Nationally, 23 percent of ninth graders graduate from postsecondary education within five years of their high school graduation, according to research from The Bridgespan Group.

Deborah A. Gist, DC State Education Officer says, "We have all heard the sobering numbers about DC students before. What is different and inspiring about this initiative is that there is a clear goal - double the numbers of high school graduates who are on track to successfully complete college - and, you have the commitment of four of the top education stakeholders to bring this goal to realization through work currently being done and work to come."

The report also provides a set of recommended solutions to help double the number - from nine to 18 percent - of students in the high school class of 2010 who successfully complete college within five years, and to triple that number for those in the class of 2013.

In recent years, initiatives like the DC Tuition Assistance Grant program (DC-TAG) and the DC-CAP, have helped to significantly increase the number of DC high school seniors who go on to enroll in college in the District with the help of counseling and financial assistance. The DCPS Master Education Plan will continue to build on that success with strategies to strengthen the academic programs in DC high schools. Local colleges, including the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) and Trinity University, have made a similar commitment to improve the postsecondary experience for DC public school students. The coalition and its partners in the District share the same vision for improving high schools and college success and support for DC students, and are committed to working together to ensure success for all DC high school graduates.

"This joint effort will play an important role in helping us to increase the number of DCPS students going to college. Already we have partnered with the College Board to make sure our students are being offered all the academic experiences and course requirements that will make them eligible for college acceptance and to score competitively on college entrance exams," said Superintendent Clifford B. Janey. "And we are steadily increasing the number of DCPS students taking Advanced Placement courses, and encouraging all students to take the PSAT as early in their high school careers as possible, because we know that students who take the PSAT score higher on the SAT than those who do not. This new partnership fits perfectly with the goals of our Master Education Plan."