Leveraging Community Partnerships to Improve Graduation Rates

Abstract

Preparing high school students for college and career is a key area in which community-school partnerships can make a crucial difference, creating opportunities for exposure, real-world experience and postsecondary access support that most Philadelphia youth would not have otherwise. South Philadelphia High School (SPHS) Principal Otis Hackney and counselor Pierre LaRocco, who is in charge of partnerships, have embraced this potential and made their diverse and vibrant school a model for collaboration. With support from staff and member organizations of the Southeast Philadelphia Collaborative, SPHS began convening monthly provider meetings three years ago. Those meetings—focused on building knowledge and increasing communication among the agencies providing services at the school—grew so large that work groups were formed this school year to focus shared efforts around climate and postsecondary supports. Sunrise of Philadelphia, a city- and state- funded out-of-school time (OST) program provider, joined the school as an on-site partner in fall 2013 and is working with the school and other partners to build innovative and collaborative models to help more students stay on track and graduate with the skills they need to succeed in postsecondary education and careers.