Jacksonville Public Education Fund statement on improved graduation rate
12/12/2011
Jacksonville Public Education Fund statement on improved graduation rate
Duval County students benefit from increased focus by district, community
The Jacksonville Public Education Fund commends Duval County Public Schools for further significant improvements in the high school graduation rate.
Duval County's graduation rate rose to 71.2 percent, an increase of 4.6 percentage points over last year. Results were announced today by Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson.
"These strong, consistent results represent continued progress toward making sure all students graduate from high school ready for college and the workforce," said Trey Csar, President of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund. "Thanks to increased community focus and attention on this important issue and the district's diligent work to improve instruction and supports for struggling students, numerous factors are working together to create success for Duval County students."
JPEF's mission is to ensure all students graduate from public high school college and career-ready. Through this work, the organization has been deeply involved in efforts to assist the district in improving its graduation rate, including:
- For the past two years, JPEF has coordinated Learning to Finish, a community collaborative that works to improve the graduation rate through an Early Warning and Response System and a system of Multiple Pathways to Graduation. In addition to JPEF, the Community Foundation in Jacksonville, United Way of Northeast Florida, Jacksonville Children's Commission and DCPS all serve as lead partners in this work.
- This year, JPEF launched ONE in THREE, a exhibit of student photographs and stories to highlight the role the community must play in solving the dropout crisis. Since the show opened at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, more than 16,000 citizens have seen the exhibit.
Interviews with Csar and other JPEF staff are available today.
Contact: Deirdre Conner, Communications Manager
Office: 904-394-0950 Cell: 904-345-0597 Deirdre@jaxpef.org