The Latest

April 12, 2012

Learning What it Takes: How to keep students on track to success

In 2005, the Philadelphia Education Fund and Johns Hopkins University co-authored groundbreaking research that identified Early Warning Indicators (EWIs) that correlate most strongly with students dropping out of school: poor attendance, poor behavior, and core course failure in math or literacy.

The Ed Fund and JHU moved the research into action to create an EWI data and 3-tier intervention system for middle grade and high school students. Beginning in 2007, City Year Greater Philadelphia and Communities in Schools in Philadelphia came on board to create Diplomas Now. Diplomas Now, currently in place in five schools in Philadelphia, is now scaling to 60 schools nationwide.

This report tells the story of how Diplomas Now schools organize for and use EWI data and intervention system on behalf of students with EWIs.

> Read the "Learning What it Takes" report

June 13, 2011

Diplomas Now featured in Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal

The Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal printed a feature in its Spring/Summer journal titled, "Diplomas Now: Providing Solutions to the Education Crisis in America."

The article discusses the significant research behind the Early Warning Indicators Project and Diplomas Now, and describes the inception and successful implementation of Diplomas Now in Philadelphia schools.

> Read the full article here

August 25, 2010

Diplomas Now Hosts Summer Institute for Local Participants

Diplomas Now Philadelphia held the Diplomas Now Summer Institute II from August 9-11, for 70 participants from four School District of Philadelphia schools: Feltonville School for Arts and Sciences, Jay Cooke Elementary School, Thurgood Marshall School, and Overbrook High School.

Led by their principals, each team immersed themselves in Diplomas Now theory and practice in preparation for the 2010-11 school year. School teams brought new members on board, analyzed site-specific 2009-2010 early warning indicator data, and used the Diplomas Now School Improvement Tool to develop their own Diplomas Now Starting Strong Plans.

December 14, 2009

National Press Cover Diplomas Now

In an article titled Diplomas Now' Offers Potential Dropouts Lots of Help, published in Education Week, the Diplomas Now model, a national replication of the Ed Fund’s Early Warning Indicators Project, uses an early-warning system to identify potential dropouts and offers social support to help students succeed.

> Read the complete article
> Read about the Early Warning Indicators Research

Earlier in December, the San Antonio Express-News published an article that cited Ed Fund’s Early Warning research has led to the national pilot, Diplomas Now.

> Read the complete article
> Learn more about the national replication of Diplomas Now

October 1, 2009

Diplomas Now was the topic of a Congressional Hearing

Diplomas Now was the topic of a Congressional Hearing on Tuesday September 30, 2009. The Ed Fund's Senior Program Director, Allie Mulvihill spoke at the hearing, which also included Robert Balfanz of Johns Hopkins University and other Diplomas Now partners.