"The fact that high schools continue to allow one-third of all students to drop out is a national economic, civic, and social disaster. We can and must lift achievement, graduation rates, and college attendance, particularly for low-income and minority students."

- Tom Vander Ark, Executive Director, Education

OVERVIEW

As a nation, we have yet to create a high school system that ensures that all of our young people reach their full potential. Today, nearly one-third of eighth graders will not graduate from high school. Of those who do graduate, fewer than half will be prepared for a four-year college. Low-income and minority students are at particular risk. Nearly half of all African-American and Hispanic students won't make it to graduation day. 

Educating America's children is critical to the future of our society, economy, and democracy. High school dropouts are far more likely to face unemployment and much less likely to vote than those who finish high school. And too often those who do graduate are not prepared for college and work in an economy where virtually all jobs that yield a family wage demand an education beyond high school.

The foundation's Education program is working to help communities create high school systems that prepare all students for college, work, and citizenship. In the fall of 2003, more than 150 new or redesigned high-quality small schools opened their doors in 22 states across the country. These small schools are helping foster the three R's — rigor, relationships, and relevance — that contribute to all students succeeding. Half of the nation's largest urban school districts now are engaged in high school reform, many of which receive support from the foundation.

In 2003, the foundation also continued to forge partnerships with education and civic leaders, school districts, and other foundations to raise awareness of the need for all students to graduate college-ready, and to make real changes in the nation's education landscape.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Helping Communities Transform High Schools. In 2003, the foundation continued to invest in cities that are expanding the high school options available to the least advantaged students. Investments included $11 million for the transformation of three San Diego large high schools into 18 smaller schools; $13.6 million to help 10,000 Boston students receive a high-quality, college-preparatory education; and $7.6 million to fund 12 new small schools in Chicago.
  
  
• Creating Effective Models. Throughout the year, the foundation worked to replicate proven school models to expand access to great schools, especially in urban areas. The foundation joined the Cassin Educational Initiative Foundation to create 12 new Cristo Rey Jesuit High Schools that will serve low-income and minority youth using a proven formula of rigorous coursework and an innovative work-study program. Additionally, a $31 million initiative was begun to build a nationwide network of 168 alternative schools for young people who have dropped out, become disengaged, or been failed by traditional schools.
  
  
• Joining States' Commitment to College Readiness. At the annual meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures in San Francisco, Melinda Gates called on legislators to help reform the nation's lowest-performing schools and school systems, and increase the number of students who are college-ready. Throughout the year, other foundation officials participated in meetings with governors and chief school administrators to explore ways to improve our nation's schools.
  
  
• Supporting States' High School Initiatives. Texas received a $35 million grant, and North Carolina was granted $11 million to launch major public-private initiatives to create new academically rigorous schools aimed at helping underserved students in rural and urban areas. These efforts build on similar statewide partnerships the foundation has in Ohio and Washington.
  
  
• Making the Dream of Higher Education a Reality. To afford wider opportunities for college education, the foundation provided 1,736 students with scholarships through: the Washington State Achievers Program (500 graduating high school seniors), the Gates Cambridge Scholars program (236 international graduate students in Cambridge, England), and the Gates Millennium Scholars program (1,000 low-income minority students in college and graduate school).
  
  
• Sponsoring Research. The foundation funded a Manhattan Institute report that found that only 70 percent of students in public high schools graduate, and only 32 percent are prepared for four-year colleges. The percentages for minorities are even worse. Among African-Americans, only 51 percent graduate, and only 20 percent graduate college-ready. Among Hispanics, 52 percent graduate, and 16 percent graduate ready for college.
  
  
• Contributing to the National Discussion. In October 2003, Jobs for the Future hosted the "Double the Numbers" Conference to formulate strategies for doubling the current number of minority students who go on to college and obtain a degree. The foundation joined the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Ford Foundation, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to sponsor the conference.
  
  
• Influencing the Agenda. Throughout the year, the foundation helped bring small-school issues to the forefront of the national agenda. By strengthening our partnerships with education policy organizations and authoring a report, "High Schools for the New Millennium," the foundation encouraged policymakers to increase funding and options for urban students.

GRANTEE STORY

Providing a High-Quality Education for Every Student
New York City's Small Schools Initiative

ShaVonne Pearson used to attend one of the lowest-performing schools in the Bronx, in a district that is the poorest in the United States. She was just a face in the crowd, and no one had any expectations that she would attend college. How could they, when only one in seven students at her school graduated?

But today, innovative educational leaders and committed teachers have high expectations for ShaVonne and her peers at the newly designed Morris High School Campus. They believe that given the right environment, a challenging curriculum, and enough encouragement, underserved students like ShaVonne could not only earn a high school diploma, they could go on to college and fulfill their dreams.

ShaVonne's new school is part of a network of high-performing small schools and alternative schools throughout New York City that serve more than 50,000 low-income and minority students. With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation, and the Open Society Institute, New York City has opened more than 40 new small high schools as part of a citywide effort to boost graduation and college-going rates.

In September 2003, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation joined the New York City Department of Education to continue this commitment to New York City schoolchildren by announcing a $51.2 million grant to support the creation of an additional 67 small high schools citywide. By transforming large failing schools like Morris High School into small learning communities and creating new high schools that offer personalized learning and rigorous coursework, this ambitious effort will provide students the high-quality education they need to succeed in the 21st century. The city is leveraging the foundation's investment to open a total of 200 new small schools throughout the five boroughs, including 60 in the fall of 2004.

The strategy is to create model high schools, then replicate them in high-need areas. New schools may be modeled after existing, successful programs like the Julia Richman Education Complex (JREC) and the New York City Museum School. JREC is one of the most successful high school turnaround stories in the country. In 1992, JREC housed 3,000 students, with only about one in three graduating. JREC now houses four small high schools, each with graduation and college attendance rates of over 80 percent.

At the Museum School, students spend up to three days a week in museums across the city and are taught by professionally trained museum educators and specialists. A part of the nonprofit New Visions for Public Schools network, the school uses museum objects to help bring to life the subjects of study, stimulating students' curiosity and encouraging them to seek answers to their questions.

The citywide program will double the number of high schools with fewer than 600 students and create 80,000 new seats in small schools. Ultimately, this investment will affect 25 to 30 percent of all high school students in New York City, and almost 90 percent of schools in central Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Harlem.

At the grant announcement, ShaVonne Pearson, now a tenth grader, spoke about how the smaller, more personal environment at her new school, the School for Excellence on the Morris High School Campus, has helped her go from being just a face in the crowd to truly knowing her teachers, her principal, and her counselor. New York City's efforts — and those in other cities around the country — will help tens of thousands more students feel the same way.