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Robert Balfanz  // Browsing posts in Robert Balfanz

Omarina’s Story – An Update on Middle School Moment

Omarina’s Story – An Update on Middle School Moment

How has Omarina Cabrera fared since her Middle School Moment? Frontline checked in. NARRATOR:  It’s the last day of the semester at the Brooks School, an exclusive private academy in North Andover, Massachusetts.  Omarina Cabrera is halfway through her sophomore year. OMARINA CABRERA:  I remember first getting here, it definitely was an adjustment.  A lot […]

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The Power of a Penny: Building Knowledge to Invest in What Works in Education

The Power of a Penny: Building Knowledge to Invest in What Works in Education

The federal government spends less than one-tenth of a penny, out of every dollar invested in education programs, to evaluate those programs. That ratio is far lower than other fields, and it means that policymakers often lack basic evidence on how to spend taxpayer resources wisely to improve education. This paper outlines why and how […]

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Stop Holding Us Back

Stop Holding Us Back

This month, more than three million high school students will receive their diplomas. At more than 80 percent, America’s graduation rate is at a record high. More kids are going to college, too. But one-third of the nation’s African-American and Latino young men will not graduate. In an era when there is virtually no legal […]

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2014 Building a Grad Nation Report

2014 Building a Grad Nation Report

This fifth annual update on America’s high school dropout crisis shows that, for the first time in history, the nation has crossed the 80 percent high school graduation rate threshold and remains on pace, for the second year in a row, to meet the goal of a 90 percent high school graduation rate by the […]

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New York City Finds Success in Cutting Chronic Absenteeism in School

New York City Finds Success in Cutting Chronic Absenteeism in School

Meeting the Challenge of Combating Chronic Absenteeism Impact of the NYC Mayor’s Interagency Task Force on Chronic Absenteeism and School Attendance and Its Implications for Other Cities By Robert Balfanz and Vaughan Byrnes Mentors, wake-up calls to students, incentives and weekly “student success” meetings led by principals helped New York City significantly cut chronic absenteeism in […]

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National E-Summit on Chronic Absenteeism and Student Achievement

National E-Summit on Chronic Absenteeism and Student Achievement

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Dr. Robert Balfanz of Johns Hopkins University, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors Invite You To Participate In a National E-Summit on Chronic Absenteeism and Student Achievement ~ Johns Hopkins Presents New Research From the NYC Model: Core Action Steps for Cities to Tackle This Under-Recognized Problem & Drive Student Achievement November 20th, […]

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Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s American Graduate Initiative Evaluation

Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s American Graduate Initiative Evaluation

Ending the dropout crisis will require sustained and coordinated community efforts driven by an understanding of the reasons students drop out and the proven solutions that exist. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s initiative, American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen, has demonstrated that by combining personal communication with high-quality media products, public media have a critical, […]

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Early Intervention Drives Graduation Success

Early Intervention Drives Graduation Success

The path to dropout starts early. So the earlier a struggling student is identified, ideally before they enter high school, the better the chances in shifting the odds for success in school, work and life.  But that identification must be based on the right data.  One effective starting point is identifying the middle and elementary […]

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CNN Op/Ed: What You Won’t Hear at Graduation

CNN Op/Ed: What You Won’t Hear at Graduation

(CNN) — Graduation season is in full swing, bringing with it a lot of discussion about life and opportunity. Inevitably there will be news stories about graduation ceremonies or a new YouTube video sensation focusing on commencement words of wisdom. While inspiring, those stories never give a full portrait of this rite of passage in […]

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Grad Nation Community Guidebook provides roadmap for communities and states

Grad Nation Community Guidebook provides roadmap for communities and states

America’s Promise Alliance (America’s Promise) has updated the Grad Nation Community Guidebook, a research-based toolkit for communities working to raise graduation rates and better support children and youth from birth through college. Created in collaboration with Civic Enterprises and the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Education, the Community Guidebook offers approaches […]

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