The Pilot ProjectAcademic Excellence :

One high school and a feeder middle school from each of the following districts are participating in piloting the initiative: Brooklyn Center, Duluth, Hibbing, Park Rapids, Red Lake, Richfield, and St. Paul.

Districts received technical assistance to complete a process that guided them in the development of a comprehensive plan for engaging students in school and learning, and raising rates of graduation. Decision-making about programming and effective strategies to improve school completion was informed by the research literature.

Anticipated outcomes of the initiative include a decrease in the dropout rate -- and a corresponding increase in the graduation rate --by year three of the grant for schools involved in the initiative as well as a decrease in the dropout rate among students of color and low-income students in districts involved in the initiative. The materials included below provide descriptive information about the Pilot Project including who was involved.