Program Area
U.S. Program: Education

Our Goal
Help students graduate from high school prepared for college and work by helping reform 16 Washington state high schools; award college scholarships to talented, low-income students who attend those schools.

Our Progress in Brief
Five years into the program, most of the high schools that received Washington State Achievers grants have changed significantly, with higher expectations and new ideas about how to reach them. Most important, more kids are taking tougher classes that will prepare them for college. Students in some schools have made impressive gains in graduation rates and standardized test scores, but on the whole we have yet to see dramatic improvements in these key statistical indicators. However, the program is still relatively new, and we expect graduation rates and test scores to improve more quickly over the next several years as the work continues.

Meanwhile, the scholarship program has been a success. Washington State Achievers scholars are attending college and staying enrolled at much higher rates than their peers.

Next: The Challenge

Information in this case study is accurate as of June 2006