specific to each community. so let's look on a national level. because while all this is happening on a local level, we're also focused on telling the story nationally. so too important to fail investigates the causes of increased dropout rates among black teenage males. while jim glassman's ideas in action examines the vital role that middle schools can play even before those kids start thinking about dropping out. on the radio side, npr's story course motivates people to get involved by featuring stories from teachers who are doing their best to keep kids on the path to a high school diploma. now, how effective is this coverage? and those are just a few examples. well, let me tell you a quick story.

wmau right here in d.c. committed to a nine-part series on the dropout challenge. and stories focus on early warning signs, kids that overcame barriers to success, model schools that engage the community and much, much more. well, roberto rodriguez, who is special assistant to president obama for education on the white house domestic policy council retweeted the story on the dropout challenge that was generated by kavitha kadosa, senior reporter from wamu. next, senator jeff bing mman, new mexico, was also listening to the story. now he wants to engage his local public media station, knme, in a district hearing on how the dropout crisis is impacting the state of new mexico.

next, representative george miller from california also heard kavitha's reports and he blogged about the great public media american graduate initiative. so from d.c. to mexico to california and throughout every single state, the dropout story has gone viral. and across the country, public media stations through american graduate, with support from the bill and melinda gates foundation are hosting teacher town hall meetings to listen and learn and effect change. kqed in the bay area produced a town hall in oakland. it was moderated by npr's glen washington. live web cast. and it's going to become a radio broadcast special and video web extra. at the end of the town hall, one oakland teacher stood up and said, thank you, kqet, for

coming to us to hear what we have to say. at this point, american graduate efforts have been launched at 68 communities with over 600 partnerships and more to come. from projects such as vegas pbs's virtual high school. helping kids get their diplomas online. to pbs news hour and their student reporting labs, which give middle and high school students the opportunity to learn digital media production and connect the education they're getting to relevant next steps for their future. to our new americangraduate.org website, a virtual research center to help people understand the dropout challenge and be inspired to become champions in their communities and states. and i have to say how honored and proud all of public media is to be working with america's

promise alliance, with civic enterprises, and with all of you to build a grad nation. and i know that one tday we are going to see bumper stickers on thousands of cars in every single state that says, "i helped a young person become an american graduate." now, let's make that happen. thank you. [ applause ] if you will turn to the screen, we'll have a short video on how public stations are working to make that goal a reality. ♪ >> i honestly think the reason why students trop out from high school is because they don't

have someone that inspires them. >> i was hanging around with the wrong group of people. most of them smoked. most of them did a lot of bad things. >> over the course of a lifetime a high school dropout will make $1 million less than a college graduate. >> if your friends are dropping out and that's what's cool in your community, then i guess that's what's going to happen. >> this could create an underclass, a permanent underclass in our society. >> i don't want to be a statistic. >> a lot of students say i've never really been challenged. >> 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. >> we have to do that. >> 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 that are really unrivaled by any other media organization.

i'm thrilled that this collection of public minded broadcasters has stepped up to the challenge. >> working in full partnership with business and civic organizations on a local level, we're going to help these kids stay engaged through extracurricular activities that capture their interest. >> through public media we're going to be able to educate, use this sense of urgency to this problem. >> today we're focussed on what we can do. we begin right now to share what we can do to make positive change. >> at lot of our initiatives are focused on engagement in school. building connections. >> through afterschool mentor programs and internships. through video camps and community town hall meetings bringing 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 communities we serve. we know that the challenge is

serious. but we also know what works. if we start where these kids live, in our partnership with teachers and parents, the school, civic and business leaders we can make the dream of a high school diploma a reality for america's young people. let's make it happen. ♪ [ applause ] >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome co-ceo of big brothers, big sisters of america, max miller. and vice president for education united way worldwide, nina sazar o'donnell. >> good morning. i'm nina. >> and i'm max.

>> i know proverbs can be cliches. there's an african proverb that so fits the occasion. it says if you want to go fast, go alone. if you want to go far, go together. it's inspiring to be in this room with all of us and people who are watching via the web all over the country knowing that we are all working together to help communities work together to help every child go far in school, life and work. >> our organizations have been working together for years now. we've been communities and alleys for some time. now we're taking it even further. we're forging 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 is proven to have positive effects in a child's life. and 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 towards the key benchmarks of the civic marshal plan. and together we're doing that with many partners and many leaders, like school 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 ewe knighted way and big brothers, big sisters affiliate to work together strategically and collaboratively to help create opportunity. it's already happening in places like win ston salem, louisville,

austin, ft. lauderdale and many other places. community groups, schools, volunteers and parents are working together to make sure elementary and middle school students succeed. >> now, in these communities, this is working very well. big brothers, big sisters, united way and the schools are working together so that when a child actually 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 to come 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 that you'll all join us and together we'll all work to make sure that 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. [ applause ] ♪ >> i'm ronjay. i live in plantation, fl pl. i am 14 years old. and this is my school. i have 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. i want you to do well in school and i want you to 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 black young men. ♪ >> united way of broward county and big brothers, big sisters have had an incredible working relationship for a long period of time. a trusting 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. we all have to kind of work together to make sure that 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 can achieve anything you set your mind to. >> 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 shirizi. >> 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, with the knowledge and the skills to power this nation's workforce. now, 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, for our communities and for our country. but reaching the end of those four years, we had a decision to make. do we change directions? turn towards something new? or do we take the successes we shared, the learnings and the 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 trooif 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 commitment to investing locally. funding those proven, evidence based programs that are truly helping more students graduate from american high schools. but we're not stopping there. driven by that what if, we're looking to seek exponential change. what is that disruptive technology, that disruptive

innovation that could change for the better education. especially and drastically for those in underserved areas. so 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 innovation 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 opportunities 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 our customers and consumers. in fact, we unveiled today our first engagement platform on causes.com, a connect site to facebook, where we're challenging all americans to stand in support of a 90%

fwrajuation rate. i hope you'll join us there to raise awareness and help earn even more dollars for america's promise. now, 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 just that. thank you. [ applause ] >> thank you, guys. we're running because we're trying to keep on time. now to introduce our very it shall -- very special next guest

and extraordinary national leader. reba domenski. target is one of our premiere sponsors of the grad nation summit led by america's promise alliance making it possible for us to be together today. target is a leader in business and innovation and all the that we are trying to achieve. a significant portion of its giving goes toward education with a focus on the early years that we know are so critical to children's success. target is also sponsoring a break-out 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 domenski. [ applause ]

>> thank you, bridge. good morning, everyone. before i fwin, i'd like to take a moment to thank alma and michael powell and all of our partners in america's promise alliance. 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. 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. makes us a workplace of choice for our 350,000 plus team members. we motivate our team in meaningful ways and attract talent who want to work for a socially responsible company. one of the great social challenges of our time is education and the million

students each year who fall off the path to graduation. just a generation ago, america produced more college graduates than any other country. we led the r world in math, science and literacy. but times have changed. and today, we lag behind the 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 a billion dollars to education by the end of 2015. thank you. it's why we're connecting our work in the arts, social services and tourism to education for greater impact and it's why we offer a host of innovative programs and encourage strong partnerships like our partnership with america's promise alliance. target is also using our strengths to raise awareness of this drit cal issue. one example is our partnership with the ellen degeneres show where we gave to 50 schools across the country. ellen asked her viewers to nominate schools and the response was phenomenal. the funds were used for reading and afterschool programs, 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 will receive a $1100,000 grant. >> it is very unique because we have a lot of homeless children here. and when they leave here on a daily basis, sometimes, we don't know where they're going. some days, they may live in an apartment. some days, a hotel, motel. >> i'm the principal of james sales elementary. we're at 100% reduced and free

lunch. they may not have things provided at homeit fairly famil someone that they love that has been in jail or has been killed. >> you know, you go to school, you get a new backpack. get new clothes. christmas, you get presents and birthday, you get a present and cake. these kids don't get that, so i decided to do it. i decided to give them those things. >> when we got here, got the support we needed, that the children needed, it made it to where ixd focus on the problems at home. >> my kids hadn't had christmas that year. >> 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 they know they're loved, they're capable and they can do what they set their minds to. . >> one of the schools that you saw featured on air just a moment ago was james sales elementary in tacoma, washington. we've learned our initial investment there has created a ripple effect. the principal 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 forry petedly in the past, but didn't get. she's she said that the teachers and 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. she said to them, why is it so quiet? they said they figure that 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 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 do that alone. i think you've heard that all morning. but 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'm honored to be able to introduce one such leader to you. secretary arne duncan joined two years ago. he spoke for us here when he said that education is the most pressing issue facing america and has worked tirelessly for that issue. thank you so much for all you're doing to help this country return to global leadership and for being here today. >> good morning. thank you so much for that kind introduction. target has been a fantastic partner. they absolutely walk the walk. i appreciate everything you are doing to change children's lives

around the country. i want to give a quick shoutout to bob bellfans and john bridge for their ground breaking work over the years to identify and promote solutions to the high school dropout crisis. please give bob and john a big round of applause. this morning i want to provide a preliminary progress report on the school improvement grants. as all of you know sig seeks to accelerate achievement in the lowest performing 5% of schools through far-reaching interventions. the 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 s.i.g. schools which 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 s.i.g. program is unfortunately painfully self evident. the united states simply cannot meaningfully boost graduation rates and promise a quality education to every single child without ending the cycle of failure in our chronically low-performing schools. tragically, sometimes not just for a few years but literally decades children have been cheated out of a world class education and for fa too long we, adults, educators, leaders, passively observed this educational failure with a complacency deeply disturbing. states and district officials have traditionally tinkered in the schools instead of treating them as the educational emergencies they are. from the moment i became the ceo of the chicago public schools in 2001, i had so many people tell me not much could be done to transform a failg