’S VALUE PROPOSITION    1. AN UNDERSERVED POPULATION    2. A COLLEGE-GOING CULTURE    3. EDUCATORS AS LEADERS    4. A STRONG RESEARCH-BASED MODEL    5. INTENSIVE INSTRUCTIONAL  SUPPORT    6. ACCOUNTABILITY AND CONSISTENT RESULTS    7. SCALABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY    8. A HIGH RETURN ON INVESTMENT Changing these statistics changes all of our lives. Many organizations focus on early childhood, elementary and middle school education. At ISA, we commend those efforts — they are critical. However, thousands of students will move through our high schools before K-8 reforms can reach them. We cannot give up on these children. At ISA, we know that high school is not too late. That even children without adequate supports, who are grade levels below their peers on entering ninth grade, can and will learn, grow, and achieve in the right environment. We know how to provide that environment – with strong leadership; an intellectually challenging curriculum; an emphasis on teacher development; a safe, supportive school; adequate resources; parental involvement. We can change the future for these children. ISA schools, located in areas where graduation rates hover at 35% and where 60% of students start 9th grade well below grade level in math and reading, produce consistent and dramatic increases in the graduation rate and in the number of graduates continuing to college.