Governor Corzine Convenes 2nd Annual New Jersey High School Graduation Campaign Summit

Press Release

3,500 Individuals and More than 60 Non-Governmental Organizations

Partner to Keep Kids in School

"Cradle to College and Workforce Pipeline" and Graduation Task Force Proposed

NEW BRUNSWICK- Governor Jon S. Corzine today convened the second annual New Jersey High School Graduation Campaign Summit, an initiative designed to develop programs that keep kids in school, prevent dropouts, and increase high school graduation rates in New Jersey. He was joined by members of his cabinet, business executives, school administrators, teachers, community leaders, parents and students.

"Keeping our young people in school and on pathways to success is a critical issue requiring everyone's participation," Governor Corzine said. "A year ago, we formally launched this campaign and set forth our objectives. So far, more than 3,500 individuals and dozens of diverse partner organizations have contributed in meaningful ways to our Graduation Campaign to raise public awareness of the challenges of dropout prevention and college-readiness. We must do all we can to ensure that all students in New Jersey are graduating from high school and that they are graduating with the education and skills needed to lead successful lives and a have a brighter future."

New Jersey's High School Graduation Campaign, supported by General Colin Powell's America's Promise Alliance, corporations, foundations, and non-profit organizations, was launched a year ago. Since then, five regional forums were held through the state to forge a plan of action to stem dropout rates. A primary recommendation from these meetings is the creation of a "Cradle to College and Workforce Pipeline for all Children." The proposal recognizes that students want to succeed, need and deserve positive relationships with adults and peers, and need school and classroom cultures that foster high expectations and are engaging and challenging.

Another key step in moving the campaign forward is to create a Graduation Task Force that includes officials from a number of state agencies, including the education department and the attorney general's office, and partner that with a non-governmental stakeholder advisory board to draft a plan that sets a 100 percent high school graduation rate as a goal, preparing all high school students for college or a career.

"We know that keeping kids in school and graduating is not a ‘schools only' challenge; it's everyone's challenge," Attorney General Anne Milgram said. "Keeping young people in school and engaged is perhaps the most important thing we can do if we want to ensure that we are also keeping them safe, keeping them out of gangs, and keeping them away from violence."

A hallmark of this campaign has been its broad and multi-disciplinary approach which recognizes that keeping youth in school and positively engaged is not a challenge solely for schools, but one that requires cross-sector collaboration. The day-to-day planning and responsibilities for the campaign have been led by the Office of the Attorney General, working in close partnership with the Departments of Education and State as well as several other state agencies. Through this initial year's efforts, more than 60 non-governmental partner organizations have actively participated in the planning and projects that have taken place.

"Whether as a public official, parent or concerned citizen, children remain our most important responsibility," noted Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells. "New Jersey's economic and intellectual promise will only be realized with a foundation of educated young leaders ready and willing to assume the reigns of a dynamic 21st Century economy, and no one is more cognizant of this fact than Governor Corzine. Today's Graduation Campaign Summit provided a valuable platform for key stakeholders to gather and discuss the most innovative and effective strategies to spread the simple yet essential message that graduating from high school is critical to determining future success - regardless of interest or career path."

A year ago, the High School Graduation Campaign set a number of goals, including increasing public awareness of the crisis; securing commitments for collaborations among the corporate, non-profit, public and education sectors; engaging schools to support their efforts to help disadvantaged youth; and identifying local leaders to get involved in community-school initiatives.

These initial goals have been achieved during the first year in several ways through the regional forums that were convened as well as specific dropout prevention efforts that were initiated such as the statewide truancy reduction pilot in Asbury Park, Camden, Newark, Paterson, Trenton, and Vineland. It also has identified and supported a new "Broader, Bolder Approach to School Reform" as a national pilot project in the Central Ward in Newark.

"Graduating from high school with the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful is essential for all young people in the 21st century," said Education Commissioner Lucille E. Davy. "Under Governor Corzine's leadership, New Jersey is taking proactive measures to provide support for children, and to keep them in school and on the path to graduation."

Dr. Pedro Noguera, executive director of the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education and co-founder of the "Broader, Bolder Approach", delivered the Summit's morning keynote address. "The comprehensive approach New Jersey is taking to dropout prevention will impact and reform the ways that schools and communities work together and get stronger," Noguera remarked. "In bringing the Broader Bolder Approach reforms to Newark and New Jersey, I have been pleased to work closely with New Jersey leaders on innovative ways to provide students with basic social services, create academic systems to train teachers in the most effective instructional practices, and build a pipeline for students to college and jobs. These kinds of efforts build great public schools and, in turn, will build great cities and communities across the state."

America's Promise Alliance has supported dropout prevention summits in all 50 states and an additional 50 cities to increase awareness and facilitate action on improving graduation rates.

"The key to increasing graduation rates at the city, state and national level is to stop working in isolation and to start working together," said Marguerite Kondracke, president and CEO, America's Promise Alliance. "That's why we are convening these summits. We need curriculum reform, after-school programs, efforts to improve health care and nutrition programs, increased resources and greater accountability. Most of all, we need to recognize that no one local or national entity can solve this crisis alone, but working together, we can make enormous strides to ensure our children succeed."

The High School Graduation Campaign has been supported financially by The Business Coalition to Keep Youth in School and Verizon, America's Promise Alliance, PSEG Foundation, State Farm Insurance, the Nicholson Foundation, the MCJ/Amelior Foundation, Capital One, the Prudential Foundation, Berkeley College, New Jersey Resources, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, and the Office of the Attorney General.

Dennis Bone, president of Verizon New Jersey and a member of a panel at the summit discussing how to forge a college and workforce pipeline in New Jersey, said, "Access to an educated workforce is critical for Verizon and other New Jersey companies to grow and succeed. Helping students stay in school and graduate high school is an enormously important step in assisting our state and nation overcome its challenges now and in the future."

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