captioning performed by vitac captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2008 this could create a permanent underclass in our society. >> i don't want to be a statistic. >> i lost my son to the streets. i tell anybody if they can help their kids, don't allow them to throw their life away just because they want to. >> the question is will all

americans be willing to do what it takes to change this reality? >> there's a dropout crisis in america and public media can help. >> public media has unique assets unrivalled by any other organization and i'll thrilled this collection of public-minded broadcasters has stepped up to the challenge. >> working with business and civic organizations on a local level, we're going to help these kids stay engaged through extra curricular activities that capture their interest. >> through the power of media, we'll be able to educate and infuse a sense of urgency to this problem. >> today we're focused on what we can do to make positive change. >> a lot of our initiatives are focused on engagement in school, building connections. >> after school mentor programs, internships, video camps, community town hall meetings

brings together parents and teachers and students. >> when i think about the american graduate initiative, i see a possibility for success. >> public media is making a commitment with our partners and the people in the community we serve. we know that the challenge serious, but we also know what works. if we start with these kids live in our communities and work in partnership with teachers and parents, the schools, civic and business leaders, we can make the dream of a high school diploma is reality for america's young people. let's make it happen. [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, welcome co-ceo of big brothers and big sisters of america max

wilson and vice president nina sazer o'donnell. >> there's an african proverb that fits the occasion that says if you want to go fast, go alone. if you want to go far, be together. it's inspiring to be in the room with all of us and those watching on the web around the country knowing we are working together to help the community to help every child go far. >> we've been communities and allies for some time but now we're taking it even further, fornling a new partnership to increase the number of mentors working with children facing adversity in kindergarten and through middle school and

especially in the high-risk schools. >> big brothers, big sisters mentoring model has proven to have positive effects in a child's life. one of the things that united ways do so well is to recruit people with passion, expertise and resources to make lasting change. together we're aligning our resources toward the key benchmarks of a civic marshall plan and together doing that with many partners and many leaders like scutte superintendents and the american association of school administrators. as brian shared earlier, we'll be working together in new ways to make sure every child has a caring adult supporting his or her educational success. >> we're going to be laser focused on three things and that's targeting elementary and middle schools that feed into some of our lowest performing high schools using data to drive results and accountability and mobilizing everyone in our communities to give their time, talent and money to help our kids. >> we want every united way and

big brothers big sisters affiliate to work together strategically and collaboratively to help create opportunity. it's already happening in places like winston-salem, louisville, austin, ft. lauderdale and other places. community, school and parents are working together to make sure students succeed. >> in these communities, it is working very well. big brothers, big sisters, united way and the schools are working together so that when a child is acting out in school or fails a test or skips class, a big brother or a big sister is there to work with the family and the teacher to make sure that that child gets back on track. and it's not just about the bad things. when good things happen, they celebrate that together, too. >> that's the kind of synergy we want to create in every community. we hope dom back here in a few years and report that all 1,200 united ways and all 355 big

brothers big sisters chapters are doing the same. we hope you all join us and together we'll all work to make sure every community helps all of our children go far in school, work and life. >> thank you and please enjoy this fantastic video capturing this wonderful partnership. i'm ron jay. i live in plantation, florida. i'm 14 years old and this is my school. have i a big family, three sisters and a little brother. this is my mom and this is my dad. a lot of kids in my community don't even finish school, don't even care about school, but i

just got into one of the best high schools in the city. this is my true story of the people who helped me get there. >> i want you to achieve academically, do well in school and graduate from high school. first things first, let's do that. >> because it is important for a young man to be educated, to be able to take care of his family. and i see that the young men of today, they're not educated, especially block young men. >> united way of broward county and big brothers big sisters

have had a trusted relationship for a long period of time. >> we as community partners also understand the real importance of mentoring in general. we're measuring how the children do obviously in school, that they are maintaining their grades and their behavior. it's all about building strong kids who can make great decisions. >> i know that when we have a representative from the big brothers big sisters come, they're constantly checking report cards and we all have to work together to make sure all of our boys and girls have everything in place to make them successful. >> you have been steady in school and you try very hard and this period for the past three years i've been so proud of you. >> you're capable of achieving anything, anything you set your mind to do. >> live united is about community, it's about being

woven into the fabric of who we are here together. it's about collaboration, it's about partnerships, it's about understanding, it's about trust. it's about truly being united in the community. ladies and gentlemen, please welcome president at&t foundation beth shiroishi. >> thank you. it is such an honor and a privilege to be here today. as a former teacher, as a mother of the class of 2021 and 2024 and representing at&t, a proud partner in the grad nation campaign. at at&t we challenge ourselves to rethink possible, to ask what if? in my role at at&t i was handed recently a serious what if. what if we invest $250 million to try to change the trajectory

of our country? what if we aspire to an america where every student graduates high school with the power and knowledge and skills to power this nation's workforce? this isn't new for us. four years ago we launched at&t aspire because we believed then as we believe now, that it is one of the most important things we can do for our company, our communities and our country. but reaching the end of those four years we had decision to make dork we change directions, turn towards something new or do we take the successes we shared, the learnings and challenges and ramp it up? and as you heard this morning from our ceo, that's exactly where we landed. through our expanded commitment to aspire, we'll look to drive innovation and education in three key ways. first building on the successes we shared with all of you in this room we'll continue our investment locally, funding

evidence based programs that are helping more students graduate from american high schools. but we're not stopping there. driven by that "what if," we looking to seek exponential change that could change for the better education especially and drastically for those in underserved areas? we're looking to expand strategic alliances with organizations seeking to do just that and we're bringing more of our own company to bear. we'll start by leveraging the at&t foundry inopen vags centers, to build an ecosystem of developers, educators, social entrepreneurs and others to put more brains to work thinking about how to raise this country's graduation rates. and last but certainly not least, by connecting people. expanding communities for at&t's 260,000 employees through an enhanced job shadow, through e-mentoring and mentoring and

skills-based volunteerism. and we'll move outside our own doors to engage or customers and consumers. we unveiled today our first engagement president obama on causes.com, a connect site to facebook where we're challenging all americans to stand in support of a 90% graduation rate. i hope you'll join us there to raise awareness and earn even more dollars for america's promise. we aren't naive enough to think that $250 million, no matter how well planned, can solve this issue. but what if it could start a movement, a movement to turn what if to we will. what if every business, every citizen, every parent stood in support of a 90% graduation rate and took a concrete action to make that possibility true? let's aspire to justice that. thank you. [ applause ]

we're trying to keep on time. now to introduce our very special next guest and an extraordinary national leader, i'm to introduce rebad dominski. target is making it possible for us to be together today and target is a leader in business, innovation and all that we're trying to achieve. a significant portion of its giving goes towards education with a focus on the early years that we know are so critical to children's success. target is also sponsoring a breakout session later this morning called "hitting the mark on third grade reading" as part of our early childhood education track and is providing a special lounge for networking throughout

the summit. please warmly welcome reba dominski. [ applause ] thank you. good morning, everyone. before i begin, i'd like to take a moment to thank alma and michael powell and all of our partners. on behalf of everyone at target we are truly grateful for your leadership and for your vision and we are deeply honored to be part of this movement. at target community giving is and has always been a cornerstone of our company. we listen, we learn, we act locally to support the communities that we serve. our commitment began over a generation ago with george draper dayton, the founder of our parent company, who had a

personal passion for giving and social causes. he saw the intrinsic link between business and community. he knew that great and strong businesses start with great and strong communities. in 1946 we formalized our giving, committing to give a full 5% of our income, the maximum allowed by law. as our businesses continued to thrive, so has our support of the community and today that 5% equals $3 million every week. [ applause ] thank you. the reasons that target and other companies give are clear. first, it's the right thing to do and it's also good for our business. we know that our reputation is built not only on what we say but what we do. it also makes us a workplace of choice for our 350,000 plus team members pitch providing

volunteerism opportunities, we motivate and engage our team in meaningful ways and attract talent who want to work for a socially responsible for company. one of the great social challenges our time is education and the million students each year who fall off the path to graduation. just a generation ago american america produced more college graduates than any other country. we led the world in math, science and literacy. but times have changed and today we lag behind many other countries. but we are here and we are part of this alliance because we are confident that through cross-sector collaboration, innovation and determination, we can find solutions. we can create lasting and positive change and we can improve academic outcomes for all children. at target we believe that all kids deserve a quality education regardless of race or class. we believe in providing teachers

and schools with the support that they need to help kids succeed. we believe that all children can learn and can graduate from high school ready for college, ready for career, ready for their lives. and we believe that together we can create a grad nation. that's why target is on track to give $1 billion to education by the end of 2015. [ applause ] thank you. it's why we're connecting our work in the arts, social services and volunteerism to education for greater pact and why we offer a host of inopen vative programs. target is also using our strengths as a national retailer to raise awareness of this critical issue. an example is our recent

partnership with the ellen degeneres show. the response was phenomenal. the funds will be used to after school programs, new technology and basic needs. let's take a look. >> education is at the heart of target's community giving and they are committed to helping u.s. children reach their potential. this year 50 worthy schools in need will receive add 100,000 grant each, totaling $5 million. >> our school is unique because we have a lot of homeless students. we whether they leave here on a daily basis, we don't know where

they're going. some days they're living in an apartment, zas in a hotel/motel, sometimes on the streets. >> i'm kristin shredder. we're at 100% free and reduced lunch. they may not have the typical things that are provided for at home like a bed or clothes. it fairly familiar to have someone that they love that has been in jail or has been killed. >> you know, you go to school, you get a new backpack, you get new clothes. christmas you get presents, on your birthday you get a present and a cake. and these kids don't get that. so i decided to do it. i decided to give them those things. >> when we got here and got the support we needed, that the children needed, it made it to where i could focus on the problems at home. >> my kids wouldn't have had christmas that year if it wasn't

for this school, thank god. >> my biggest motivator are the kids. and the thought and the hope that they don't have to live in this existence when they grow up, that they break the cycle. that's my biggest motivator. >> i hope that they know that they're loved, i hope they know that they're capable and that they can do what they set their minds to. [ applause ] >> thanks. >> one of the schools that you saw featured on air just a moment ago was james elementary in tacoma, washington. we learned that our initial investment there has created a ripple effect. the principal who you saw wrote us an incredible letter to say that after the show aired the neighborhood and county have stepped up to increase safety patrols and services, something

she's asked for repeatedly in the past for the safety of her kids but didn't get. she said that the teachers and the staff and the students have renewed energy, pride and purpose and that the parents are excited with many coming in to volunteer for the first time. she told us a story of being in a classroom and the kids were head down pencil to paper and she said to them "were is it so quiet in here"? they said we figure miss ellen and target are going to come back and make sure they spent their money on the right school. i've worked for target for 18 years, i've created product that has generated millions of dollars in sales and i've launched major brands but i have never been more proud to work at target than when i received that letter from that principal. no one can that alone. i think you've heard that all morning. as a team of educators, parents, public and private sector leaders and a nation of caring citizens, we can bring about

sustainable change and hope. if we are to be a grad nation, it's going to take sectors across the country and a lot of effort, and it's also going to take incredibly strong leaders. today i am honored to be able to introduce one such leader to, you secretary of education arne duncan along with president obama joined the alliance two years ago. he spoke for everyone here when he said education was the most pressing issue afacing america and he has worked tirelessly to address that issue and help put america in the race to the top. thank you secretary duncan for you'll you're doing to help this country return to global leadership and education and for being here with us today. please help me in welcoming u.s. secretary of education arne duncan. [ applause ]

>> good morning. reba, thank you so much for that kind introduction. target's been a fantastic, fantastic partner. they absolutely walk the walk. i appreciate everything you're doing to change children's lives around the country. i also want to give a quick shout taught to bob belfanz and john bridgeland. this morning i want to provide a preliminary progress report on our school improvement grants or what's known as our sig program. it cbs news to accelerate achievement in our nation's lowest performer 5% of schools. our federal grant supports schools, leaders, teachers, unions and local partners in the community to undertake this

challenging work. we're seeing some very encouraging signs of progress in this first year of data from our sig schools, which actually few experts anticipated. but before i talk about that data, i want to put in context what we're seeing. the starting premise for the sig program is unfortunately painfully self-evident. the united states simply cannot meaningfully boost graduation rates and prom ace quality education to every single child without ending the cycle of failure in our chronically low lf performing schools. tragically not just for a few years but literally for decades children have been cheat out of a world class education in the underperforming schools. states and district officials have traditionally tinkered in these schools instead of treating them as the educational

emergencies that they are. and from the moment i became the ceo of the chicago public schools in 2001, i had so many people tell me that not much could be done to transform a failing school and i was told that nothing could be done to transform failing schools at scale. skeptics on the left of the political spectrum said the baresiers of poverty and race and attachment of parents to neighborhood schools were just too tough to overcome. those on the right side teachers and unions and district administrators would never by into to dramatic and national change. the no child left behind law required low-performing schools to take action to improve student learning. but in reality chronically underperforming schools were required to do little and for years the federal government provided little or no resources to help support change in these

schools. almost no eye schools, for example, were can youed in federal school improvement efforts, even though just 15% of our nation's high school produce half of our nation's 1.2 million dropouts. adults admired the problem, pointed fingers, bikered and at the end of the day nothing meaningful changed for our nation's children. early in his administration president obama said america could no longer maintain the status quo in chronically low performing schools. we could not continue to tinker. he believes and i believe dramatic change is dress desper needed in low performing schools. so in 2009 our administration with the support of congress created a new and much more ambitious program for turning around low-performing schools. it gives states and disabilities four options for dramatic

improvement but all four options require schools to institute far reaching changes to improve student learning. as my friend says a tweak here or aing to there will will not lead to funtle change. for the first time the administration put serious resources into supporting school turn around efforts to the tune of more than $4 billion. that money has gone to over 1,200 schools, each of which got a three-year grant of up to $2 million per school and in our first cohort of schools, 45%, almost half, were high schools. we wanted to attack the toughest challenges head on. almost immediately arm chair analysts, bloggers and pundits almost uniformly predicted that the sig program would flop, saying it would be a waste of time, talent, goodwill and taxpayer dollars. they said it would have little effect on student learning and

outcomes. they said even if the program worked to turn around a few schools, it would never succeed at scale. fortunately great teamers and community partners and parents didn't listen tho-to-those skeptics and most importantly, students themselves stepped up to the challenge. they understand turning around low performing schools is some of the tough efs, most controversial work they would ever undertake but they knew it was the most important and potentially most rewarding work they would ever do in their entire careers. they knew the difficulty of the work could not be an excuse for inaction and they didn't claimed to vul the answers. they approached this work as we all try to do with real humility. and we're still getting in the results from the first year of

the sig data. we all know that none of the schools are yet where they need to be or where they will be but the progress and the sense of momentum and the sense of hope is real. we have about 850 schools in the first significant cohort. we now have preliminary achievement data from 43 states covering about 700 of these schools in the first year of the program. in year one, roughly 1 in 4 schools saw double digit increases in math proficiency. about one in five schools had double digit increases in reading all told the percent of students proft or math went up even in this first year. i want to be clear there's still plim which. everyone