AmeriCorps; Education

In the 2010-2011 school year, less than 60% of Philadelphia students were graduating on time. The Diplomas Now model was developed in response to research findings identifying the early warning indicators of eventual high school dropouts (poor attendance, disruptive behavior and course failure in math and English) along with more than 65 years of combined experience working in and with low-performing, under resourced schools. This unique partnership model unites three organizations – Johns Hopkins Talent Development Secondary, City Year, and Communities In Schools - which all have proven track records of improving school success and student achievement, to create an innovative secondary school partnership focused on meeting the holistic needs of all students in grades 6 through 12.

• Talent Development Secondary (TDS) provides comprehensive, on-site support focused on building a strong and safe school environment, creating and refining effective professional learning communities, and ensuring effective teaching and learning in every classroom. Talent Development also helps create and manage an Early Warning Indicator data tool and multi-tiered student support process. In Philadelphia, this component of the model is led by the Philadelphia Education Fund (PEF), who works in partnership with TDS.

• City Year (CY) places diverse teams of 8 to 20 talented, young adults in Diplomas Now partner schools to provide school-wide and targeted supports, which include attendance and behavior monitoring and coaching, tutoring, mentoring, homework support, and extended day activities.

• Communities In Schools (CIS) provides an on-site coordinator to provide school-wide prevention and climate support as well as case-management and high intensity supports for the most challenged students in order to address the underlying issues hindering their success. The primary strength of the DN model is the additional human capital provided to high‐needs secondary schools. This includes an on‐site TDS/PEF school transformation facilitator, 8 to 16 CY AmeriCorps members and a CIS site coordinator. This additional people power, combined with the core technologies of the DN model and the re‐organized and supported efforts of the school staff, create the opportunity for rapid school improvement. The results below illustrate this.

In the 2010-2011 school year, DN was implemented in Feltonville School of Arts &Sciences, Jay Cooke and Thurgood Marshall Middle Schools and Overbrook High School in Philadelphia. Working in partnership with school leadership and teachers, the Diplomas Now model reduced the number of indicators demonstrated by targeted students in grades 6‐9 who were off‐track to graduation, including a:

• 47% reduction in the number of students with attendance below 80%.

• 78% reduction in the number of students with 3 or more negative behavior marks

• 76% reduction in the number of students receiving an F in Math

• 65% reduction in the number of students receiving an F in English

The collaborative efforts of Talent Development, City Year and Communities In Schools have more than doubled the number of students on-track to graduation.