Gov. Ritter And NGA Announce New Report To Help Reduce High School Dropout Rate

Press Release

Gov. Bill Ritter, Jr., in his role as chair of the National Governors Association's Education, Early Childhood and Workforce Committee, announced a new report that identifies the root causes of the high school dropout problem and offers a comprehensive action plan for states to curb dropouts, help youth succeed and strengthen state economies.

"Governors have led the effort to shine a light on the growing high school dropout problem that has serious implications for youth, the country's workforce and our economy," said Gov. Ritter. "Even though we are in the worst fiscal environment in decades, now is the time to move from illuminating the problem to solving it by enacting policies that work toward 100 percent high school graduation."

The report, Achieving Graduation for All: A Governor's Guide to Dropout Prevention and Recovery, recommends actions governors should take to reduce the incidence of students not completing high school -- actions that Gov. Ritter has already enacted -- including: promote high school graduation for all; target youth at-risk of dropping out; reengage youth who have dropped out of school; and provide rigorous, relevant options for earning a high school diploma.

Since taking office in 2007, Gov. Ritter has established Colorado as a national leader in education reform. He recently signed important legislation into law to raise the graduation rate in Colorado's public high schools by creating an Office of Dropout Prevention and Student Re-Engagement (HB 09-1243), as well as creating the ASCENT (Accelerating Students through Concurrent ENrollmenT) program which allows students to simultaneously pursue high school and community college degrees (HB 09-1319).

Last week, Gov. Ritter, Lt. Gov Barbara O'Brien, the Colorado Department of Education, and the Colorado Graduates Initiative co-convened the third Colorado Dropout Summit with district leaders from across the state. At the Summit, which was sponsored by America's Promise Alliance, the Colorado Graduates Initiative released three new studies focusing on dropout rates, achievement gaps, gender disparities, and differences for rural areas. In addition, educators engaged with each other about effective district practices.

"What NGA is doing at the national level is consistent with our focus at the state level," Gov. Ritter said. "We're making steady progress toward our long-term goals of cutting the dropout rate in half, reducing achievement gaps and doubling the number of in-state students who earn college degrees."

"In Colorado we are ahead of the curve in implementing programs to help ensure that every student who stays in school or returns to school after dropping out is a success," Lt. Gov. O'Brien said. "We have a moral and professional obligation to see students as individuals and help each one achieve their full potential."

The report will be put into practice through the NGA Center's State Strategies to Achieve Graduation for All initiative. States are eligible to apply for the yearlong initiative, which will provide grants and technical assistance to teams in up to six states to develop state policies and practices that lead to an increase in high school graduates.

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