The College Crusade of Rhode Island Announces High Graduation and College-Going Rates for Class of 2007

Annual Report Card findings support state’s agenda for personalized approach to education

Providence, R.I. (May 7, 2008) – The College Crusade of Rhode Island today released its Annual Report Card, which details the impact of the organization’s work with students during the 2006-2007 school year. The new report shows that students who participated in The College Crusade graduated from high school and went right on to college at much greater rates than their peers in the state’s urban school districts. Their graduation and college-going rates also outstripped the rates for Rhode Island students in general and students nationwide.

“The increased graduation and college-going rates achieved by our Crusader class of 2007 are a result of our personalized approach to college readiness,” says Mary Sylvia Harrison, president and CEO for The College Crusade. “There is a direct link between these outstanding results and the amount of time our students spent with their College Crusade Advisors and participating in our programs.”

The new Report Card highlights results for Crusaders who graduated from high school in 2007. For every 100 of these Crusaders who entered ninth grade, 79 of them graduated high school on time and 48 went right on to college. Their graduation and college-going rates are higher than the rates for students in Rhode Island’s urban districts (54 graduated on time, and 31 went right on to college), for all Rhode Island students (71 graduated on time, and 40 went right on to college), and for students nationwide (71 graduated on time, and 38 went right on to college). Comparison charts are available at http://www.thecollegecrusade.org/arc/2007arcdata.pdf .

The Report Card also highlights the connection between student success and The College Crusade’s practice of providing caring Advisors and college-readiness programs for youth throughout their middle school and high school years. The report shows that Crusaders who graduated on time and went right on to college in 2007 spent twice as much time in the organization’s programs as Crusaders who did not graduate on time. They also spent much more time in the company of their College Crusade Advisors, especially during high school. Crusaders who graduated on time and went right on to college spent over five times as many hours with their high school Advisors as Crusaders who did not graduate on time.

“This is a remarkable accomplishment,” says Peter McWalters, Rhode Island Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education. “The College Crusade was a pioneer in the college-access movement nationally and has always supported students from an early age, helping them through the years to graduate from high school and to prepare for college. The new Report Card offers compelling evidence that an individualized learning environment is crucial to student success and that The College Crusade Advisory model works. The Crusade experience can be a model for the state education system as we seek to ensure that all of our students succeed in high school and in college or the world of work.”

“The more time young people spend with adults who inspire them to pursue higher education, the more likely they are to succeed academically,” adds Harrison. “This is the principle at the center of our work. The students we serve encounter many obstacles on their way to getting an education. They come from low-income and predominantly minority families and attend low-performing urban public schools. They need to be supported and believed in every step of the way.”

She continues, “When you look at the results for The College Crusade class of 2007, which outperformed the state and the nation for graduation and college-going, you have to applaud the dedication and accomplishment of these students. They are living proof that personalization in education leads to success.”

Additional findings in the Annual Report Card compare Crusaders with other student groups on the basis of income and minority status and highlight the cost effectiveness of The College Crusade in the context of the state’s per-pupil investment in education. Comparison charts are available at http://www.thecollegecrusade.org/arc/2007arcdata.pdf .

The mission of The College Crusade is to increase educational and career success for youth in Rhode Island’s low-income communities. The majority of the organization’s members attend middle schools and high schools in Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence, and Woonsocket. Membership in The College Crusade provides each student with a caring adult Advisor and seven years of free college-readiness programs and services from grade 6 through high school graduation.

About The College Crusade of Rhode Island
The College Crusade of Rhode Island is the state’s most comprehensive college-readiness and scholarship program for middle school and high school students in low-income urban school districts. It serves over 4,000 students per year and rewards the efforts and achievements of financially eligible students with up to four years of college scholarships. From grade 6 through grade 12, Crusaders experience the steady, nurturing presence of caring adults and participate in activities that focus on academic enrichment, social and personal development, career awareness and exploration, and readiness for college. Since 2001, The College Crusade has awarded over $18 million in college scholarships to more than 2,500 graduates from Rhode Island high schools. For more information, please visit www.thecollegecrusade.org .

The College Crusade is a nonprofit organization funded by a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s GEAR UP program, by the State of Rhode Island, and by private corporations, foundations, and individuals.