MassGrad Coalition Challenge Awards

Most barriers to student success in high school cannot be addressed in isolation by a single school district or program. Many of the challenges that youth face occur outside the school environment yet often have a profound effect on school performance. Generally, these challenges are common across districts/schools and their communities and could be addressed more effectively when districts/schools and community partners work together to resolve them.

The purpose of the MassGrad Coalition Challenge Award is to promote collaboration among districts/schools and their community partners to more effectively address the needs of a targeted group of students at risk of dropping out or to address a specific graduation challenge and implement strategic interventions that could have a positive impact on raising student graduation rates.

COALITION / FOCUS
Franklin County:
Gil-Montague Regional School District
Athol-Royalston Regional School District
Greenfield Public Schools
Ralph Mahar Regional School District
Partners: Community Coalition for Teens a Program of the Franklin Regional Council of Governments / This coalition will design a collaborative case management system to assess and address the needs, goals, interventions and services available to and/or being utilized by at-risk students in Franklin County.
Malden:
Malden Public Schools with Saugus High School and Everett High School
Partners: Cambridge Health Alliance, YWCA, YMCA, Malden Police Dept., Dept of Transitional Assistance, Dept. of Children and Families, Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, Chamber of Commerce, Bunker Hill Community College / “Malden’s Promise” brings together representatives and leadership from state, city, school and local agencies, groups, organizations to focus on the issue of poverty and its effects on school attendance, transiency, homelessness and mental health and how these issues affect dropout rates.
New Bedford:
New Bedford High School
Partners: Immigrant Assistance Center, Educational Talent Search and College Access, GEAR UP, Community and Schools for Success, New Bedford Community Connections Coalition, H.O.P.E. Collaborative, Child and Family Service of New Bedford, North Star Learning Centers, Bristol Community College, UMass/Dartmouth / This coalition guides the creation of a Family Engagement Center in the high school and create a network within the community and school that informs, encourages and empowers families to access the information and supports necessary for College and Career Readiness. The center will then offer materials, presentations, workshops, etc. to assist students and families in being ready for college.
Worcester:
North High School
Partners: African Community Education, Latino Education Institute / This coalition designs and implements a systemic case management model targeting the Hispanic and ELL student population to decrease the dropout rate, close the educational gap and ensure equal access to supports and interventions necessary for graduation and college and career success.

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Updated June 8, 2013