Students who participated in an innovative after-school program last year had a 96 percent graduation rate, well above the 54.3 percent average for Chicago Public Schools (CPS)*.  These results were reported in an annual report card issued last week for the Exelon-United Way Stay in School Initiative, which was created by Exelon and the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago.  The results were announced Oct. 24 at the Field Museum, where the program kicked off its sixth year.

ABC 7 anchor Karen Jordan and husband NBC reporter Christian Farr (center) pose with students from the Exelon-United Way Stay In School Initiative holding the results of the program's annual "report card."

 The kick-off featured ABC 7 anchor, Karen Jordan and her husband NBC 5 reporter, Christian Farr who spoke to the students about the importance of staying in school. Click here for more photos.

The Stay in School program is focused on improving graduation rates and stemming truancy in three Chicago communities with some of the highest dropout and truancy rates in the city.  According to CPS statistics, dropout rates in the Austin, Bronzeville/Grand Boulevard and Humboldt Park/West Town communities are well above the CPS average. 

In addition to yielding higher graduation rates, the Stay in School program promotes higher grades, higher attendance rates and pro-social behaviors.  This year’s report card findings reinforce that at-risk students can achieve academic success with the right mix of attention and activities.  The report card captures data from the 316 students who participated most intensively in Stay in School programs and services during the 2008-2009 school year.
• 96 percent of Stay in School seniors graduated from high school or obtained a GED, compared to the CPS graduation rate of 54.3 percent, in 2008. 

• 86 percent of Stay in School students were promoted to the next grade level.  In 2008, only 59 percent of CPS freshmen were on track for graduation.

• 76 percent of Stay in School students had at least a 90 percent school attendance rate.  Attendance is a major challenge for schools in these communities, with schools experiencing average daily attendance rates as low as 68 percent. 

• 74 percent of Stay in School students improved at least one grade in core courses, such as math, science and English.  Almost all students with a B average or better at the end of their freshman year graduate, compared to only a quarter of those with a D average. (Source: What Matters for Staying On-Track and Graduating in Chicago Public Schools 2007)

• 71 percent of Stay in School students increased their pro-social behaviors, such as participation in out-of-school and leadership activities, involvement in the community and non-violent conflict resolution.

United Way and Exelon launched the Stay in School program in 2004 to serve students in 10 schools with enhanced after-school programs.  At that time, statistics showed the citywide dropout rate had reached critical levels, especially for young males of color/belonging to minority groups: 61 percent for African-American males and 49 percent for Latino males.  The Stay in School Initiative has served more than 7,500 students, ages 10-20, since its inception.  During this school year, another 2,000 students will participate. Click here to view the full report. 

The partnership has created a holistic menu of programming that includes tutoring, college readiness, life skills and violence-prevention workshops, parent and family activities and a reward-and-recognition program for achieving students.  Exelon also created a companion job skills development workshop series that provides up to eight paid internships each year.

“This program has forever transformed my sense of self-esteem and my commitment to academics,” said Tierra Clark, a former Stay in School student from Fredick Douglass High School in Austin and now attending Northern Illinois University.  “Our mentors from Exelon help us understand what we need to do in order to be better prepared for our futures.”

Since 2004, Exelon has contributed $1.7 million to fund the Exelon-United Way Stay in School.  Education is a signature focus of Exelon’s corporate citizenship program.  The company and its 1,500 employee volunteers believe that educational achievement is the dividing line between economic isolation and opportunity.  Education is also a key focus of United Way, which provides the leadership and resources students need to grow into independent adults.

“These report card results indicate that we continue to make an impact in addressing the problem of student dropout rates in these communities,” said Steve Solomon, director of corporate relations at Exelon.  “We look forward to constantly evolving this partnership and keeping it fresh so that we are delivering the services that are most needed to support the academic success of the students.”

“The commitment from the volunteer mentors at Exelon has provided the Stay in School students with positive role models who stick with them over time,” said CJ Jones, director of outreach and diversity for United Way of Metropolitan Chicago. “This partnership is a prime example of corporate leadership reaching out to community experts for meaningful change.”

About United Way
United Way of Metropolitan Chicago improves lives by mobilizing caring people to invest in the community where their resources are needed most.  Spanning 238 communities across five counties, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago is the largest non-governmental funder of health and human service programs in the region.  Every United Way funded program must demonstrate measurable results to ensure that each contribution makes the greatest impact for those who need it most.

About Exelon
Exelon Corporation is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities with nearly $19 billion in annual revenues. The company has one of the industry’s largest portfolios of electricity generation capacity, with a nationwide reach and strong positions in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Exelon distributes electricity to approximately 5.4 million customers in northern Illinois and southeastern Pennsylvania and natural gas to 485,000 customers in the Philadelphia area. Exelon is headquartered in Chicago and trades on the NYSE under the ticker EXC.

*CPS Office of Research, Evaluation and Accountability

Reduced dropout rate for students in United Way of Metropolitan Chicago & Exelon program in its fourth year

(CHICAGO) — Students who participated in the Stay in School Initiative last year had a 93% graduation rate, well above the 55% average in Chicago Public Schools. These results are part of an annual report card that was issued today for the Stay in School Initiative , which is sponsored by Exelon and the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago. The program kicks off its fourth year Oct. 18, at the Field Museum.

The Stay in School Initiative is focused on spurring graduation rates and stemming truancy in three Chicago communities with some of the highest dropout rates in the city. According to Chicago Public School (CPS) statistics, students in the Austin, Bronzeville/Grand Boulevard and Humboldt Park/West Town communities have among the highest dropout rates in the city – well above the CPS average of 41%.

In addition to yielding higher graduation rates, the Stay in School Initiative improves students’ grades, attendance rates and pro-social behaviors. This year’s report card findings reinforce that at-risk students can achieve academic success with the right mix of attention and activities. The report card captures data from 369 students who participated most intensively in Stay in School programs and services.

93% of Stay in School seniors graduated from high school or obtained a GED. Compared to the CPS graduation rate of 55.1% in 2007.

86% of Stay in School students were promoted to the next grade level. In 2006 only 59% of CPS freshmen were on track for graduation.

67% of Stay in School students improved at least one grade in core courses, such as math, science and English. Almost all students with a B average or better at the end of their freshman year graduate, compared to only a quarter of those with a D average. (What Matters for Staying On-Track and Graduating in Chicago Public Schools 2007)

75% of Stay in School students had at least a 90% school attendance rate. Attendance is a major challenge for schools in these communities, with schools experiencing average daily attendance rates as low as 68%.

71% of Stay in School students increased their pro-social behaviors, such as participation in out-of-school and leadership activities, involvement in the community and non-violent conflict resolution.

United Way and Exelon launched the Stay in School Initiative in 2004, to serve students across 10 schools with enhanced after-school programs. At that time, statistics showed the citywide dropout rate had reached critical levels, especially for young males: 61% for African-American males and 49% for Latino males. The Stay in School Initiative has served more than 5,000 students, ages 10-20, since its inception. During this school year, another 2,000 students will be served.

The partnership has created a holistic menu of after-school programming that includes tutoring, college readiness, life skills and violence-prevention workshops, parent and family activities, and a reward-and-recognition program for achieving students. Exelon also created a companion job skills development workshop series that provides up to eight paid internships each year.

“I was part of a program where I really felt the force of people propelling me to succeed and to believe in myself,” said Mariveliz Ortiz, a Stay in School Initiative student from Austin and recipient of a paid internship with Exelon. “I have come away with stronger communications and career skills, and most importantly, a real dedication to academic achievement as a building block for the rest of my life.”

Since 2004, Exelon has contributed $1.35 million to United Way to fund the Stay in School Initiative , including a 15% increase in annual funding to expand the program in this academic year.

“The Stay in School Initiative continues to help even more students live up to their educational and career potential and achieve their dreams,” said Ruth Ann Gillis, president of Exelon Business Services Company and executive vice president of Exelon. “This year’s results show that we have created a successful public-private partnership that is strengthening Chicago’s at-risk communities and helping achieve Mayor Daley’s goal of improving education for the city’s students.”

“Since the inception of the Stay in School Initiative, Exelon has never wavered in its commitment to take on new challenges and fresh approaches to make this program such a remarkable success,” said Wendy DuBoe, chief community investment officer at United Way. “Whether it means growing the number of children who can participate, increasing their volunteer base or developing engaging activities for young people to take part in, their efforts have not only elevated Stay in School to national stature, but also created a wonderful model of how corporate leadership can improve our communities.”

For the full Stay in School Initiative Report Card, visit Exelon’s Web site at http://www.exeloncorp.com/corpresponsibility/community or the United Way Web site at www.uw-mc.org .

# # #

About United Way

United Way of Metropolitan Chicago improves lives by mobilizing caring people to invest in the community where their resources are needed most. Spanning 238 communities across five counties, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago is the largest non-governmental funder of health and human service programs in the region. Every United Way funded program must demonstrate measurable results to ensure that each contribution makes the greatest impact for those who need it most.

About Exelon Corporation

Exelon Corporation is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities with more than $19 billion in annual revenues. The company has one of the industry’s largest portfolios of electricity generation capacity, with a nationwide reach and strong positions in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Exelon distributes electricity to approximately 5.4 million customers in northern Illinois and Pennsylvania and natural gas to approximately 480,000 customers in the Philadelphia area. Exelon is headquartered in Chicago and trades on the NYSE under the ticker EXC.